Overcoming Breastfeeding Limitations with Technology

The World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life for healthy growth and optimal development. Sadly, almost 2 out of 3 infants never enjoy exclusive breastfeeding—and the statistics have not improved in the last two decades, especially in the Black community.

A CDC report from 2024 revealed that 75% of Black infants were breastfed, compared to 86% of white infants. While structural racism, lack of access to lactation support, and workplace discrimination played major roles, the cultural memory of wet nursing also lingered, often unconsciously, as a barrier.

In addition to offering the ideal nutrition, breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight off disease-causing organisms. Therefore, exclusive breastfeeding may lower the risk of respiratory infections, colds, gut infections, and sudden infant death syndrome. Research also suggests that breastfeeding can enhance children’s brain development, contributing to improved cognitive outcomes in children. Removing barriers to breastfeeding isn’t just a health priority—it’s a form of self-preservation for our communities.

Exclusive breastfeeding challenges

Black women face significant obstacles that make it difficult for them to breastfeed their children exclusively for the first six months of their lives. Lack of workplace support, historical trauma, and misinformation are some of the leading factors on the path to exclusive breastfeeding among Black women. Discover how certain factors can hinder breastfeeding.  

1. Economic pressures

Black women have the highest labor participation rate at 60.2%. In our communities, women are often the breadwinners of their families. A survey showed that 70.7% of Black mothers are the sole breadwinners, while 14.7% are co-breadwinners. Consequently, new moms are usually under pressure to return to work faster than women of other races.

2. Lack of workplace support

Many of the Black women who are the primary breadwinners of their families work inflexible jobs that lack adequate infrastructure and time support for them to breastfeed their babies. Black women are less likely than white women to occupy jobs with greater economic stability and benefits like paid family leave, all of which are associated with longer breastfeeding.

3. Social stigma

The bodies of Black women have been historically oversexualized. Therefore, our mothers may feel uncomfortable breastfeeding their children in public without supporting private breastfeeding spaces—and not many public spaces within our communities have such infrastructure.

4. Lack of access to accurate, culturally sensitive information

Our mothers are less likely to receive culturally sensitive care and support services—sometimes due to implicit bias within the healthcare settings. Instead, they may be influenced by the negative perceptions of breastfeeding from their peers or other members of our communities.

Tech-powered breastfeeding solutions

August is National Breastfeeding Month. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee has announced “Forward Together” as the theme for this year’s celebration. According to the organization, the theme revolves around “unity, solidarity, and hope.” Likewise, the WHO is running a campaign under the banner “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures” to shine a spotlight on support for women through their breastfeeding journey.

While the right way to deal with the breastfeeding challenges faced by Black women is to address the systemic issues (racism, poverty, and limited social infrastructure) that encourage poor breastfeeding, minority voices are less likely to be heard in places where they matter most. However, we must never fold our arms and resign to fate. Rather, we must explore alternatives that will help us overcome the barriers to breastfeeding—and technology happens to be a great ally.

1. Breastfeeding apps

There are dozens of breastfeeding apps on the Play Store and App Store, like Baby Tracker – Breastfeeding, that can help busy and forgetful moms manage their schedule and remember to breastfeed their infants when due. Moms can track everything from diaper changes to feeding times, as well as reminders for those pumping. Beyond tracking feeding, they offer evidence-based information and videos that can help fight the misinformation in our community.

2. Telelactation support

Part of the reason Black mothers struggle with breastfeeding is the lack of lactation support. Although digital divide exists in our communities, Black moms can overcome the shortage of healthcare professionals and infrastructure in our communities using telehealth services. Telelactation support can help our moms access professionals who will guide them on how to improve their lactation.

3. Breast pumps

Since stigma may not allow many Black moms to breastfeed in public, they can beat the odds using wearable breast pumps, which provide a convenient and discreet way to express milk while working and feed their babies more comfortably. Alternatively, they can express milk at home and store it in suitable flasks from which they can feed their children while at work.

The combination of accurate, culturally sensitive information and technology can be the game-changer that will help our mothers to beat the limitations on the path to exclusive breastfeeding. With better breastfeeding routines, we will be preparing our children physically and mentally for tomorrow’s challenges.

For More Reading:

1. Exclusively breastfeed for 6 months. https://www.emro.who.int/nutrition/breastfeeding/exclusively-breastfeed-for-6-months.html. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
2. The Challenges of Breastfeeding as a Black Person. https://www.aclu.org/news/womens-rights/challenges-breastfeeding-black-person. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
3. Breastfeeding and child cognitive development: new evidence from a large randomized trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18458209/
4. Breadwinning Mothers Are Increasingly the U.S. Norm. https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2016/12/19/295203/breadwinning-mothers-are-increasingly-the-u-s-norm/. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
5. National Breastfeeding Month. https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/national-breastfeeding-month.html. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
6. Invest in breastfeeding, invest in the future. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-breastfeeding-week/2025. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
7. Empowering Black Mothers to Overcome Breastfeeding Stigma. https://www.elevateblackhealth.com/empowering-black-mothers-to-overcome-breastfeeding-stigma/
8. Digital Divide Stalls Black Community’s Telehealth Access. https://www.elevateblackhealth.com/digital-divide-stalls-black-communitys-telehealth-access/
9. Paruu P10 Hands Free Breast Pump. https://amzn.to/45xsGs0
10. Breast Milk Pitcher. https://amzn.to/44Y4u1X
11. Public Health After Wet Nursing Trauma. https://www.elevateblackhealth.com/public-health-after-wet-nursing-trauma/
12. CDC. About Breastfeeding. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding