Why we need Black Breastfeeding Week

30 Aug

Black Breastfeeding Week was founded in 2013 in the US by Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka to help address and the gaping racial disparities and inequity in breastfeeding rates amongst Black women. Running 25th-31st August, was introduced to the UK in 2017 by doula and educator, Ruth Dennison.

The aim of Black Breastfeeding Week is to identify and spread awareness of the specific challenges and barriers to breastfeeding that Black women face, amplify Black mothers and Black voices, and celebrate our achievements in the face of so much adversity.

It has been documented in the UK showing that black women have the highest breastfeeding rates of 1-3% . Many are question this, as there are many factors within the black community which causes black women to not exclusively breastfeed their babies until 6 months and beyond as recommended by UNICEF and WHO.

History of Black breastfeeding

Black women have a long and traumatic history with breastfeeding. Enslaved Black mothers were forced to become wet nurses for their enslavers’ babies at the detriment to their own babies who would often die of malnourishment as mothers would turn to alternatives such as animal milk or water, neither sterile.

Black infant mortality rates in the UK

Evidence shows that Black families suffer the highest infant mortality in the UK and it is strongly believed breastfeeding could help reduce the numbers and provide immune protection and nutritional benefits to the vulnerable babies who need it. Breastfeeding has incredible health benefits for both mother and child; it can help prevent many illnesses, infections, diseases and reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden infant death syndrome).

Barriers to breastfeeding

Lack of diversity in the lactation field

It’s no secret that the breastfeeding support and the lactation field is predominantly white female led. This lack of diversity can not only mean that Black women don’t feel welcome in spaced run and organised by White feeding specialists as they don’t see anyone who looks like them.

Unique cultural sensitives for Black mothers may not be understood – and therefore respected - by the White professionals they turn to for help, and therefore many Black mothers will not be given as good a service as their White counterparts.

Poor representation of Black imagery

Another important area where diversity is lacking is visually; breast anatomy and breastfeeding imagery. The first images that appear in stock image websites are White women breastfeeding and it is not a true reflection of the types of mothers who breastfeed. Mothers of all races and cultures breastfeed their children and the more we see it through imagery, the more Black mothers will feel they belong and are welcome in these spaces.

Lack of diversity in breastfeeding images can pose health risks to Black mothers. A good example of this is mastitis – an inflammatory response to a build up of milk within the milk ducts. One of the common symptoms of mastitis is a red patch of skin on the breast – but this will only be visible on lighter skin. There is very little imagery of how mastitis looks on Black skin and so a Black mother could be waiting to see a symptom that may never be visible to her. Untreated mastitis can become an infection that can make a person very unwell and require a course of antibiotics, so it is dangerous not to consistently explain and show imagery of health conditions on all skin types – White should not be the standard.

Systemic racism

The 2022 Birthrights report looked into systemic racism within maternal care, and statistics showed showed that Black women are less likely to be listened to, believed and respected by the health professionals that are supposed to be looking after them. The report contained testimonies and firsthand from healthcare professionals about the discriminatory culture, microaggressions, racist stereotyping and prejudices seen in the workplace.

Once a mother has given birth the poor treatment won’t suddenly drastically improve so, when she is trying to establish breastfeeding and get her baby to latch and feed well, it’s concerning to think of how she may be treated if she asks for help.

The “angry Black woman” is a tiring and disgusting stereotype that many Black women still have to deal with so, when advocating for themselves and their children, both conscious and unconscious bias can influence the quality of support they’re given.

This all of course breeds huge distrust between Black mothers and healthcare professionals – why would a mother feel trusting and comfortable towards the same institution that treated her so poorly during pregnancy and childbirth, as the Birthrights report details?

Lack of community outside of family and friends

Research shows us that Black mothers in the UK are more likely to seek breastfeeding support from family members such as mothers and grandmothers, not only due to their highly influential matriarchal role and valued experience within the family, but also the fact that they’re not getting quality support from those actually skilled and qualified to help them – or they don’t feel welcome in those spaces.

Community is SO important when it comes to breastfeeding support. Community can be your own family and friends but so many breastfeeding groups exist too. However, if they’re run by White breastfeeding professionals and are made up of only White mothers, it’s easy to understand why a Black mother wouldn’t feel comfortable turning up to somewhere that doesn’t include anyone else who looks like her.

What can you do to support Black breastfeeding mothers?

Create safe spaces for Black mothers

We need to encourage feeding and increase representation for Black mothers in feeding support groups and in online communities. Making them feel welcome in all spaces is vital to encourage breastfeeding rates. If you’re a White lactation expert then ensure all projects you’re involved in are as diverse as possible to encourage Black mothers to attend, and use inclusive imagery - avoid White images and illustrations being your standard.

If you’re a White mother in these spaces, then challenge those who organise if the group or imagery you see is predominantly or all White. Observe the environments you feel comfortable in and consider whether a non-White mother would feel as welcome as you do.

Champion representation

We need more photos, illustrations and . Amplify the voices of non-white lactation experts. I know many who tell me that Black and Brown mothers go to them as they feel they’ll be listened to and understood.

Education

If we can ALL be more culturally sensitive and respectful through learning about Black mothers’ needs, unlearn unconscious bias and stereotyping, we can be a part of the positive change towards equity in Black women’s breastfeeding success.

Racism is a White problem, not a Black problem, yet it is Black mothers and Black breastfeeding experts I see championing Black breastfeeding. Being aware of Black Breastfeeding Week isn’t enough – I want to know what White lactation specialists are doing and going to do to improve the current situation for Black mothers.