Hey mamas, it’s Black Breastfeeding Week. Here’s what you need to know to navigate your feeding journey.
In homes, hospital rooms, and communities across the country, Black fathers are increasingly playing a quiet but crucial role in breastfeeding success. While public health campaigns often center on mothers in infant feeding conversations, a growing body of research and lived experience shows that fathers’ support can be a deciding factor in whether breastfeeding begins, continues, or is cut short. For Black families, this support is especially vital. Amid persistent racial disparities in maternal and infant health, many Black fathers are stepping up as protectors, advocates, and educators, even as they confront cultural stigma, limited representation, and systemic barriers in healthcare spaces. Their stories are rarely told, but their impact is impossible to ignore.
Breastfeeding Support Isn’t About Gender
“For Black dads who were not as involved, a common reason was the belief that there was nothing they could do to help,” explains Charnise B.Littles, BS, IBCLC, LD. “Since they cannot produce milk, latch the baby, or always soothe the infant when food is the primary need, they sometimes feel helpless.” Newborns primarily eat and sleep in the first weeks of life, so fathers often struggle to find their role in those early moments.
“Breastfeeding isn’t a one-person job,” says Besem Beteck, a 40-year-old dad living in Haslet, Texas. “Even if we’re not producing the milk, we play a huge role.” Beteck went on to share that being hands-on, supportive, and present makes a real difference for our babies and for our wives.
Many Black fathers grew up never seeing breastfeeding, so it’s not a natural picture in their heads. “I’ve met dads who weren’t involved, and it’s not always because they don’t care,” explains Krystal Duhaney, RN, IBCLC. “Some told me they just didn’t know what their role was. They grew up never seeing breastfeeding, so it feels foreign.”
Duhaney further explains that many Black fathers admitted they felt left out, like the baby only wanted mom, and there was no place for them in that bond. “And then there’s the reality of work and stress,” she says. “If a dad is working long hours or multiple jobs, sometimes he just doesn’t have the space to be as hands-on, even if he wants to.”
With it being heavily marketed to Black families, many Black fathers have only known about infant formula. Therefore, understandably, supporting breastfeeding can feel unfamiliar, almost like stepping into a room where nobody gave them the directions of what to do next. Talking to Black fathers, including them in the maternity appointments, and showing them how much their role matters, can create a shift in behavior.
“When a father knows he’s not just “watching” breastfeeding happen but that he’s a real part of it, grabbing water, protecting mom’s rest, keeping others from stressing her out, it changes everything,” says Duhaney.
Helping Black Dads Help Themselves
“I was surprised by how tough the breastfeeding journey could be,” shared Beteck. “My wife struggled with mastitis at times and sometimes needed to see a lactation consultant.”
Littles emphasizes that families should expect challenges. “Breastfeeding is natural, but not always easy, and has to be taught. There may be setbacks, long nights, and hard adjustments to the newborn sleep cycle.”
Prenatal lactation consultations benefit the entire household, not just mothers. These sessions give families a realistic picture of what breastfeeding entails, answer questions, and prepare everyone for the journey ahead.
“I learned to be patient and trust the process,” says Adrian JP, a 42-year-old father living in Mandeville, Jamaica. “Doing the right thing consistently yields desirable outcomes.”
Bernard Taylor, a 36-year-old father living in Port St. Lucie, Florida, shared that it is not always a natural, automatic process. It takes practice and persistence. Some days are easier than others, and some are frustrating, but being steady makes a difference. “If I could change anything, it would be reminding myself sooner that being supportive doesn’t mean having the answers, it means showing up consistently, even in small ways,” he says.
Littles encourages men to prepare emotionally, communicate openly, and even consider therapy or counseling to stay grounded during this transition. “Discuss breastfeeding goals together. Fathers can support preparation by asking their partner about her vision for this journey, listening without judgment, and committing to protect those goals,” she says. Littles also recommends connecting with other fathers. Getting in community with other dads in the same stage of life support creates a sense of normalcy, emotional support, and relief.
Fathers can help with the little things like bringing water, snacks, or a blanket. They can also wash the breast pump parts, label breast milk bags, and store the output. Learning how to burp the baby after feedings also goes a long way.
“I supported my wife by making sure she was comfortable and making sure that there were times and places where she could pump safely,” Taylor says, “I learned how to help position the baby, sometimes in a football hold or with extra support so the latch was easier.”
Be her protector. Ensure that mom is not overwhelmed by visitors. Block stress when she needs quiet, and keep her focused on resting and feeding. It all contributes to success.
“Supporting my wife, especially during those first months, was essential for her emotional and mental health and for the well-being of our whole family,” shared Beteck.
“Give encouragement when she feels like quitting,” says Duhaney, “A simple, ‘You got this, babe,’ can mean more than any lactation handout ever will.” Don’t be afraid to speak up at doctor and lactation appointments. Ask the doctor or the lactation consultant questions. Be her advocate. Breastfeeding requires the use of mom’s body, but dad’s support is the backbone that keeps it going.
A Future of Visibility
Representation matters. If dads never see themselves in the story, they won’t believe they belong in it. Normalize the idea that breastfeeding is not just mom’s job, it’s a family thing.
“We have to celebrate the dads who are doing it,” says Duhaney. “When we see a father supporting his partner, let’s lift him up instead of acting like it’s unusual.”
Encourage prenatal breastfeeding education for both parents. “What is often missing is an understanding of the lifelong benefits breastfeeding provides for mothers,” says Littles. Breastfeeding lowers risks for chronic conditions such as breast, ovarian, and thyroid cancers, heart disease, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes in mothers. For babies, it reduces the risks of infections, obesity, diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). “When dads see breastfeeding as a health intervention for the whole family, not just a feeding choice, they are more likely to step into a protective and supportive role,” Littles adds.
Currently, there are limited formal support systems specifically designed for Black dads supporting breastfeeding, largely because resources for Black mothers are already insufficient. Reaching our Brothers Everywhere (ROBE), based in Atlanta, is committed to educating, equipping, and empowering men to help increase breastfeeding rates and decrease infant mortality rates within African American communities.
Hearing of breastfeeding journeys from Black men in all forms of media can do wonders in normalizing breastfeeding within the Black community. “The biggest shift has to be rooted in desexualizing breastfeeding and appropriately framing it as an act of nourishment, healthiness and bonding,” shares Littles.
Taylor emphasizes that breastfeeding is a team effort. As he puts it: “Even though I wasn’t the one physically breastfeeding, my involvement impacted her experience and our baby’s success.”