Black Mothers Aren’t Failing at Breastfeeding. The System Is.

Black Mothers Aren’t Failing at Breastfeeding. The System Is.

What does it take to change an entire field? Sometimes, it starts with one mother who refuses to accept that the support she needs simply doesn't exist. In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett sits down with Kathi Barber, founder of the Black Mothers Breastfeeding Alliance and author of The Black Woman's Guide to Breastfeeding. Together, they explore how Kathi's personal breastfeeding journey led her to become one of the first advocates dedicated to improving breastfeeding support specifically for Black women. Drawing on more than two decades of advocacy, Kathi shares how the absence of culturally relevant support, representation, and healthcare equity inspired her to create groundbreaking resources for Black families and healthcare professionals. The conversation examines the systemic barriers that continue to affect breastfeeding outcomes including implicit bias in healthcare, limited paid leave, inadequate workplace accommodations, lack of culturally responsive lactation support, and persistent racial disparities in maternal and infant health. Dr. Kendall-Tackett and Kathi also discuss the remarkable progress that has been made through grassroots organizations, increasing numbers of Black lactation consultants, and greater visibility of Black breastfeeding families. At the same time, they emphasize that improving breastfeeding rates requires more than education, it demands listening, trust, cultural humility, and healthcare systems that truly support mothers throughout their breastfeeding journey. Tune in to hear why representation matters, how one woman's advocacy sparked a national movement, and what healthcare professionals, partners, and communities can do to ensure every mother receives the support she deserves. In This Episode: * [00:00] Show intro * [00:26] Meet Kathi Barber * [01:21] Why she started * [04:00] Book impact * [05:42] Facing pushback * [07:19] Systemic barriers * [10:21] Support gaps * [11:40] Progress and frustrations * [17:10] Paying for care * [20:32] Disparities and bias * [22:37] Workplace pumping barriers * [24:11] Know your pumping rights * [26:01] Community lactation support * [26:36] Family and extended nursing * [28:41] Updating breastfeeding resources * [31:24] Culturally humble clinical care * [36:53] Trust and birth support * [38:22] Doulas and better outcomes * [39:54] Legacy and final advice * [41:55] Partners can make or break * [43:24] Closing thanks and signoff Notable Quotes: * [05:36] "People just did not understand why there was a need for support specifically for Black women in breastfeeding." — Kathi Barber * [07:28] "It's not just latching a baby on. There are so many systemic issues that impact breastfeeding in Black women." — Kathi Barber * [15:18] "The images really matter." — Kathi Barber * [21:26] "Today, there's a greater understanding that breastfeeding is part of a larger maternal health ecosystem." — Kathi Barber * [31:36] "Black people aren't just one group that all do the same things all the time. We're not a monolith." — Kathi Barber * [34:17] "Listening and building trust are probably two of the most important things healthcare providers can do." — Kathi Barber * [41:11] "If it doesn't feel like support, it isn't." — Kathi Barber * [41:59] "You can make or break a breastfeeding experience." — Kathi Barber Resources and Links Podcast * The Science Chick Report  Kathi Barber *  Black Mothers Breastfeeding Alliance [https://www.bmbfa.org/] * The Black Woman's Guide to Breastfeeding [https://www.amazon.com/Black-Womans-Guide-Breastfeeding-Definitive/dp/1402203454] * Lactation Management: Strategies for Working with African American Moms (Second Edition forthcoming) Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * Website [https://kathleenkendall-tackett.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kendall-tackett-3b506a8/] * X [https://x.com/UptySciChick] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.kendalltackett] * ResearchGate (upcoming paper) [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kathleen-Kendall-Tackett-2]

