August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month—dedicated to celebrating, educating, and raising awareness about the importance of breastfeeding for both mothers and their babies. While the spotlight is focused on the mothers, as it should be, it’s time to shine a light on an often-overlooked pillar of support: fathers.
In the Black community, dads are frequently left out of the infant care conversation—including breastfeeding—even though many Black mothers face unique barriers to breastfeeding, including insensitive lactation support from our own community, stigma, and medical bias.
The struggles Black mothers go through during breastfeeding can be echoed from the very voice of activist and writer, Caroline J. Sumlin, when she said, “Breastfeeding takes back my power and my autonomy over my body as a Black woman. A power and autonomy that was stolen from my ancestors.”
It is not surprising that, because of the difficulties Black mothers go through during this period and the inadequate support within our community, a CDC report from 2024 revealed that 75% of Black infants were ever breastfed, compared to 86% of white infants.
So, what can Black dads do to change this narrative? Plenty.
Six Ways Black Dads Can Support During Breastfeeding
According to the USDA, research from the WIC Breastfeeding Support program indicates that breastfed children are less likely to contract colds and ear infections. Breast milk helps develop their brains and immune systems and fosters stronger bonds between the baby, mother, and father.
A Father’s Place reports that children with involved dads are two times more likely to attend college, 80% less likely to go to jail, and 75% less likely to become a pregnant teenager. Therefore, giving your full support to the mother of your child is crucial whether you are dating, married, or not even in a relationship. Every dad should want the best for his baby—so let’s start with support from day one.
Ready to make a difference? Here are six ways to support your partner’s breastfeeding journey starting today.
- Be Her Loudest Cheerleader.
Breastfeeding is natural, but it is challenging for many Black mothers. According to the National Health Service, they have to deal with cracked nipples, breast engorgement, babies not latching correctly, and not enough breast milk. In addition, they are mostly exhausted, in pain, and facing doubt and even criticism, despite the mountains of effort they put in.
Your encouragement is the game changer. “You are doing amazing,” “You’ve got this,” and “I am proud of you” can be the fuel a mom needs to get to the end.
- Help Set Up Her Nursing Space.
You can help set up something as simple as her nursing space, be it in the bedroom or living room, and make it as cozy and convenient as possible. Ensure it is private, stress-free, and clean. The setup should include:
- Comfortable feeding chair
- Nursing pillow
- Side table
- Mini fridge for storage
- Sanitizer
- Water bottles
- Healthy snacks
- Burp cloths
- Remote
- Phone
- Trash can
Anything she needs to ensure she and the baby are as comfy as possible during her 20+ minutes of breastfeeding goes a long way toward making her feel loved and supported.
- Take Night Duties.
Yes, you cannot nurse. How about changing the diaper? Soothing the baby to sleep after feeding? If mom is pumping, dad can offer to feed the baby. Tag-teaming at night shows responsibility and lets Mom know you’re all in on the journey with her.
- Encourage Rest and Recovery.
Nemours Kids Health reports that babies should be fed every 1.5-3hours, three times a day, including at night. A baby could nurse for more than 20 minutes in their first month. All this feels like a full-time job and can be exhausting. You can help your partner handle visitors, keep things quiet, prepare healthy meals, clean up, and let her nap while you look after the baby.
- Be a Safe Space Emotionally.
As a dad, you should know that the mother of your baby suffers a greater impact of childbirth, such as sleep deprivation, postpartum depression, and other health conditions. Also, as a Black woman, she is three times more likely to die from childbirth than her white counterpart, according to the American Psychological Association.
As a Black dad, you can be the one mom turns to when she needs to cry, vent, or simply sit in silence. Remind her that it’s okay to feel overwhelmed from showering love on the baby, and she doesn’t need to carry the weight alone, as you are with her.
Her mental health is as important as diapers, burp cloths, car seats, monitors, cribs, and a changing table.
- Get Educated.
You don’t need to be told what to do—learn with her. Take a breastfeeding class, watch videos, and read up on common challenges like cluster feeding or latching problems. If you are reading this right now, you are on the right track.
The more you know, the better support you can provide.
Why It Matters Especially in Black Families
Fathers, let’s be real and step up. North Carolina Health News says mothers face disproportionate barriers to breastfeeding. Stigma, lack of family and peer support, bias, cultural myths, and limited access to lactation care are just a few of the numerous things Black moms go through just for their babies.
Black fathers must be present and informed. Your presence can:
- Increase the breastfeeding success rate
- Boost the mom’s mental health
- Strengthen your bond with your child
- Break the generational cycle of silence and distance
Elevate Black Health recommends that you play your part as a supportive dad. This is not just for Mama, but all part of your legacy; it’s a way for your child to know you were always there.
For further reading:
- Black Fathers’ Views on Breastfeeding Facilitators, Barriers, and Support Services: Insights From a Qualitative Community‐Based Participatory Research Study https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11956062/.
- Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration Among U.S. Infants Born in 2015 https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6834a3.htm.
- Fathers Can Support Breastfeeding https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2018-06/Fathers%20Can%20Support%20Breastfeeding%20Brochure.pdf.
- Importance of Fathers & Statistics. https://www.afathersplace.org/why-it-matters/fathers/
- Being an Involved Black Father. https://www.elevateblackhealth.com/being-an-involved-black-father/
- Common Breastfeeding Problems https://www.nhs.uk/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-problems/common-problems/.
- Motherhood and Finding Parenting Support: A Guide for Black Women https://www.elevateblackhealth.com/motherhood-and-finding-parenting-support-a-guide-for-black-women/.
- Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/breastfeed-often.html.
- Focusing on Maternity and Postpartum Care for Black Mothers Leads to Better Outcomes https://www.apa.org/monitor/2022/10/better-care-black-mothers.
- Cluster Feeding. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/cluster-feeding
- Black Mothers Face Disproportionate Barriers to Breastfeeding https://www.northcarolinahealthnews.org/2022/08/25/black-mothers-face-disproportionate-barriers-to-breastfeeding/.
- Empowering Black Mothers to Overcome Breastfeeding Stigma https://www.elevateblackhealth.com/empowering-black-mothers-to-overcome-breastfeeding-stigma/.
