#blkbfing

For today's #tbt I'm highlighting the delightful Tanya who faced a number of barriers, starting with the NICU nurses who fed her son formula against her wishes to the indignity of pumping in a closet at work. BUT she made it! https://youtu.be/RCuA487KwQM #Filmmaking #2016 #Breastfed #Perseverance #PumpingAtWork #Documentary #HealthDisparities #BlackFilmmaker #WomanDirector #BlackBirthMatters #BlackBreastfeeding #ChangeTheNarrative #Breastfeeding #BlkBfing #BlkBfingJoy

In 2014, I was nursing a toddler, attending a monthly breastfeeding support group, helping lots of friends of friends on social media. I wanted to get additional training, and help Breastfeeding families in a more official way. I asked my support group if they would help me to do that. They ignored me... for 4 months. I continued to help moms, and I discovered Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), in Atlanta, where I spent “a little” time. They allowed me to become a Community Transformer, so that I could help even more moms, in my area. I later became a Breastfeeding USA counselor, a certified lactation counselor (CLC), a co-founder of BSTARS, a private practice lactation consultant (IBCLC), and a pathway 2 lactation educator. Today, I am a NICU lactation consultant and loving it- helping as many moms and families as I can. I owe all of this and more to ROSE, and all of those who give Black breastfeeding Mothers and Advocates an opportunity to learn, meet goals, and be great. Shout out to the organizations and individuals who tried to bury us, without knowing that we were seeds! 🌹 This is one reason why we need and celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week (August 25th-31st)! #LoveOnTop #BlkBfing #BlkBfingWeek #NBM #BSTARS #supportROSE

Please join me and @mamadidnttellmethis as we spend Black Breastfeeding Week talking about... Black Breastfeeding: history, setbacks, barriers, disparities, and victories. #bbw18 #nbm18 #wbw2018 #blkbfing #loveontop #blactavist

Pretty amazing year! I weaned my 3 year old; spoke at a few breastfeeding conferences; attended a few more; met some lactation pioneers, rock stars, and worker bees; helped to normalize breastfeeding, legitimize our support group; began working with an amazing company, became a @breastfeedingusa Board Member and an #IBCLC. So much more to come in 2017! @usbreastfeeding @bstarsmemphis @support_rose #bfing #blkbfing #normalizebreastfeeding #normalizebfing @membreastfeeds

#BBW16 I was breastfed. My mother loved it and I always knew that it's something that I would do for my children. I can remember at nine months, trying to make it to a year, sick of my pump, tired of snide comments from "people", wandering into a @lalecheleagueusa meeting and 1st hearing about and witnessing moms nursing toddlers. Crazy, right? Nope! It's actually the biological and worldwide norm. The @worldhealthorganization recommends exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months, then with complimentary foods up to two years, minimally. The world AVERAGE is to four years. This is why we must #normalizebfing. Tot nursing is amazing. No, it's magical!!! Unlike infant nursing, when I was obsessed with weight, let-down, sleep, bottles, pumps, storage, public nursing, and poo, with toddler nursing, I could focus on us. I used it for everything... and so did she. After a boo-boo, during a tantrum, nap time, morning time, on the plane, on Megabus, learning colors, reuniting after a long day at school, you name it! Pictured here, we are getting through our daily hair wars, with a little help from our friends! ( . )( . ) There were many times when I seriously thought that I would be incapable of parenting without nursing. Of course, I'm figuring it out, but there are still tough days and wakeful nights, when I wish that I could offer her "some" until we both pull ourselves together. #BlackBFJoy #blkbfing #blactavist #blackhair