Can You Bond Without Breastfeeding? The Research Says Yes

What if breastfeeding doesn’t work out, but the mother still deeply wanted it to? What if “at least the baby is fed” skips over the grief she may carry for years? And what if the most helpful support is showing her that the bigger parenting goal is still within reach? In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett closes her three-part series on social support by focusing on mothers who are unable to breastfeed. Some mothers move on easily, but many feel lasting sadness when breastfeeding ends before they wanted it to. For lactation supporters and perinatal health professionals, the goal is to acknowledge the loss without letting it define the mother’s entire parenting experience. Dr. Kendall-Tackett reframes the conversation around secure attachment. Breastfeeding can support attachment when it is going well, but secure attachment is the larger developmental goal. Drawing on attachment research, she explains why responsive care, caregiver proximity, and emotional connection shape resilience, self-efficacy, stress regulation, and long-term health. She also challenges the idea that bonding depends only on breastfeeding. Research shows the mother’s subjective feeding experience matters more than feeding type. If breastfeeding, pumping, or triple feeding becomes painful or emotionally damaging, it can undermine bonding. Mothers can still build connection through responsive feeding, paced bottle feeding, babywearing, infant massage, singing, and nurturing touch. Tune in to learn how professionals can help mothers grieve the breastfeeding experience they lost while still seeing the lifelong impact they can have through secure attachment and responsive care. In This Episode: [00:00] Introduction [00:33] Supporting mothers unable to breastfeed [02:18] Amy Brown on formula and maternal desire [03:16] Why loss of breastfeeding does not mean all is lost [03:57] Secure attachment as the bigger parenting goal [05:21] When breastfeeding struggles undermine attachment [06:20] Secure attachment is not the consolation prize [07:18] Responsive care and the family’s role [08:05] Internal working models [09:08] Self-efficacy and the secure base [11:19] Proximity, responsiveness, and “cry it out” [13:24] Darcia Narvaez on responsiveness [14:19] What secure attachment gives children [16:19] How attachment buffers depression and stress [18:21] Prenatal cortisol, development, and attachment [19:46] Attachment, adversity, and PTSD risk [20:30] Adult health outcomes linked to early attachment [21:25] The power of one stable adult [22:20] Feeding method versus bonding [25:05] Why the feeding experience matters most [26:35] Responsive feeding and physical contact [27:47] Babywearing, infant massage, and connection [35:00] Helping mothers move forward with hope [36:05] Wrap-up and book reminder Notable Quotes: [02:22] “While formula may feed the baby, women's desire to mother in a way that they want does not go away because they can formula feed.” – Amy Brown, quoted by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [03:16] “Loss of breastfeeding does not mean all is lost.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [04:02] “Secure attachment supersedes breastfeeding as a parenting goal.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [06:33] “A secure mother-infant attachment is not the consolation prize, it is in fact the prize.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [25:15] “The maternal subjective feeding experience... was more important than feeding type.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Resources and Links Podcast The Science Chick Report Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Mentioned in This Episode Breastfeeding Doesn't Need to Suck by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Amy Brown’s research on maternal psychology and breastfeeding John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth’s attachment research Darcia Narvaez’s work on responsive parenting Babywearing and infant massage research

When Breastfeeding Support Actually Hurts!

