National Black Guide - Sista Circle

Sista Circle

TC, a native Washingtonian, is known for her work in the television, radio and print mediums. She's been featured nationally on Live with Regis and in Essence magazine. TC can be seen hosting shows on DC's Cable TV-13, and she is CEO of her public relations company "TCB Publicity," promoting entertainment events across the DC metro area. She has penned articles for the national Black Elegance magazine and columns for publications in major cities across the country, including Houston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. She gives back by producing her award-winning website as a vehicle for women's empowerment at www.SistaCircle.com. Send email to tc@sistacircle.com

Breastfeeding Mamas - The new reality

It amazes me that the average woman doesn't think twice about letting any number of men 'nurse' at her breasts, yet will not consider taking the baby to the breast."
--TC--

Fortunately, I can say that for the first year of each of my children's lives, they were made up of mainly one thing: breast milk. That's right, liquid gold, mommy juice. And I'm darn proud of it! Nursing our children these days gets both praise and raised eyebrows. We're told it's the best thing for our little ones, yet we're bombarded with information, coupons and samples for baby formula - ads aimed at cashing in on busy mothers who presumably welcome convenience over nursing their babies.

I felt like I was speaking another language after giving birth, because most people in my circle of family, friends and co-workers never heard of words like "latch-on," mastitis" and "engorgement." In fact, when I was hospitalized for the birth of my first child, the nurses treated me like some sort of novelty. They told me that I was the only nursing mommy in the entire maternity ward of 35.

In recent years, the number of women choosing to nurse their babies is on the rise; however, not necessarily in the Black community. You see, there is a significant health disparity that exists along racial lines when it comes to breastfeeding in the United States. As outlined in the Department of Health and Human Services' "Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding," to increase breastfeeding rates in America, breastfeeding needs to be supported by the family, community, workplace, healthcare sector and society. White mothers exclusively breast fed at a rate more than double that of Black mothers (52.6 percent vs. 25.5 percent). Participation in modern day approaches to nursing have produced an impact on increasing breastfeeding rates, particularly among WIC-eligible women in the District of Columbia.

As a former "breast feeder," I've been blessed to be invited to speak at various conferences and seminars that encourage the practice, and I've taken the stage with some of the premiere doctors and specialists in the country in the field of neonatology, pediatrics and lactation at Howard University Hospital. More information can be found at Howard University Hospital's B.L.E.S.S. Initiative (Breastfeeding Lactation Education Support Services). I'm no expert on breastfeeding, yet I've been invited to lend my voice on the subject because I'm a sister who has been there and done that - three times over. And I'm here to testify to you that I survived, and hopefully to convince you that you, too, can conquer the enormous, yet unbelievably rewarding task of breastfeeding your child. Still not convinced? Let's cover some of the main causes why women do not give nursing a chance:

Myth: Today's artificial breast milk (formula) is just as good as the real thing.

Reality: Even though modern formulas are considerably better than some of the old-fashioned ones, they can never replicate mother's milk. Human milk contains live cells and human hormones that are impossible to obtain from the milk of another species. Furthermore, formula companies admit that they don't yet know all of the ingredients in breast milk. Every few months these companies come up with something different to try to add in. If you choose to breast feed, you can be confident that all of the necessary nutrients, immunities, hormones and as-yet-undiscovered beneficial elements will be present in the right amounts. Moreover, research shows significant risk in the use of artificial milk.

Myth: It ruins the shape of your breasts.

Reality: Wrong! Saggy breasts do not come from nursing children; they come from gravity. And as much as we'd all like to be living on the moon where we only weigh
one-sixth of what we do here, there isn't much we can do about gravity. Plus, the added benefit of nursing is that your womb gets a tightening workout as you nurse. Your stomach will be flatter much faster. Within six weeks, my stomach was flatter than when I first got pregnant.

Myth: It's just nasty.

Reality: This one kills me. What kind of world are we living in, where we think that our own milk is disgusting? Yet, we as a society feast daily on cow's milk. It amazes me that the average woman doesn't think twice about letting any number of men "nurse" at her breasts, yet will not consider taking the baby to the breast (even though our breasts main function is to nurse the child).

And there you have it: three worthless excuses for not nursing your baby. There is no denying that breastfeeding is a difficult task, but it is indeed an amazing accomplishment. Knowing that you are providing your baby with the most natural and healthy food is a soothing smile for the frantic days of motherhood. I can proudly say that if we are what we eat, my children all did just fine. I, on the other hand, am still a walking cup of coffee in need of a refill.


