“Breastfeeding is a radical act of reclaiming our health, our bodies, and our future.”

August 25th to 31st marks Black Breastfeeding Week 2024, the last week of Breastfeeding Awareness Month. In the US, but also in the UK, black mothers experience significantly worse health outcomes during their pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding rates in the US are also lower amongst these communities. According to Kimberly Seals Allers, black author and activist’s book “The Big Let Down – How Medicine, Big Business and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding,” black mothers are 8 times more likely to be offered formula in the hospital and at pediatric visits. LactApp is collaborating with Global Communities Health Start San Bernardino, California, US, and has asked two of their midwives what Black Breastfeeding Week means to them. Here is their video message and guest article:

Listen Up: Reclaiming Our Narrative & Centering Our Stories for Breastfeeding Justice

By: Raven Yeargin LM, CPM

As Black Breastfeeding Week 2024 approaches, we are reminded of the theme that calls us to action: “Listen Up: Reclaiming Our Narrative & Centering Our Stories for Breastfeeding Justice.” This concept is a profound invitation for Black birthing families, supporters, and advocates to lift our voices and reclaim our stories. For so long, we have lived in a world where our stories—our truths—have been minimized, ignored, or outright erased. This year’s theme encourages us to stand up, share our experiences, and ensure that our voices are centered in conversations about breastfeeding, birthing justice, and, ultimately, our collective future.

Last year, I witnessed something remarkable during Black Breastfeeding Week: so many families standing in solidarity. We saw families demand their rights and mobilize for the movement. It was as though Black birthing families were finally stepping out from the shadows, no longer willing to be silenced or sidelined. Our voices began to echo louder, and it became clear: we will be heard.

But our work isn’t finished. This year’s theme reminds us that reclaiming our narrative is an ongoing process. It is a continuous commitment to centering our stories, especially when it comes to breastfeeding—a practice that, for many Black families, has been surrounded by historical stigma and systemic barriers.

The Power of Our Stories

When I started my journey as a midwife, I knew that my calling was to support Black families. For me, this was about more than just birth work—it was about uplifting our people and actively working to lower the devastatingly high infant and maternal morbidity and mortality rates that have disproportionately affected Black communities. I knew that one of the most powerful ways to create generational change in these outcomes was by fostering greater interest in breastfeeding among Black birthing families.

Why? Because breastfeeding is not just about feeding a baby. It is a radical act of reclaiming our health, our bodies, and our future. It is a tool for lowering rates of illness, reducing risks for both birthing parents and babies, and providing a foundation for lifelong health. Yet, breastfeeding has not always been accessible to Black families—whether due to lack of support, systemic racism in healthcare, or generational trauma tied to our complicated history with wet nursing during slavery.

This is why this year’s theme, “Listen Up: Reclaiming Our Narrative,” is so powerful. It encourages us to rewrite the story for ourselves and our children. We need to share our stories, uplift one another, and build community around our birthing people and children.

By doing so, we create a culture that normalizes breastfeeding in our communities, making it a cornerstone of our health and wellbeing.

My Breastfeeding Journey

I’ll be honest: my own breastfeeding journey was not easy. In fact, it was a struggle. And for a long time, I felt isolated in that struggle, wondering if I was alone in facing these challenges. It wasn’t until I started hearing the stories of other Black breastfeeding parents that I realized I wasn’t alone. Their stories looked and sounded so much like mine, and in those shared experiences, I found solace and solidarity.

Breastfeeding can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be tough – especially when you feel like you’re doing it on your own. But here’s the thing: we are not alone. We are never alone. And that’s one of the most important lessons I hope to impart as we move through this year’s Black Breastfeeding Week. If we learn anything from this movement to uplift Black breastfeeding, let it be this: we are part of a larger community, and help is available if we just reach out for it.

I remember needing that help myself. I reached out to an IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) to perfect my baby’s latch when we were struggling. I leaned on the community – other breastfeeding families who shared their stories with me, encouraged me when I felt like giving up, and reminded me that I was not alone in this journey. When I experienced supply issues, it was that same community that provided donor milk for my little one. And when I ultimately had to stop breastfeeding, they were there to lend me a shoulder to cry on and to hold me up in my grief.

The support I received was invaluable, and it taught me one of the most critical lessons I now pass on to the families I work with: reach out for help, and keep reaching out until you get the help you need. Sometimes the first person you ask won’t have the answers, but that doesn’t mean the support isn’t out there. We all need each other in this journey – because none of us are meant to do this alone.

The Challenges and Triumphs of Black Breastfeeding

In my work as a midwife, I have had the honor of supporting many families through their breastfeeding journeys. And while every journey is unique, one thing resonates throughout all of the stories I’ve heard: the importance of community and support. I’ve worked with clients who have faced significant challenges in their breastfeeding journeys – some minor, some more serious – but in each case, they found success
through the power of community.

They reached out for help, whether it was from a lactation consultant, a family member, or another breastfeeding parent. They asked for guidance, support, and encouragement. And in turn, they received the help they needed to continue on their breastfeeding journey, whether that meant working through latching issues, supply challenges, or even making the decision to transition to donor milk or formula.

One thing I have seen time and time again is that no one should have to go through this alone. Our community is strong, and we are here to support one another, to share our knowledge and resources, and to make sure that every Black family that wants to breastfeed has the opportunity to do so. When that doesn’t happen—when breastfeeding isn’t an option for whatever reason—we stand with each other in those moments too. We support one another emotionally, physically, and even spiritually because we understand the complexities and challenges of this journey.

