Equity in the field of human lactation is a hot topic in the news, among professional organizations, and among national policy makers – and it most certainly should be on the top of everyone’s agendas. For Certified Lactation Counselor, Tiffany Townsend, increasing the success rate of breastfeeding among minority women in her community is her driving force.
While many women do not meet their own goals for breastfeeding, black or African American mothers have lower breastfeeding rates than Asian, white and Hispanic mothers. Townsend reiterates these statistics, referring to the fact that white women are five times more likely to initiate breastfeeding and likely to continue breastfeeding longer than minority women.
Mom to mom peer breastfeeding support groups, spearheaded by Townsend, allow for moms to access support and breastfeeding supplies at no cost. The groups also meet the social, cultural and linguistic needs of the community, which has led to higher breastfeeding initiation rates in the black community.
Townsend says, “Like a sisterhood, you are connected to women that are walking your journey right along with you and that makes the burden a lot less heavy…”
Equity in the field of human lactation is a hot topic in the news, among professional organizations, and among national policy makers – and it most certainly should be on the top of everyone’s agendas. For Certified Lactation Counselor, Tiffany Townsend, increasing the success rate of breastfeeding among minority women in her community is her driving force.
While many women do not meet their own goals for breastfeeding, black or African American mothers have lower breastfeeding rates than Asian, white and Hispanic mothers. Townsend reiterates these statistics, referring to the fact that white women are five times more likely to initiate breastfeeding and likely to continue breastfeeding longer than minority women.
Mom to mom peer breastfeeding support groups, spearheaded by Townsend, allow for moms to access support and breastfeeding supplies at no cost. The groups also meet the social, cultural and linguistic needs of the community, which has led to higher breastfeeding initiation rates in the black community.
Townsend says, “Like a sisterhood, you are connected to women that are walking your journey right along with you and that makes the burden a lot less heavy…”