Negative public attitudes
The convenience of breastfeeding - you don't need to bring along formula when you go out - is considered by some to be a major selling point. The downside of this perk is that Americans are surprisingly squeamish when it comes to the sight of a mom nursing in public. In fact, nearly a quarter of the moms in Babytalk's survey (22 percent) were made to feel uncomfortable at some point.

A national survey of public beliefs about breastfeeding published in The Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that 57 percent of those polled said that women should not have a right to breastfeed in public. And a whopping 72 percent said that it's inappropriate to show a woman breastfeeding on TV programs.

Don't let anyone make you feel that you can't nurse your baby. Most states have laws that specifically protect a woman's right to breastfeed in public, and no state outlaws it, says Jake Marcus, a Pennsylvania attorney and legal advisor for La Leche League International. That said, it can be helpful to plan in advance how you'll handle an annoying comment, Marcus adds.

Moms in Kansas don't need to spend time crafting a comeback. In honor of a 2006 breastfeeding law, the state has printed up cards that mothers can flash in the face of anyone who tells them to stop nursing. The card states, "Kansas License to Breastfeed in Public - It's the Law." Don't live in Kansas? You can still tell disapproving strangers to bugger off - download Babytalk's breastfeeding-rights card.

Time commitment
Many moms are overwhelmed by how much effort goes into breastfeeding: Nearly half of respondents to Babytalk's survey said that they didn't feel prepared for the time commitment. A newborn nurses 8 to 12 times a day; by the time the baby has been fed, burped, and changed, it's time to start the cycle all over again. "It really is a shock to women how much time is involved, at least initially," says health psychologist and international board-certified lactation consultant Kathleen Kendall-Tackett.

Without time to sleep, eat, or do much of anything besides breastfeed, a new mom's energy and morale can get depleted quickly if she doesn't get the support she needs at home. "Fatigue is a huge problem," says Kendall-Tackett, who adds that it's helpful for new moms to realize that the intensity of early breastfeeding lasts for a limited period of time.

Women need to give themselves permission to make nursing their top priority - at least for the early weeks. That means letting laundry, cleaning, and hospitality for visiting relatives slide. "Everything has to take second place to Mom and the baby working on breastfeeding," says Kendall-Tackett. Other survival skills include nursing while lying down and trying to sleep when the baby sleeps. And moms cannot be shy about requesting help, such as asking others to watch their older children or bring over a meal.

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