Black Moms are Struggling with Breastfeeding
Black Moms are Struggling with Breastfeeding
Before I gave birth I had made the decision that I wanted to breastfeed my baby. Following the delivery, baby formula was advertised to me in the maternity ward. I told them I wanted support with breastfeeding, but was not given support or resources and was told that formula was an easy option to feed my baby. I attempted breastfeeding on my own, but didn’t know what I was doing and experienced pain and discomfort. The hospital staff and lactation consultants did not show me support and continued to push formula as my main option. It wasn’t until a personal friend of mine educated me on the benefits of breastfeeding and showed me how to do it correctly where I began to receive the help that I had so desperately wanted.
Why It's So Hard For Black Women To Breastfeed
There are plenty of reasons Black women struggle to breastfeed. The first is that there isn't enough representation or support in our culture. Pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding can be a source of anxiety for any woman. But what makes things worse for Black moms is that we don't see images of women who look like us breastfeeding their children, whether it's on TV or in print magazines. As a result, Black mothers tend to feel more isolated during these times. ... Racism also plays a role; Black women are more likely than white women to report feeling judged by health care providers while they're pregnant, postpartum or trying to become pregnant — which many say makes them less likely to seek out breastfeeding help if they have trouble nursing their babies.
What may come as even more of a surprise is racism within communities of color; Black women in particular face stigma from other Black people if they talk about difficulties related to pregnancy, birth or breastfeeding. For example, some Black women I spoke with said that people in their social circle have shamed them when they tried to get breastfeeding help or struggled to nurse because they'd had c-sections.
Many Black moms told me stories about how relatives said hurtful things such as, “you're too old” and “what are you doing?” after watching them try to nurse a newborn. These experiences only make Black mothers want to keep silent rather than ask for help when problems arise because they fear being ostracized.
How The Black Community Can Help
You Are Not Alone.
If you’re a Black mom struggling to breastfeed your baby and you don’t have anyone around you to support you, that’s okay. The truth is that breastfeeding is hard for many women regardless of their race or socioeconomic status. However, as recent research has shown, Black women struggle with breastfeeding at disproportionate rates in comparison to other races. While only about 69% of white babies are exclusively breastfed through 3 months, just 35% of Black babies make it through 3 months on exclusive breastfeeding alone. This means that black mothers need extra help in making sure they have what they need to be successful mothers. Making sure our babies get the nutrition they need during their first few months helps set them up for a lifetime of health and wellbeing.
Why We Need To Talk About This
Black maternal health disparities have been receiving a lot of attention lately, and for good reason. The CDC states that in 2015 African American mothers were 2.5 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts, and Black infants had a death rate nearly twice as high as white infants. What’s interesting is that despite these alarming statistics, Black women are reporting better breastfeeding outcomes than whites—64% versus 61%. Why? We think it has to do with how we perceive ourselves, our bodies, and our role as parents. Too often Black women hear they shouldn’t or can’t breastfeed because of something inherent about themselves that makes them incapable. This narrative needs to change. Black mothers need to know they are just as capable and determined as any other mother out there, whether breastfeeding or not.
What We Can Do Next
As a society, we need to start acknowledging that racial disparities exist in health care and hold our health providers accountable. If a Black woman is struggling with breastfeeding, we need to be her advocate, rather than shoving formula at her. We should make resources available for breastfeeding mothers of color. And we need to create more representation in our media so these stories are not swept under the rug. I’m blessed to have had support around me when I was breastfeeding but many other Black moms aren’t as fortunate. Let’s do something about it.
Black babies matter.
Black maternal health matters too!