Black Breastfeeding Week: How Home Visiting Supports Families Through Breastfeeding Challenges

Black Breastfeeding Week is celebrated each August to honor and support Black families on their breastfeeding journeys. It also raises awareness about disparities in breastfeeding rates and promotes greater access to culturally responsive resources and support for Black mothers who choose to breastfeed.

The theme for 2025 (August 25-31) is Boots on the Ground: Rooted in Breastfeeding Success, Grounded in Community Support. Home visiting programs like Welcome Baby, Healthy Families America, and Parents as Teachers play a critical role in supporting families through breastfeeding challenges, offering personalized guidance, encouragement, and resources. (See a directory of L.A. County’s free home visiting programs.)

Nexus, a participant in the home visiting program at South LA Health Projects (SLAHP), shared how her Family Support Specialist helped her stay committed to breastfeeding, even when she felt like giving up.

“My child has allergies to milk and soy. Trying to stay on my breastfeeding journey while changing my eating habits, was not a good experience and I was ready to quit many times, but she talked me through it.”

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Another mom, LaQuita, was determined to breastfeed her second child after being unable to do so with her first, due to a post-pregnancy infection. Through the Welcome Baby program at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, she received the support she needed to succeed:

“She would bring me booklets, and we had a little doll and she would show me how to breastfeed with the doll. Breastfeeding is so empowering. I kind of hate the fact that I missed it the first go around, but I’m grateful I can do it this time.”

Watch the full clip:

Looking for support on your pregnancy/parenting journey? Find a free program near you:
https://eDirectory.HomeVisitingLA.org