According to a recent study published in BioMed Central, obese women plan to breastfeed for a shorter period of time than normal-weight women, are less likely to initiate breastfeeding, and end up breastfeeding for a shorter period of time.

Amir and Donath conducted a systematic review of the literature. Twenty-seven articles published from 1989 to 2006 were included in the review. A meta-analysis was not performed because the definitions of initiation were inconsistent.

Possible reasons why overweight/obese women are less likely to breastfeed include:

• Practical or mechanical difficulties related to large breasts.
• Physiologic or hormonal factors.
• Medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome or diabetes.
• Socio-cultural factors such as embarrassment and inability to breastfeed discreetly.
• Psychological factors such as dissatisfaction with body image.

The authors concluded, “Breastfeeding rates vary from population group to population group - the variation is usually due to social rather than biological factors. However, a number of epidemiological and animal studies do suggest that maternal obesity is detrimental to lactation.”