Background
: It is well known that breast-feeding is the best for infant feeding until 6 months. Breast-feeding tends to increase in 1970's, when breast-feeding was regarded as ideal method, but tends to decrease in 1980's worldwide. In Korea, breast-feeding tends to decrease since 1970. According to the past study about breast-feeding, the fact is that mothers don't know about the merit of breast-feeding that they have denied and education for continued breast-feeding, and that medical personnel don't always give great emphasis on breast-feeding. So this study is done to know whether Dr's recommendation and education on breast-feeding may influence on choice of feeding method.

Methods : The study subject was pregnant women who visited one OB & GYN clinic and bedelivered vaginally. Doctor recommend breast-feeding to them and offered education material about the merit and main point of breast-feeding. After 1 month of delivery, we examined feeding method by telephone immediately after delivery and 1 month later.

Results : Experimental group was 72 and control group was 71. Breast-feeding rate immediately after delivery was 56.3% in control, and 59.7% in experimental group, but there is no statistically significant difference. Breast feeding rate after 1 month was 38.0% in control, 41.7% in experimental group, and there is no statistically significant difference, too. The variable which influences choice of feeding method is feeding pattern determined before the delivery, those who determined to breast-feed before the delivery tend to feed breast milk(P<0.05). The variables which influence feeding method at 1 month are feeding method immediately after delivery and recommendation of close associates. Immediate breast feeders tend to breast feed continually until 1 month, and have been received less recommendation from close associats. Reasons of breast-feeding failure are insufficient amount of breast milk, refusal of babies, jaundice, and retracted nipple.

Conclusion : Dr's simple recommendation is not helpful for the choice of breast feeding. The variables which influences on feeding is feeding method before the delivery, which influences 1 month later.