Hey there, it's Stephen Dupner, and we've got something special for you this week.

An episode of Freconomics MD, one of our sibling shows from the Freconomics Radio Network.

Freconomics MD is hosted by Bapu Jena, who is both a physician and economist.

Every week he tries to answer a thorny question at the intersection of economics and medicine.

Recently, he's looked at why doctors over-prescribe antibiotics, whether Americans are going overboard with colonoscopies,

and what happens when physician assistants and nurse practitioners replace doctors.

You can get all those episodes and many more wherever you get your podcasts.

As for the episode we're about to play for you, there aren't many questions thornier than this one.

It is a classic example of how it can be really hard to prove cause and effect in health care.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

I hope you will follow or subscribe to Freconomics MD on your favorite podcast app.

And I hope you'll stick around to the end of this episode to hear a preview of a special series that we're about to run

right here on Freconomics Radio with me back in the host's chair.

As always, thanks for listening.

My interest in breastfeeding I suppose came from my own personal experience when I had my first child, almost 14 years ago.

Emla Fitzsiamonds gave birth on a Saturday afternoon and stayed in the hospital until Monday morning.

At first, she didn't think much about what day of the week it was.

Her mind was on something else.

I really struggled in the early couple of days with breastfeeding.

I found it very hard to access support in the hospital.

But by Monday, I just noticed quite a stark difference in the availability of support.

So, my wife was able to spend some time with me and to help me, which I hadn't had available over the weekend.

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