This Black Breastfeeding Week, I’m Holding Space for the Black Moms Who…

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This Black Breastfeeding Week, I’m Holding Space for the Black Moms Who…

…were told breastfeeding “isn’t something we do.”

…got stared at in public for nursing their baby.

…were judged at WIC for choosing to formula feed.

…had nurses push formula before they even got a chance.

…felt pressure to be “strong” instead of asking for help.

…weren’t taught about latching because no one thought they’d try.

…had to go back to work too soon, because rest was never an option.

…worried their dark nipples meant something was wrong.

…heard, “Isn’t breastfeeding for white women?” from their own family.

…were expected to do it all: birth, nurse, bounce back, with no village.

…tried to explain to their provider how it really felt, and got ignored.

…wanted to stop, but didn’t want to be seen as giving up.

…chose not to breastfeed, and still get shamed for it.

…are doing it now, with cracked nipples and swollen eyes, feeling unseen.

…loved it, and felt alone in their joy.

…felt like they had to hide.

…just wanted someone to say, “I’ve been there.”

The Reality of Being a Breastfeeding Black Mom

I’ve seen it again and again. Not just as a doula, but as a Black woman watching Black women move through the system with so much strength, yet barely any support.

You try to speak up, and they call you angry. You ask for help, and they act like you should already know. The moment you walk in the room, the assumptions start. About your body, your baby, your “plan.”

And in all of it, your pain and power go unseen.

We don’t talk enough about what Black moms face just to do the most natural thing in the world: feed their baby. That’s why I wrote this piece about why it’s harder for Black moms to breastfeed, and how we can change that.

Because it is harder. But you don’t have to carry it alone.

You Deserve Support That Sees You

Whether you’re planning to breastfeed, formula-feed, pump, combo feed, or figuring it out one hour at a time, you deserve care that honors your story, not questions it.

If you’re in Boston or anywhere in Massachusetts, and want support that actually sees you, Haven Place Doulas is here. We walk with you through birth, postpartum, and every hard and beautiful moment in between.

This week, I’m holding space. For every unspoken frustration. For every moment you felt unseen. For every Black mom who fed her baby and fought to be heard.

You are not invisible here. You are not alone. You are deeply, fully held.

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