Black Breastfeeding Week Toolkit & Resources

The sections below are a preliminary topical guide to understanding the social landscape influencing breastfeeding trends among African-American families. It is sure to grow as we encounter and create other relevant resources. To make suggestions for the toolkit.

 Why Black Breastfeeding Matters

Cultural and institutional factors play a significant role in a mother’s decision and capacity to breastfeed. The resources below will provide you with background information to begin understanding the circumstances behind the racial disparities present in breastfeeding and the importance of breastfeeding in the Black Community, families, babies and Black women, in particular.

Breastfeeding rates for black US women increase, but lag overall: Continuing disparity raises concerns
http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/43/3/1.3.full
U.S Hospitals Hinder Black Women’s Breastfeeding
http://womensenews.org/story/reproductive-health/140828/us-hospitals-hinder-black-womens-breastfeeding
Why do African-American women breastfeed less?
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-27744391
Economics Behind Racial Differences in Breastfeeding Rates:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/844412

Mothers and Families

Learn more about how to breastfeed, overcoming breastfeeding barriers, as well as establishing a social support system on your journey.

Your Guide to Breastfeeding for African-American Women
http://womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/breastfeeding-guide/breastfeedingguide-africanamerican-english.pdf
Breastfeeding and Everyday Life
http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/breastfeeding-and-everyday-life.html
It’s Only Natural, multimedia resources from the Office of Women’s Health
http://womenshealth.gov/itsonlynatural/

Communities and neighborhoods
Developing Your Breastfeeding Support System
http://www.ncpeds.org/resource-library-articles/developing-your-breastfeeding-support-system

Online and Social Media Advocacy

Connect to social media and see what Black mothers around the country are saying about breastfeeding.

Black Women Do Breastfeed Facebook community
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Women-Do-Breastfeed/109639955730943?fref=ts
Free to Breastfeed
http://freetobreastfeed.com/tag/mother/

Black Breastfeeding Resources
http://mochamanual.com/2014/05/01/black-breastfeeding-resources-online-and-social-media/
Pictures of Mothers Breastfeeding throughout the ages
http://www.buzzfeed.com/southerndisposition/25-historical-images-that-normalize-breastfeeding-jlw6#.hcAGMYGVZ
Why all the Controversy about a Black Woman breastfeeding?
http://time.com/2864675/why-all-the-controversy-about-black-women-breastfeeding/
12 Real Life Photos of Black Mothers Breastfeeding, Regardless of What Statistics Say
http://normalizebreastfeeding.org/2015/02/12-real-life-photos-of-black-women-breastfeeding-regardless-of-what-statistics-say/

Workplace and Businesses

Learn about your rights regarding maternity leave and breastfeeding and how to advocate for yourself in the workplace.

United States Department of Labor: Wage and Hour Division
http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm
Breastfeeding Often Avoided By Black Moms (Podcast)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120748048
Maternity Leave
http://www.momsrising.org/issues_and_resources/maternity

Posted August 15, 2015 in: Uncategorized by Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka

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