Reclaiming the Future for Black Birthing Families

As we move forward into the future, I want breastfeeding to become as normalized in Black communities as feeding a baby with a bottle is today. I want Black birthing people to embark on their pregnancy and parenthood journeys feeling fully supported and empowered in their choices—whether that’s breastfeeding, chestfeeding, using donor milk, or formula. This journey is hard enough as it is, and no one should have to go through it without feeling the strength of their community behind them.

In order to make that future a reality, we need to continue building communities that are centered on support, education, and justice. We need to create spaces where Black birthing families can come together, share their stories, and receive the help they need without judgment or shame. This is about more than just breastfeeding—it’s about creating a culture of care that supports Black families well into parenthood and beyond.

Our narratives have been shaped for too long by outside forces—whether through historical trauma, systemic racism, or cultural pressures. It’s time to reclaim those narratives and write our own stories, stories that are rooted in our strength, resilience, and shared experiences. This is what Black Breastfeeding Week 2024 is all about: reclaiming our narrative, centering our stories, and creating justice for Black
breastfeeding families.

Building a Community of Support

One of the most important ways we can continue to support Black breastfeeding families is by building community. “What does that look like,” you ask. It’s not enough to simply encourage breastfeeding or provide resources—we need to create a network of support that extends far beyond the first few weeks or months of a baby’s life. We need to be there for each other throughout the entire parenting journey.

This is something I feel deeply passionate about in my work as a midwife. When I work with clients, I’m not just thinking about the immediate postpartum period – I’m thinking about how we can support these families in the long term, how we can create a community that will stand by them as they navigate the challenges and joys of parenthood. It’s about more than just breastfeeding – it’s about creating a culture of care that extends far beyond the first latch.

Black Breastfeeding Week 2024 is a call to action for all of us to listen, to share our stories, and to support one another in this journey. It’s a reminder that we are not alone – that we have a community that stands with us, ready to lift us up when we need it most. Let’s continue to reclaim our narrative, to center our stories, and to build a future where Black families can thrive. This is our time, and our stories deserve to be heard.

Let’s continue this important work together, for ourselves, for our children, and for the generations yet to come. Listen up, the future is ours.

Raven Yeargin is a midwife in Southern California, you can find here website here and follow her on Instagram.

 

Black Breastfeeding Week 2024

By Sherrie LeGendre LM, CPM

I’m Midwife Sherrie LeGendre LM, CPM of Wise Roots Midwifery. I enjoy providing maternity care and catching babies all over Southern California. I also currently lead several prenatal and postpartum Support Groups around Los Angeles, California, and San Bernardino County, California. 

I provide guidance with: 

• Getting baby properly latched 
• Taking care of milk supply 
• Breast health and avoiding engorgement and plugged ducts 
• Baby weight checks and reassurance to know that baby is getting enough milk.
• Recommend breastfeeding strategies and find out what works best for them to help with their breastfeeding journey. 
• Lactation is discussed prenatally to encourage immediate latching after baby is born.

The women I’ve cared for have stated that they’ve felt the most cared for during their pregnancy and birth and postpartum at their disposal than they’ve ever had in their lives. I feel honored that many have been so grateful to learn how to make lifesaving changes through their birth experience because they knew the importance of having an attentive midwife. I love when families plan to have me as their midwife for their next pregnancy and birth. 

I did a postpartum check on a client who was suffering from baby blues and sleep deprivation. The client’s husband really wanted to be helpful. When she finally laid down to sleep and the baby woke ready to eat again, the father picked up the baby, brought her over to his wife, and said: “Babe, the baby needs to eat now, but don’t worry, I got this, you sleep, and I’ll get the baby latched.” She allowed him to latch baby to her breast while staying at her side to support the baby’s position,  while mom fell back asleep… I couldn’t have been prouder of them. I know that’s not the “norm”, but it can be. 

There are so many new parents who have lack of support with breastfeeding as well as many other unmet needs. I have had participants who have come into the support groups that are dealing with lack of adequate healthy nutrition. Some are at risk for low birth weights, pre-eclampsia, and gestational diabetes. Not having access to nutritious food in the postpartum will affect milk supply which contributes to a baby’s failure to thrive. 

It is important to lend as many resources to as many as possible, and so many of us black midwives are proactively working to resolve that problem within our communities.  

It is equally as important to me to uplift families that ARE doing well and encourage them to keep going!… so that other new parents who need encouragement can see and learn that successful black breastfeeding IS normal. 

My participation in Black Breastfeeding Week means taking a moment to recount the historical fact that many generations of babies HAVE BEEN fed by black women. 

The uncomfortable history of mistreated and devalued people of color being told over and over means nothing unless we call out the detrimental effects that have us still trying to heal. Erasing stigmas means bringing up the hard topics and being real about what is happening. We can rejoice for the changes that have come about, but we have to continue examining the changes that still need to happen. 

Real positive talk: I wholeheartedly believe that many black mommas ARE aware of the importance and the benefits of breastfeeding their babies, and even if they choose to bottle feed, they are trying to do their best because they want to provide the very best for their families. 

I want to encourage more black pregnant and lactating individuals to join our midwifery-led prenatal and postpartum groups. Come and get the free resources available to you; come and get the support; we are here for you. 

Let’s keep going and going with the momentum of empowerment, listening, and healing! Let’s keep celebrating Black Breastfeeding!

You can follow midwife Sherrie LeGendre on Instagram here.

 

More information on the Black Breastfeeding Week campaign on their Instagram profile here.