"I'm going to use the formula God gave me": The Role of the Black Church in Breastfeeding Support for Black Mothers

As a teen, I remember seeing a mom breastfeed in church for the first time, and some of my family members and other churchgoers were upset and deemed it inappropriate, and decided to talk to the first lady about it. Instead of feeling supported, that mother felt shamed.

So, of course, when Dr. Danelle Stevens-Watkins created the SPEAK study, I was happy to see that participants shared their experiences with breastfeeding while attending church. This new manuscript, led by Kaylee Palomino, highlights why churches must be spaces that support mothers, not silence them. Breastfeeding is shaped by the environments we move through, including our spiritual and religious spaces.