How To Stay Motivated When Your Family Discourages Breastfeeding

https://madamenoire.com/1097144/old-nasty-breast-milk-how-to-stay-motivated-when-your-family-discourages-breastfeeding/When I was in my late teens, I overheard an elder relative make a disparaging comment about one of my uncle’s wives and how her “old nasty breast milk” was to blame for some minor ailment my baby cousin had. I knew nothing about breastfeeding at the time and had never really known anyone who had chosen to nurse their babies. I walked away from that conversation with some negative ideas about breastfeeding. Thankfully, that all changed when my daughter was born. Knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding had helped me to erase the stigma that my relative had unwittingly attached to the act. Last month, results of a governmental study published by the Center for Disease Control confirmed that large racial disparities still exist in regard to mothers who breastfeed. In addition to having the lowest breastfeeding rates, on average, Black women also breastfeed for the shortest duration of time: 6.5 weeks. It’s recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that Black women exclusively breastfeed their babies for at least the first six months of life and then combine breastfeeding with solids up until 12 months of age. Here’s what I’ve learned about staying motivated on this journey when your loved ones are not being supportive. Surround yourself with likeminded women Listen to the loved ones who support you on this journey Stop the information train Get with a lactation consultant Research Breastfeeding is hard as hell when you first begin but take comfort in knowing that it won’t always be this difficult.