Background: Breastfeeding is the ideal and most natural way of nurturing infants. Mother's milk is the most complete food in the first months of life. According to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) guidelines, mother's milk must be started immediately after delivery and it must be considered as the only food of baby in the first six months of life and then it should be preserved one year as one of the main components in the diet of a child. Objectives: To assess the factors affecting the initiation of breast-feeding. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted from February to May 2018 in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at AlY armouk teaching Hospital in Baghdad. Convenient sample of women delivering live babies irrespective to mode of delivery. The study done by using a preformed questionnaire composing of three domains. Results: About 150 women were included in the study, with age range 15-42 years, 55% had primary education. In addition, 95% are not employed. All the women had the will to breast-feed their neonate. Seventy percent did initiate breast-feeding. Preterm delivery occurred in 12.6% and it was significantly associated with initiation of breast-feeding. Cesarean section occurred in 78% of sample. Conclusion: Only 70% of women initiated breast-feeding. Neonatal complications and preterm baby have significant role in the delay of the initiation of breastfeeding.