Breast feeding is the optimum form of infant nutrition. Breast milk fully meets the requirements of the infant in the first few months of life. The objective of the study was to assess the factors that limit the mother to practice exclusive breast feeding. Material and Methods: 200 first time mothers belonging to middle and high income group families were enrolled for the study using purposive sampling method. A pretested semistructured open ended questionnaire was used to collect data. An informal interview method was used to gather information about breast feeding practices. Results: 187 mothers breast fed their babies and 13 mothers never breast fed their babies. Amongst mothers who were breast feeding their babies, 35% mothers were practicing exclusive breast feeding (EBF), 35% mothers practiced Predominant Breast Feeding and 30% mothers practiced Mixed Breast Feeding. Mode of delivery significantly affected the exclusive breast feeding rates and time of initiation of breast feeding (P<0.05). Conclusion: Initiation and continuation of breastfeeding is influenced by a complex interplay of culture, social support, and socioeconomic status. The erosion in the value of breastfeeding, lack of accurate and unbiased information on optimum infant feeding practices, and inadequate support to breastfeeding mothers are some of the factors responsible for poor rates of infant feeding practices.

Keywords: Breast feeding practices; Exclusive breast feeding; Breast milk, Bottle feeding.