Objective: To examine mothers' experience of support received from fathers for breast-feeding. Design: We conducted in-depth in-person interviews with women with recent breast-feeding experience. Interview transcripts were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Interviews were designed to explore the mothers' perception of role of fathers in breast-feeding, education on breast-feeding that fathers received and their perception of the fathers' view on breast-feeding. Setting: Urban and suburban community. Subjects: Nineteen women from a metropolitan area in the north-eastern USA. Results: Ten themes emerged, these involved practical and emotional support provided by fathers, especially during times of unexpected breast-feeding challenges.In addition, mothers perceived fathers may benefit from more peer and professional support, lactation consultant service and breast-feeding education.Conclusions: Mothers appreciated the support from fathers for breast-feeding continuation, including encouragement and understanding. These results may be useful for health-care practitioners to promote breast-feeding continuation by supporting fathers in their role in the breast-feeding process.Keywords Breast-feeding Lactation Fathers Support Mothers' experience Breast-feeding has many known health benefits for both mother and child, and therefore the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breast-feeding for the first 6 months of life and continuation of some breast milk consumption up to 1 year old (1) . These recommendations are consistent with the WHO, which recommends exclusive breast-feeding for 6 months and continuation of breast-feeding supplemented with appropriate food for up to 2 years or beyond if desired by mother and child (2) . For infants born in the USA between 2003 and 2006, breastfeeding was initiated for 73?4 %, continued until 6 months for 41?7 % of infants, and until 12 months for 21?0 % (3) . These figures remain below the target levels for the Healthy People 2020 goals of 50 % rate at 6 months (4,5) . In contrast, 79 % of 12-month-old infants around the world are breast-fed (6) . Although the USA is approaching the 2020 goals, these goals are significantly lower than global rates and the ideal of nearly 100 % breast-feeding for almost all infants (4,5,7) . In the greater Boston area (state of Massachusetts) where the present study was conducted, 77 % infants ever received at least some breast-feeding, with 46 % continuing to be breast-fed at 6 months and 20 % at 12 months (8) . The initiation rate was higher among non-US born mothers in this region (92?5 % v. 77?1 % in US-born mothers), and those with some college education exceeded 80 % breast-feeding initiation rate while among those without the rate was only 71 % (9)