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	Sista Circle TC, a native Washingtonian, is known for her work in the television, radio and print mediums. She's been featured nationally on Live with Regis and in Essence magazine. TC can be seen hosting shows on DC's Cable TV-13, and she is CEO of her public relations company "TCB Publicity," promoting entertainment events across the DC metro area. She has penned articles for the national Black Elegance magazine and columns for publications in major cities across the country, including Houston, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. She gives back by producing her award-winning website as a vehicle for women's empowerment at www.SistaCircle.com. Send email to tc@sistacircle.com Breastfeeding Mamas - The new reality It amazes me that the average woman doesn't think twice about letting any number of men 'nurse' at her breasts, yet will not consider taking the baby to the breast." --TC-- Fortunately, I can say that for the first year of each of my children's lives, they were made up of mainly one thing: breast milk. That's right, liquid gold, mommy juice. And I'm darn proud of it! Nursing our children these days gets both praise and raised eyebrows. We're told it's the best thing for our little ones, yet we're bombarded with information, coupons and samples for baby formula - ads aimed at cashing in on busy mothers who presumably welcome convenience over nursing their babies. I felt like I was speaking another language after giving birth, because most people in my circle of family, friends and co-workers never heard of words like "latch-on," mastitis" and "engorgement." In fact, when I was hospitalized for the birth of my first child, the nurses treated me like some sort of novelty. They told me that I was the only nursing mommy in the entire maternity ward of 35. In recent years, the number of women choosing to nurse their babies is on the rise; however, not necessarily in the Black community. You see, there is a significant health disparity that exists along racial lines when it comes to breastfeeding in the United States. As outlined in the Department of Health and Human Services' "Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding," to increase breastfeeding rates in America, breastfeeding needs to be supported by the family, community, workplace, healthcare sector and society. White mothers exclusively breast fed at a rate more than double that of Black mothers (52.6 percent vs. 25.5 percent). Participation in modern day approaches to nursing have produced an impact on increasing breastfeeding rates, particularly among WIC-eligible women in the District of Columbia. As a former "breast feeder," I've been blessed to be invited to speak at various conferences and seminars that encourage the practice, and I've taken the stage with some of the premiere doctors and specialists in the country in the field of neonatology, pediatrics and lactation at Howard University Hospital. More information can be found at Howard University Hospital's B.L.E.S.S. Initiative (Breastfeeding Lactation Education Support Services). I'm no expert on breastfeeding, yet I've been invited to lend my voice on the subject because I'm a sister who has been there and done that - three times over. And I'm here to testify to you that I survived, and hopefully to convince you that you, too, can conquer the enormous, yet unbelievably rewarding task of breastfeeding your child. Still not convinced? Let's cover some of the main causes why women do not give nursing a chance: Myth: Today's artificial breast milk (formula) is just as good as the real thing. Reality: Even though modern formulas are considerably better than some of the old-fashioned ones, they can never replicate mother's milk. Human milk contains live cells and human hormones that are impossible to obtain from the milk of another species. Furthermore, formula companies admit that they don't yet know all of the ingredients in breast milk. Every few months these companies come up with something different to try to add in. If you choose to breast feed, you can be confident that all of the necessary nutrients, immunities, hormones and as-yet-undiscovered beneficial elements will be present in the right amounts. Moreover, research shows significant risk in the use of artificial milk. Myth: It ruins the shape of your breasts. Reality: Wrong! Saggy breasts do not come from nursing children; they come from gravity. And as much as we'd all like to be living on the moon where we only weigh one-sixth of what we do here, there isn't much we can do about gravity. Plus, the added benefit of nursing is that your womb gets a tightening workout as you nurse. Your stomach will be flatter much faster. Within six weeks, my stomach was flatter than when I first got pregnant. Myth: It's just nasty. Reality: This one kills me. What kind of world are we living in, where we think that our own milk is disgusting? Yet, we as a society feast daily on cow's milk. It amazes me that the average woman doesn't think twice about letting any number of men "nurse" at her breasts, yet will not consider taking the baby to the breast (even though our breasts main function is to nurse the child). And there you have it: three worthless excuses for not nursing your baby. There is no denying that breastfeeding is a difficult task, but it is indeed an amazing accomplishment. Knowing that you are providing your baby with the most natural and healthy food is a soothing smile for the frantic days of motherhood. I can proudly say that if we are what we eat, my children all did just fine. I, on the other hand, am still a walking cup of coffee in need of a refill. Copyright 2008 TCB Enterprises. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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