We all know social support matters, but what does it actually look like? And why do well-meaning friends, partners, and even healthcare providers sometimes make things worse? In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett digs into the science of social support, what it actually means, how it's measured, and why good intentions aren't enough. Drawing on research spanning decades, she reveals that the most powerful predictor of breastfeeding success isn't technique or education, it's responsiveness: support that listens to what the mother needs, respects her decisions, and builds her confidence rather than creating dependency. Dr. Kendall-Tackett walks through the major sources of support new mothers encounter, partners, grandmothers, peer groups, lactation consultants, and healthcare providers with candid, research backed insights into where each falls short and how each can be most effective. She shares a striking study showing that mothers with extensive social networks had a 94 percent breastfeeding rate at two months, while those whose partners or grandmothers fed the baby instead had only a 13 percent rate. She also unpacks why fathers who feel helpless or invisible often push for bottle feeding, and what we can do about it. Tune in to discover why even the most skilled clinician won't be right for every mother, how peer support groups can be lifelines or breeding grounds for mom competition, and what truly effective breastfeeding support looks and feels like. In This Episode: * [00:00] Introduction to social support * [00:01] Defining effective support * [00:04] Sources of social support * [00:05] The importance of partner support * [00:09] A UK study on support networks * [00:12] Fathers' perspectives on breastfeeding * [00:13] How partners can help * [00:15] The role of grandmothers * [00:16] Mother-to-mother support groups * [00:19] Navigating social media * [00:20] Lactation consultants' role * [00:22] Healthcare provider support * [00:25] Finding the right breastfeeding supporter * [00:26] What successful support looks like Notable Quotes: * [03:45] "Even if well-intentioned, even if it worked for other people, if the mother does not think it's support, it's not support." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [05:50] "The most important type of support was responsiveness — sensitive to her needs, respects her decisions, and promotes self-efficacy." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [08:02] "With responsiveness, the women felt understood and cared for. Without it, practical support left them not self-sufficient — and encouragement felt like coercion." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [11:35] "When you provide support by having others feed the baby, breastfeeding rates plummet — just plummet." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [07:46] "When partners offered knowledge, help, and encouragement without responsiveness, breastfeeding duration actually decreased." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [26:37] "You hear about all the problems with breastfeeding, but what they don't tell you about is how nice it is. It's like you're in your own little love bubble." — Mother, quoted by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [20:40] "If everybody who came in contact with a mother and a baby could evaluate the latch and whether the baby is drinking at the breast, I think we would avert so many tragedies." — Jack Newman, quoted by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Resources and Links Podcast * The Science Chick Report  Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * Website [https://kathleenkendall-tackett.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kendall-tackett-3b506a8/] * X [https://x.com/UptySciChick] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.kendalltackett] * ResearchGate (upcoming paper) [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kathleen-Kendall-Tackett-2] Mentioned in This Episode  * When Helping Hurts – Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert * Research on partner responsiveness and breastfeeding outcomes * Lori Feldman-Winter's survey of pediatricians on breastfeeding attitudes (1995 & 2016) * Jack Newman on latch evaluation and staffing ratios * WIC peer support programs * La Leche League International

Breastfeeding Isn’t Always the Real Problem

Did you know that some of the hardest parts of early motherhood may have nothing to do with breastfeeding itself? In this episode of The Science Chick Report, Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett explores what she calls the “Five I’s of New Motherhood”: idleness, isolation, incompetence, identity, and intensity. These are the hidden emotional and psychological barriers that can quietly derail new mothers, even when breastfeeding is technically going well. Drawing from her book Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck, Dr. Kendall-Tackett explains why the early postpartum period can feel so disorienting. A mother may be recovering physically, establishing milk supply, caring for a newborn around the clock, and still feeling like she is “not doing anything.” Add isolation, shifting identity, sleep disruption, and the pressure to “enjoy every minute,” and it is easy to see why this stage can feel overwhelming. Dr. Kendall-Tackett also discusses how formula marketing often speaks directly to these vulnerable feelings by promising mothers a return to freedom, identity, and control. Instead of shaming mothers for struggling, she encourages providers, partners, and support groups to talk openly about these experiences and help mothers reframe them with compassion and realism. This episode is a grounded reminder that new mothers are not lazy, incompetent, or losing themselves. They are recovering, learning, bonding, and helping their babies transition from womb to world. And with structure, support, short breaks, outside time, and realistic expectations, this intense season can become more manageable. In This Episode: [00:00] Introduction [00:49] A new format focused on support for mothers [01:21] Introducing the Five I’s of New Motherhood [02:36] How formula companies target new mothers’ fears [04:19] Amy Brown’s insight on motherhood and disempowerment [06:02] Why breastfeeding struggles are not always about breastfeeding [07:06] The first “I”: idleness [09:42] Postpartum brain shifts and losing track of time [12:21] Reframing idleness as recovery and bonding [14:16] Why structure helps new mothers cope [15:01] The second “I”: isolation [18:27] Feeling disconnected from friends after birth [20:12] Why mothers should not tough out isolation [21:35] Finding a tribe and building support [22:55] The third “I”: incompetence [24:41] Reframing incompetence as learning [27:21] Using time markers to stay grounded [29:28] The fourth “I”: identity [31:08] Why the old self has not disappeared [32:15] The fifth “I”: intensity [34:00] Helping babies transition from womb to world [35:30] Taking short breaks without undermining breastfeeding [36:19] Practical coping tools for the newborn stage [39:38] Limiting phone time and staying present [41:25] Final thoughts and next topic Notable Quotes: [04:22] “Mothering is the most powerful of all biological capacities and among the most disempowering of social experiences.” – Amy Brown, quoted by Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [06:30] “This is something that can absolutely derail mothers, and to remember that we have a multi-billion dollar industry preying on these very fears.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [13:35] “You’re not being lazy. You’re resting. You’re recovering. It’s smart.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [15:17] “When we isolate a prisoner, that’s considered cruel and unusual punishment.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [24:43] “They’re not incompetent. That’s the truth. They’re learning.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett [31:35] “The old me has not gone away. Buying a product is not going to bring that back.” – Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Resources and Links: Podcast The Science Chick Report Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Website LinkedIn X Facebook ResearchGate Mentioned Resources Breastfeeding Doesn’t Need to Suck Breastfeeding Made Simple Amy Brown Brooke Shields’ postpartum depression memoir Suzanne Coulson Ed Tronick’s Still Face Mother studies

