About Us
Who We Are
Nourish & Thrive is a 501 c3 non profit that focuses on breastfeeding equity for Black birthing people. It is proven that breast milk is not only optimal for babies, but for mothers/birthing people as well. Breastmilk helps to keep babies growing and healthy; it is also linked to lower rates of certain types of diabetes, SIDS, asthma, and obesity. Likewise breastfeeding/chestfeeding health benefits for birthing parents are just as great, and include lower risk of Type 2 diabetes, certain types of breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.
With all that we know about breast milk, it’s not surprising that the rates for breastfeeding have increased tremendously in the United States. Unfortunately that growth does not include Black Americans. For many reasons including less access to lactation support, mistreatment by health professionals, and negative cultural attitudes and ideologies toward breastfeeding both publicly and privately. It is our goal to make sure that Black parents and babies have access to support, both clinical and from their community to have a successful breastfeeding journey.
We strive to change the narrative by targeting three (3) areas in hopes to affect change
Pay for Black parents to see lactation professionals The issue of low breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates exceed socioeconomic status. Data shows that wealthier Black women have lower breastfeeding rates than poorer white women. We want to put no income verification restrictions on parents. We see lack of access as a huge barrier that needs to removed. With the ability to choose a lactation professional of their own choosing, we want to enable families to seek the care provider that is accessible and the most fitting for them.
Offer Scholarships and Grants for Black people interested in lactation work Studies have shown that when you provide culturally congruent care, you bridge cultural gaps to provide essential and supportive care for all patients. While the lactation field has been experiencing amazing growth, there is a huge lack of representation for Black lactation professionals. Black IBCLC's represent only 2-10% of all international board certified lactation consultants. We want to help grow those numbers to include more Black IBCLC, CLS, CLC, and lactation educators. We know that these scholarships and grants can help with cultural familiarity by offering culturally congruent care and increase generational wealth by opening an avenue into a new career.
We want to change negative attitudes within the Black community By focusing on creating beautiful and inclusive Ad Campaigns for social media that highlight the beauty and normalcy of breastfeeding for Black folks. We aren't just limiting to social media, we have a podcast in progress that offers insight on lactation information and stories told first hand of lived experiences. We have plans to produce a quarterly digital magazine to highlight stories of Black breastfeeding families and change the narrative around lactation in the Black community.
