Introduction: Exclusive breastfeeding is the only one that can give optimal nutrition for the infant up to six months of age, but a third of the mothers do not provide it. Objective: To determine the maternal characteristics and beliefs associated with the abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers attending the Growth and Development Service of the Hospital “Félix Torrealva Gutiérrez” - EsSalud from the department of Ica. Methods: observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study carried out in 160 mothers who completed the delivery and were attended at the “Félix Torrealva Gutiérrez” Hospital Growth and Development Service - EsSalud with their infants from one to six months of age. Results: The abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding was observed in 61 (38.13 %) mothers. It was more frequent in mothers aged between 30 and 49 years (36, 46.75 %, p=0.030), with family income >S/.1,000 (39; 32.56 %; p=0.000), single (2; 100.00 %; p=0.0001), lvivng with full or incomplete upper education (49; 42.98 %; p=0.046), workers (43; 70.49 %; p=0.000), living in noble material houses (59; 49.58 %; p=0.000), from the coast (59; 50.43 %; 0.000) and abdominal (15; 45.45 %; 0.331). Maternal beliefs:“If I drink cold drinks, I cannot breastfeed my baby” and “If I eat beans, it is cause for not breastfeeding my baby”, as well as the discrepancy with the statement “The exclusive breastfeeding is enough to satisfy my baby when hungry”, were associated with the abandonment of the EBF (p <0.05). Conclusions: Maternal characteristics and beliefs are associated with the abandonment of exclusive breastfeeding, especially when in women with better income.