Celebrating Black & Brown Breastfeeding Mamas-Nat’l Breastfeeding Week 2023

Health & Wellness

Aug 4

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and mamas, we are here for it! Breast milk, directly from the breast or from a bottle, is a great choice for feeding babies. National breastfeeding week kicks off the month, running from August 1 to August 7, 2023. Next is Indigenous Milk Medicine Week, August 8-14, 2023, followed by Black Breastfeeding Week, August 25-31, 2023. There are other events, but we’re highlighting Indigenous and Black breastfeeding, because these Brown mamas have the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the country (US).

How did this happen, and why does this need to change?

Let’s start with the understanding that the ethnicities that have the highest rates of breastfeeding are: Asian, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white. Unfortunately, that leaves us Black and Brown mamas at the bottom when it comes to both starting and continuing breastfeeding. That’s why whenever we see a brown mama going strong with the healthy habit of breastfeeding, we are definitely cheering her on! Great job mamas! So, how did breastfeeding feeding rates drop in brown communities? There are many reasons, and we will probably never really know why. However, we’ll share some of the reasons that are believed to have caused the decline. As always we cite our sources, so be sure to check the references list below in the resources section.

Historical Impact on Breastfeeding in Black & Brown Communities

Slavery and wet nursing had a negative impact on breastfeeding in the Black community in America. A mother, who was also a slave, may not have had time to care for her infant, with little time to nurse her own child. In addition, she may have been forced to nurse the children of slave owners. We can’t even get into the psychological effects of that.

For Native mothers, nursing a child was a cultural practice, and was discouraged, as native peoples were persuaded to leave their traditions behind and assimilate to white American society. In addition, there was a decline in breastfeeding associated with governmental programs that placed indigenous children in boarding schools and homes, away from their mothers and families. So, breastfeeding was being stigmatized in these Black and Native communities, while simultaneously, ads for formula were targeting these mothers. The ads for formula promoted false information about formula being superior to breast milk.

Social Factors That Make it Harder for Black Women to Breastfeed

We know that poverty and malnutrition, which were common in black and native communities, directly contributed to declines in breastfeeding. Poor nutrition makes breastfeeding difficult, because it takes energy to make breastmilk. If you can’t get the water and food you need to make milk, then breastfeeding becomes a great challenge. Also, a lack of support in the work environment deters people from breastfeeding. It is not always easy to get breaks approved, find a place to pump, and find a place to store milk at work. This is especially true of jobs that don’t provide a living wage.

So, with it being a hassle, many mamas don’t pump at work. This can cause a reduction in milk supply, or simply cause a mama to give up. Lastly, and this is a little more personal/anecdotal than research based, it is not uncommon to have family members who discourage breastfeeding, and especially discourage breastfeeding for more than 6-12 months. There is a lot of what Cece likes to call “respect pressure” or respectability politics that exists in minority communities. You dare not show disrespect for your mother and grandmother for their choices as a parent by choosing something different. When it comes to breastfeeding, many family members just don’t see the point. They say, “why trouble yourself when there’s formula?” Decades ago, as more women entered the workforce, formula was a godsend. So, now, these older women don’t see why it matters, because “your daddy had formula and he turned out alright.” Many young women don’t want to spend time battling family members, especially with “extended” breastfeeding (nursing a baby for longer than 1 year), so they use formula. Couple that with the belief that breastfeeding is for “white folks,” and you have a lot of social pressure on your hands. It takes a lot of strength to go against all of that!

We want all of you Black & Brown breastfeeding mamas to feel incredibly proud of yourselves for going above & beyond for your child. Cheers to the many generational curses you all are breaking!

For more information on why this decline in breastfeeding occurred, see the article below from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

At the end of the day, you need to do what works for you and your family. That may mean exclusively using formula, exclusively breastfeeding, or using a combination of both. We highly recommend breastfeeding, if and when possible, even if it is only for 4-6 ounces a day. If you aren’t able to breastfeed, formula is a reasonable alternative source of nourishment for your little one. Formula is far better than mixing up some things on your own, without knowing the science behind what babies can absorb, digest, and tolerate.

Doing your own thing without research and the support of a trained professional can contribute to allergies, bowel upset, nutritional deficits, and can even lead to death.This is not the time to take risks, following a recipe from TikTok. Talk with your doctor about what you can do to nourish your child.

Enjoy National Breastfeeding Month, even if your kids are grown. Maybe you can give a breastfeeding mama a warm smile and head nod. That little gesture may mean more to her than you could ever imagine.