Why Women Use Cannabis During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Why do pregnant and breastfeeding women use cannabis? The answer isn't what most clinicians think. In this episode, Dr. Kathleen Kendall Tackett shares data from over 3,400 perinatal cannabis users. The number one reason isn't "getting high" or even enjoyment. It is perceived safety. Nearly 98% of mothers believe cannabis is safer and more natural than prescription medications for managing symptoms. Using advanced statistical analysis, Promax rotation, Dr. Kendall Tackett identified four key drivers. They are perceived safety, availability (partner or family use), enjoyment, and symptom relief for anxiety, sleep, PTSD, and nausea. While acknowledging real risks like preterm birth, she argues that shame based counseling doesn't work, and women are asking for help. The episode introduces a free, easy to use clinical tool. It is the Perinatal Cannabis Questionnaire, designed to open meaningful conversation. Scan the QR code in the episode to access it. Dr. Kendall Tackett invites clinicians to try the tool and share feedback. She wants to move beyond "just say no" toward actual harm reduction. For providers on the front lines of women's health, this is practical, data driven guidance you can use today. In This Episode: * [00:00] Introduction * [00:37] Why pregnant and breastfeeding women continue using cannabis * [01:14] Women are asking for help, not judgment * [01:31] A study of 3,443 perinatal cannabis users * [02:13] Why existing cannabis scales fail pregnant women * [02:50] Building a new questionnaire from scratch * [03:10] What factor analysis revealed about cannabis use * [04:02] Why traditional statistical models missed the bigger picture * [04:48] The myth that women mainly use cannabis “for fun” * [05:08] The real top factor: perceived safety * [05:29] Trauma, symptom management, and self-treatment * [06:05] Why 98% viewed cannabis as safer than medications * [06:27] The real risks providers should understand * [06:45] Why long-term cannabis research is complicated * [07:04] Availability as a major driver of use * [07:42] Sleep, anxiety, appetite, nausea, and PTSD * [08:19] How providers can start better conversations * [08:46] Introducing a new perinatal cannabis screening tool * [09:21] “Don’t just tell me no. Give me other ideas.” * [09:39] A QR code tool for clinicians and providers * [10:00] Why maternal healthcare needs practical tools now * [10:27] Closing thoughts and encouragement for providers Notable Quotes: * [00:47] "The way we've all been trained is to say, 'Well, stop doing that. Don't do that. This is not safe.' But we're kind of finding, of course, that that doesn't really help." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [01:02] "Women are using cannabis for a reason. And so even though they're getting advice from people to not use it, they're still continuing to use — and oftentimes they're asking for help." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [05:23] "The number one factor was not fun, but actually perceived safety." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [05:47] "Trauma causes health symptoms, which drives cannabis use — so that's kind of the way that relationship shakes out." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [06:08] "Ninety-eight percent of mothers consider it to be a safer and more natural way to treat symptoms than using medications." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * [09:19] "Don't just tell me no. Give me some other ideas." — perinatal study participants * [09:58] "The fact that we have not had any tools at all to have conversations like this with perinatal women seems ridiculous considering the number of studies we're getting." — Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett Resources and Links Podcast * The Science Chick Report  Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett * Website [https://kathleenkendall-tackett.com/] * LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kendall-tackett-3b506a8/] * X [https://x.com/UptySciChick] * Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/kathleen.kendalltackett] * ResearchGate (upcoming paper) [https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kathleen-Kendall-Tackett-2]