Dalvery Blackwell
Dalvery Blackwell not only advocates for the merits of breast-feeding, but she’s on a mission to help others—particularly Black families—understand the benefits of mother’s milk.
Born in Mississippi, Blackwell moved to Milwaukee as a baby. She graduated from John Marshall High School and went on to earn a degree in communications from the University of Milwaukee. After college, she moved to Washington, DC for an internship with an advocacy group. After returning to Milwaukee, Blackwell began working with Dr. Pat McManus at the Black Health Coalition, primarily on its Tobacco Control Program. It was during this time that she began learning the importance of family engagement and health inequalities.
When she married and began plans to start a family, Blackwell knew that she would breastfeed her children. And, when that time came, she thought it would be a natural and easy process. She quickly realized that was not the case. She had to seek help and that’s when she recognized that there was a void—particularly among people of color—who were breast-feeding their children.
“It was during this time, as I faced and overcame my own breast-feeding challenges, that Angie Wilkes-Tate and I started the African American Breast-feeding Network (AABN). We initially met in her home,” said Blackwell.
Blackwell is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and a co-founder and executive director of AABN. She has worked for the Aurora Health Care WIC program and the Marquette Neighborhood Health Clinic. She has helped AABN increase awareness of breastfeeding disparities, form community allies, and normalize breastfeeding. She also has been instrumental in creating and building the core projects the Mocha Milk Notes quarterly newsletter and Community Breastfeeding Gatherings. Her work was has been recognized locally and nationally.
Over the years, Blackwell has not only become a staunch advocate touting the benefits of breastfeeding, but she is literally a walking resource on the issue.
“In America, women typically wean around three months, and for Black mothers it’s even shorter. Although breastfeeding rates have risen steadily for African American women, there is stigma related to public breastfeeding and breastfeeding older children that cause women to stop. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests exclusive breastfeeding from birth until six months. Breastfeeding must become the norm in order to change disparities,” she said.
Blackwell said that it’s important to note that the AABN does not penalize or shun mothers who use baby formula.
“While we do not promote the use of formula and view it as inferior baby food, we don’t want to ridicule mothers who use it—for whatever reason. It’s never ‘all or nothing’. Our goal is provide information so that families can make informed decisions when comparing breast milk to formula,” she said.
Blackwell said that studies have shown that there is a drastic reduction of ear infections and skin rashes, that there is a link between breast-feeding and childhood obesity, and even that babies that are breast-fed have higher IQs.
“These are all benefits that are not disputed and that doctors have known for years. In addition, the meconium—which is a baby’s first bowel movement—is removed very quickly. Essentially, breast milk acts as a laxative. When meconium is not removed quickly, babies are more likely to have high jaundice levels,” said Blackwell.
Blackwell said that research also associates Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) with breastfeeding.
“Babies that are breastfeeding are more in tune to breathing patterns. As they breast feed, they become accustomed to hearing their mother’s breathing, and heart rhythms. While we don’t know a lot about SIDS, we know that sometimes babies just stop breathing. Babies that are being breast fed—who become accustomed to breathing patterns—can more quickly gasp for breathe because they are more in tune to breathing patterns,” said Blackwell.
Even though more mothers are breastfeeding these days because they are becoming aware of the benefits and value of breast milk, they still don’t have adequate access to breastfeeding support.
“Many doctors’ offices don’t have lactation consultants or breast-feeding peer counseling—especially counselors that look like them. The AABN is the only organization that provides breastfeeding support to women of color in their homes,” said Blackwell.
In addition to providing hospital and home visits, AABN also has a LAC café. It’s a place where women can come and talk one-on-one with a lactation consultant or meet with peer consultants. Unique to the program, is the fathers’ support group.
“When we first started, we assumed it would be a sister-to-sister chat room, but we noticed boyfriends, husbands and uncles, were coming to the sessions as well. To create a more inclusive environment, we engaged with these men and now, with our YMCA partners, we have educational sessions for fathers. They meet at the Northside and Parklawn YMCA of Greater Milwaukee. After a family-style meal that includes men and women, a male peer advocate facilitates the men in a separate room. They talk about breast feeding and other issues such as employment, sports, caring for other children, health and nutrition, and the father peer advocate teaches the basics of breast feeding,” said Blackwell.
Thanks to Blackwell and the efforts of the AABN, the number of babies being breast fed in Milwaukee is increasing, and these children are growing up healthier and, thus, paving the way to eliminate some of the disparities related to health and nutrition.
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