Black Breastfeeding Week 2020 has been filled with events, seminars, and more to encourage more Black women to choose breastfeeding as a healthy alternative to feed their children.
To support the efforts of the eighth annual Black Breastfeeding Week, the County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency Perinatal Equity Initiative (PEO) and the San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition hosted a screening of Chocolate Milk, a new feature documentary by Elizabeth Baye, that explores how socioeconomic factors of race and sex influence breastfeeding rates for Black mothers in America. The documentary follows three women as they share their stories.
The three narratives in the film are of a new mother, Tami, a third generation midwife, Racha, and a WIC lactation educator, Lydia. The purpose of the documentary seeks to answer the question of why don’t more African American women choose to breastfeed. Through an engaging narrative, Chocolate Milk sparks a public discussion on how we all can better support Black mothers.
Black Breastfeeding Week was created as a result of the racial disparity in breastfeeding rates. Wonder why many are championing for breastfeeding? Well, here are ten benefits of breastfeeding for baby:
- Breast milk provides ideal nutrition for baby.
- Breast milk contains important antibodies to help baby fight off viruses and bacteria.
- Breast milk may help to reduce certain illnesses and diseases such as middle ear infections, respiratory tract infections, colds, gut infections, intestinal tissue damage, allergies, bowel diseases, and more.
- Breast milk promotes healthy weight for infants.
- Breastfeeding can help a nursing mother with uterus contraction.
- Breastfeeding can help reduce depression.
- Breastfeeding may provide nursing mothers with long-term disease protection from illnesses such as high blood pressure, arthritis, high blood fats, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
- Breastfeeding may prevent menstruation.
- Breast milk is always at the right temperature and ready to drink.
- Breastfeeding saves time and money.
