The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of the process of breastfeeding. Rogers' Science of Unitary Human Beings provided a framework for conceptualizing breastfeeding as a manifestation of the human-environmental mutual process. The study was designed, therefore, to look at breastfeeding in context, and over time. The study investigated, in a natural setting, the process of breastfeeding within the context of the childbearing year. The subjects included five couples who were expecting their first child. Informal interview and participant observation for a period of one year--during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and for six months after the birth of the baby--provided rich, contextual descriptions of breastfeeding within the lives of these families. The data were analysed using Grounded Theory methodology. As the study evolved, the focuse became "What are the factors that influence a woman to choose to breastfeed?" and then "What are the factors that influence a woman to continue to breastfeed?" A three stage model to explain breastfeeding duration was developed.

The mother's decision to breastfeed was influenced by her knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding, but also by a number of other factors. These included her perception that breastfeeding would fit with her lifestyle and be congruent with her values, beliefs and expectations of babies and mothering. In addition, her network of family and friends, particularly her husband, supported the decision to breastfeed.

The patterning, and the duration, of breastfeeding were influenced by a complex network of interacting factors associated with the mother, the baby, and the support network. A particularly valuable finding was the importance of the baby's contribution to the patterning and, eventually, the duration of breastfeeding. The three stage model, "Continuing to Breastfeed", provides a theoretical basis for hypothesis testing. Implications for research are discussed.