GOLD Learning Speakers

In Alameda County, Black women are initiating exclusive breastfeeding, but only ~15% remain breastfeeding by 3 months. For impoverished Black women, especially those in their teen years or who may have less than high school education, these numbers are even lower (9-12%). There is minimum breastfeeding support for black families. When Black mothers in West Oakland who received peer and professional breastfeeding support through Breast Friends, exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months rose to 63%. This project expanded the Breast Friends model to East Oakland while also training 12 new peer counselors (including 1 father), 24 new group facilitators, and enhancing breastfeeding messaging in the California Black Infant Health program. The project surpassed our expectations. 5 out of the 12 trained peer counselors are now working in other community organizations as Community health outreach worker, peer counselors, doulas and WIC staff.

Most families plan to breastfeed during their pregnancy and are successful for the first month but fail to continue breastfeeding once they have returned to work. Although there is substantial evidence on factors that influence exclusive breastfeeding in the early postpartum period, there is a general lack of information to help mothers and lactating people continue to breastfeed after returning to work. When there is financial pressure combined with a lack of long-term, paid leave, many lactating parents must return to work shortly after the birth of their infant. When the workplace does not provide support, maternal employment becomes one of the major barriers to continued breastfeeding. There are many factors that play a role in the discontinuation of breastfeeding after returning to work, ranging from lack of support from the employer to the physical ability to express enough milk needed to satisfy baby. During this presentation we will address the lack of information and provide solutions to increase breastfeeding rates and duration after returning to work.