A photo created by a group of ten mums determined to normalise breastfeeding among African American women has been shared all over the world.
The photoshoot was the brainchild of Alabama mum Angel Warren, 27, who felt that too many women of colour still view breastfeeding as taboo.
Having posted a call-out to local mothers interested in taking part, soon Warren was receiving messages from mums who had seen the shout-out on the Breastfeeding Support Group for Black Moms Facebook page and via her own network of friends.
The mum-of-one enlisted the help of Lakisha Cohill, owner of photography company HC Inc. to snap the shot, which was carefully planned around the feeding schedules of the group’s babies.
While the resulting photographs are a lovely reminder of a very special time in the lives of each mum, they also carry a powerful message.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) currently recommends that infants should be fed breast milk exclusively for the first six months if possible, however, reports show that US breastfeeding rates for black infants are about 50 percent lower than those for white infants, even when controlling for the family’s income or educational level.
Furthermore, a National Institutes of Health community study found that babies born to black women were nine times more likely to be given formula in hospitals than the newborns of white women.
The ten women in the photo, taken during the summer, have since decided to join forces to create a new Facebook Group called Chocolate Milk Mommies, where they are hoping to build a community support network aimed at normalising breastfeeding and celebrating motherhood.
