Why We Need More Lactation Consultants of Color
Breastfeeding and race: Why we need more diversity among lactation consultants
A few years ago I attended a lactation consultant conference in San Diego. It was a great event, and I learned a lot.
But something about it has been bugging me ever since.
If I had taken a snapshot of the women attending that conference, and then I took another picture of a group representative of new mothers, you'd note something right away. By and large in the U.S., lactation consultants are white,* and about half of the moms are of color.
I think that this picture should change, and here's why:
The country has changed. It's time to catch up. Back in 1985 when the IBCLC credential was created, lactation consultants worked primarily with white mothers. But in 2008 only about half of the babies born in the U.S. were white. 25% were Hispanic/Latino, 15% were African American, and 6% were Asian. Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., and in two of the biggest states - California and Texas - over 50% of babies born are Latino.
Better outcomes. Evidence suggests that women of color have better birth outcomes when attended to by midwives of color. Could it be any different with breastfeeding support? The well documented effectiveness of peer counselors is in no small part due to the fact that they are of the same background of the moms they support.
Closing the gap. The biggest issue in breastfeeding, in my opinion, is the glaring disparity in breastfeeding rates among different races. All eyes of leaders in this field should be on the prize of closing those gaps, especially because the women who are least likely to breastfeed are also the most likely to be at risk for health problems alleviated by breastfeeding. How better to work toward that goal than with representation from a diverse group of women, and what is being missed without their participation?
Culture and language matters. Just imagine for a moment that you've moved to another country. You don't speak much of the language there, and the culture is equally foreign. A lactation consultant comes into the room and knows nothing about where you're from or how people do things in the U.S. She doesn't speak a word of your language. And she wants to talk about, and perhaps touch, a part of your body that you consider pretty personal. Are you going to learn much about breastfeeding from this interaction?
more at source
I have nothing to add to this. It's good though, I like it, and I agree. I am really really glad that someone's addressing breastfeeding and race in a sensitive way, and I like seeing it.
ETA: MOAR AWESOME-SAUCE HERE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blacktating-Blog/53503707815
A few years ago I attended a lactation consultant conference in San Diego. It was a great event, and I learned a lot.
But something about it has been bugging me ever since.
If I had taken a snapshot of the women attending that conference, and then I took another picture of a group representative of new mothers, you'd note something right away. By and large in the U.S., lactation consultants are white,* and about half of the moms are of color.
I think that this picture should change, and here's why:
The country has changed. It's time to catch up. Back in 1985 when the IBCLC credential was created, lactation consultants worked primarily with white mothers. But in 2008 only about half of the babies born in the U.S. were white. 25% were Hispanic/Latino, 15% were African American, and 6% were Asian. Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., and in two of the biggest states - California and Texas - over 50% of babies born are Latino.
Better outcomes. Evidence suggests that women of color have better birth outcomes when attended to by midwives of color. Could it be any different with breastfeeding support? The well documented effectiveness of peer counselors is in no small part due to the fact that they are of the same background of the moms they support.
Closing the gap. The biggest issue in breastfeeding, in my opinion, is the glaring disparity in breastfeeding rates among different races. All eyes of leaders in this field should be on the prize of closing those gaps, especially because the women who are least likely to breastfeed are also the most likely to be at risk for health problems alleviated by breastfeeding. How better to work toward that goal than with representation from a diverse group of women, and what is being missed without their participation?
Culture and language matters. Just imagine for a moment that you've moved to another country. You don't speak much of the language there, and the culture is equally foreign. A lactation consultant comes into the room and knows nothing about where you're from or how people do things in the U.S. She doesn't speak a word of your language. And she wants to talk about, and perhaps touch, a part of your body that you consider pretty personal. Are you going to learn much about breastfeeding from this interaction?
more at source
I have nothing to add to this. It's good though, I like it, and I agree. I am really really glad that someone's addressing breastfeeding and race in a sensitive way, and I like seeing it.
ETA: MOAR AWESOME-SAUCE HERE: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blacktating-Blog/53503707815