Two-hundred successively delivered mothers were asked about their attitudes towards feeding their babies, the influences on them, and their personal and social backgrounds. Initially 39% intended to breast-feed, though in the first few weeks many gave up. Choosing to breast-feed, and success in doing so, were strongly associated with higher social class. The commonest reason given by those who chose the bottle was the embarrassment of breast-feeding. Efforts to increase the numbers of mothers choosing to breast-feed should concentrate on those mothers who remain undecided on their method of feeding. If they are to breast-feed their babies successfully they will need careful advice and support both before and after delivery.