Where Black Mothers Can Find Much-Needed Breastfeeding Support
Black Breastfeeding Week 2024, which is all about supporting new mamas of color as they navigate all things nursing, is underway. With the ongoing Black maternal health crisis posing a threat to many women of color, this support is essential, says Kimberly Seals Allers, a maternal and infant health strategist who cofounded the week in 2012. “Because of the effects of racism, our babies are more disproportionately born too small, too sick, or too soon,” she says. “That is why breastfeeding is so important. Babies with underdeveloped guts and underdeveloped immune systems need breast milk the most. This is what started me on my advocacy around breastfeeding.”
Research found that in 2018, just 25.8 percent of babies in the U.S. were exclusively breastfed during their first 180 days. The percentage was even lower for Black babies, at 19.8 percent. Black moms face specific challenges in this area, explains Seals Allers. “The biggest misconception is that Black women don’t want to breastfeed. But we know that Black women do want to,” she says. Factors at play include being disproportionately impacted by the lack of federal paid maternity leave in the U.S., a lack of breaks and spaces to breastfeed, and a shortfall of the types of social role models that normalize breastfeeding, she says. Another more disturbing factor: Although breastfeeding in public is now protected by law in all 50 states, women publicly breastfeeding have historically faced disciplinary action at times—which is even more treacherous for Black women. “We know that having any type of interaction with authority is a bigger deal for us,” she says. “So if breastfeeding is perceived as something that could result in having security called on you, people are gonna be like, ‘I’m not doing that. We have enough danger in our everyday lives to be doing something potentially risky.’”
Black Breastfeeding Week seeks to address these issues and meet moms where they’re at, be it offering advice on nailing the right posture to avoid getting a crick in your neck or finding the best pump to ease the transition back to work. Seals Allers says no amount of milk is too little. “Whether you breastfeed for one, two, or 82 weeks, all of those stories have power, and every ounce of milk counts,” she says. “We don’t want the people to feel like, Because I’m not gonna be able to do it for six months, I’m not gonna do it at all. No, no, no. Every drop counts.” She’s keen to encourage women to feed for as long as they can, “particularly in those very early days when it’s going to be so amazing for the gut, to cut down on allergies, and to help with brain development.”
To get involved, check out Black Breastfeeding Week on Instagram, Facebook, and their website. A lactation helpline will also be available from 6 p.m. to midnight ET in the Irth app. Here are some resources for Black breastfeeding mamas.
Black Girls’ Breastfeeding Club: Offers free online workshops and webinars, culturally relevant resources, and cute merchandise (we love the “brown and breastfed” onesie). This organization was founded by maternal and child health scientist Ayanna Robinson, PhD, with the aim of centering the breastfeeding experiences of Black mamas, empowering families to make informed infant feeding decisions.
Chocolate Milk Café: A lactation support group and national network for families in the African Diaspora, founded by perinatal nurse and breastfeeding educator Hakima Tafunzi Payne, a.k.a., Mama Hakima. Programs include community lactation education classes and monthly meetings, and there are active chapters in 10 U.S. states (including New York, North Carolina, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Texas) plus Canada.
It's Only Natural: This resource-based site from the federal Office on Women’s Health is geared toward Black families. Featuring video testimonials from moms who breastfeed, advice on getting a good latch, and tips on where to seek support, the site is full of practical advice.
Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere: Head here for a weekly breastfeeding support group aptly named The Drip, specialist support for mothers whose newborns have spent time in the NICU, and an amazing eight-week peer support program called BreastFriends, which pairs women who have had positive breastfeeding experience with newbies who are learning the ropes.
African American Breastfeeding Network: Want to get ahead of the game? This org offers prenatal breastfeeding classes (virtually or in person, if you’re Wisconsin-based). They also offer a special infant-loss support service called Healing Waters and a WeRISE program to connect you with doulas of color.
As well as her work with Black Breastfeeding Week, Seals Allers hosts the Birthright podcast, which features uplifting Black birthing stories, and founded the Irth app, where Black and brown patients can leave reviews about their hospitals and doctors.
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