Babaamaajimowinan (Telling of news in different places)

New Mentorship Program in Phoenix Aims to Help Native Women Reclaim Breastfeeding

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Breastfeeding is a biological right, with innumerable benefits for babies including reduced rates of heart conditions, diabetes, food sensitivity and obesity - but Native mothers don't have the same access to lactation consultancy as their white counterparts.

That's due, in part, to a lack of diversity among lactation care providers. A 2019 survey conducted by the United States Lactation Consultant Association found that about 80 percent of certified lactation consultants are white, compared to the roughly 11 percent who are American Indian or Alaska Native.

"I've had families tell me they specifically requested Native American-based services or somebody that can kind of relate in medicine," Breastfeeding Counselor Daili Lister (Navajo and Hopi) told Native News Online. Lister began doing home visits for a local nonprofit serving predominantly Navajo women about five years ago, but is now in the process of becoming an International Board‐Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), the highest credential in the field of lactation.

https://nativenewsonline.net/health/new-mentorship-program-in-phoenix-aims-to-help-native-women-reclaim-breastfeeding

 

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