If you’ve got a bun in the oven, baby names and shower registries aren’t the only thing you should be thinking about right now: You’ll also want to start mentally prepping to breastfeed. Earlier this week, Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA, announced a new public health initiative called It’s Only Natural, a campaign aimed at educating African American mothers about the importance and benefits of breastfeeding.
On average, 80 percent of all new mothers in the U.S. start out breastfeeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But among African American women, that number drops to 55 percent.
“We know one of the most highly preventive actions a mother can take to protect the health of her infants and of herself is to breastfeed,” says Benjamin, who had previously released a breastfeeding call to action in January 2011.
When babies breastfeed, they’re less likely to suffer from diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia, says Benjamin. What’s more, babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months are less likely to become obese and have a lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Infants aren’t the only ones who benefit when they drink breast milk, though: New moms also decrease their chances of getting ovarian or breast cancer when they breastfeed, says Benjamin.
“We’ve had a really good response in trying to give women the support they need, but one of the areas we see where the numbers still aren’t as high as we want them to be is in the African American community,” she says.
It’s Only Natural is designed to help new moms identify and overcome common obstacles to breastfeeding—like struggling to get a good latch, returning to work, and coping with a lack of support.
Another big reason many women don’t breastfeed? Commonly held misconceptions, like that breast milk is less nutritious and more expensive than formula—or that breastfeeding makes your breasts sag.
“What we’d like to see is more women breastfeeding and making it feel like it’s natural, it’s normal—it’s not an exception,” says Benjamin. “It’s a natural thing to do, and it’s a natural way to give your baby the best chances in life from the beginning.”
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