🚨New Media Alert FORBES - Celebrating Black Breastfeeding Week FORBES - Why Are Black Women The Least Likely To Breastfeed? Examining Barriers to Black Breastfeeding by Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D. Salute to Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D. for featuring Mama Glow & Mama Glow Foundation & the impactful work we have done to improve Black breastfeeding rates through professional training. “Compared to their white counterparts, Black mothers & birthing people are less likely to initiate breastfeeding—& once they start breastfeeding, they are less likely to continue the practice for long enough to confer the benefits onto their infants,” shared Latham Thomas. Thomas is a trailblazer in Black maternal health advocacy and is the founder of the Mama Glow Foundation, a Brooklyn-based organization that trains & supports doulas. “Black women are less likely to receive community support postpartum,” Thomas explained, “Are more likely to have to return to work shortly after birth, & less likely to have intergenerational examples of breastfeeding success.” According to a 2015 research study, contributors to the racial disparities in breastfeeding rates include the fact that Black women return to work sooner, on average, than women of other races & also that Black women work in roles with work hours that make breastfeeding more challenging. Barriers to exclusive breastfeeding among Black mothers include “lack of access to and knowledge of breastfeeding laws & policies, as well as negative cultural norms or stigma”. Research indicates that doula support can play a vital role in breastfeeding initiation. One way to address the racial disparities in breastfeeding could be providing Black mothers & birthing people with greater access to doula support. Latham Thomas created the Mama Glow Foundation & the First Foods Justice Breastfeeding Certificate Program for Doulas with this objective in mind. Thomas explained that the goals of the program are to “train and certify 100 community care workers & doulas as Community Lactation Educators, serve marginalized people with lactation support & to measure the outcomes & capture feeding success experiences within the program.” #mamaglowfoundation #mamaglow #blackbreastfeedingweek https://lnkd.in/gupCAwVs

Mama Glow Webinar: Celebrating Black Breastfeeding Week - Breaking Barriers & Reclaiming Our Stories AUGUST 28th, 6:30-8:00PM This webinar is presented by: Momcozy Join us for the 12th annual celebration of Black Breastfeeding Week 2024! Black Breastfeeding Week was founded by three Black women, Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green and Anayah Sangodele Ayoka. Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW) is celebrated annually from August 25–31, and the 2024 theme is "Listen Up! Reclaiming Our Narrative & Centering Our Stories for Breastfeeding Justice". This year’s theme embraces the soulful power of narrative shift and amplifies storytelling as a vital catalyst for equity and justice in lactation. Join us for an informative webinar during Black Breastfeeding Week as we commemorate and amplify the voices and journeys of Black birthing families and practitioners helping us to reclaim our breastfeeding stories. This interactive session will explore the unique challenges and triumphs faced by Black women and birthing individuals in their breastfeeding journeys. We'll discuss the systemic barriers that hinder breastfeeding equity, share empowering stories of resilience and resistance, and highlight strategies for advocacy and support. Whether you're a healthcare professional, lactation consultant, parent, or ally, this webinar invites you to learn, engage, and contribute to creating a more inclusive and supportive breastfeeding environment for all. Together, let's celebrate and uplift the radical power of Black breastfeeding as a movement! In this webinar will address: The challenges Black women and birthing individuals face in initiating and maintaining breastfeeding practices. The historical and cultural factors shaping Black breastfeeding rates Systemic barriers within healthcare, society, and workplaces that contribute to disparities. Hear empowering stories of resilience and resistance from Black breastfeeding advocates and families. Learn strategies and get resources for advocating for breastfeeding equity We will be joined in conversation with the following panelists: - Jillian Hervey, Lead vocalist of music duo LION BABE - Barbara Verneus, Lactation/Feeding Specialist, Midwife - Lalaina Rabary, Marketing Manager of Momcozy - Latham Thomas - Founder of Mama Glow and Mama Glow Foundation Momcozy will be gifting 10 Single S12 Pro Wearable Breast Pumps to a few lucky webinar attendees! Don't miss your chance to win! REGISTER HERE: https://lnkd.in/eGSWMPN8 #mamaglow #blackbreastfeedingweek #breastfeedingawareness #momcozy

Greetings Friends!    The one and only Doula Expo by Mama Glow is an annual culture-shifting festival that centers a vision for the future of birth work. Curated by the global maternal health and education platform, Mama Glow, the two-day festival caters to birth professionals and families by prioritizing education, entertainment, connection, and community.   We are pleased to announce that we are accepting abstracts for consideration for a 15-minute presentation on the Doula Expo stage. The future of maternal health research and policy will be characterized by innovation, equity, and resilience. The Doula Expo is interested in platforming presentations that address emerging challenges and solutions that leverage opportunities in: digital health, mental health, health equity, maternal health education, and policy innovation.    Abstracts must be submitted no later than 11:59 PM ET, August 12th, 2024   "This year's theme is Reimagining Maternal Health, and we are leaning into principles and thought leadership exploring imagination and designing a future that centers reproductive justice and birth equity, " says Latham Thomas, Maternal Health Expert, Visiting Professor of Gender and Sexuality Studies at Brown University, and Founder of Mama Glow.   By prioritizing evidence-based interventions and collaborative efforts, stakeholders can drive meaningful progress towards achieving maternal health goals to ensure every person receives the care they need for a safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth.   The Doula Expo is an opportunity to convene with peers and industry leaders, develop authentic connections, and build community with other birth professionals. The festival is designed to help participants amplify their work, connect with organizations, and grow their businesses. For expectants and families, the festival is a space where participants can access curated resources, meet practitioners, and experience products and services from brands and organizations in the women's health as well as the maternal and infant health spaces. LEARN MORE! https://www.doulaexpo.com/ #doulaexpo #maternalhealth #reimaginematernallealth #mamaglow #birthequity #blackmaternalhealth

FIRST FOODS JUSTICE BREASTFEEDING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR DOULAS Nourishing Our Babies to Nurture Ourselves APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR SUMMER 2024 COHORT The Mama Glow Foundation is a 501c3 non profit committed to advancing reproductive justice and birth equity through education, advocacy, and the arts.  We are thrilled to announce the Mama Glow Foundation FIRST FOODS JUSTICE: BREASTFEEDING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR DOULAS - Nourishing Our Babies to Nurture Ourselves 🙌🏾 This application is for the inaugural cohort for our FIRST FOODS JUSTICE PROGRAM centered on reclaiming breastfeeding education and bringing lactation support to communities most impacted by low breastfeeding rates. The design of this course centers the safety and support of Black and Brown mothers, birthing people, and families as they navigate the unique challenges and joys of breastfeeding/chestfeeding. Applications Open June 3rd, 2024 Deadline - June 17th, 2024 The design of this course centers the safety and support of Black and Brown mothers, birthing people, and families as they navigate the unique challenges and joys of breastfeeding/ chestfeeding. This course approaches the topic of breastfeeding from the framework of first food justice—the notion that all infants should have the right to access the best nutrition, and caregivers their right to provide it. We cannot discuss the joys that accompany the breastfeeding journey for BIPOC mothers without acknowledging the elephant in the room. While human milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition, Black birthing people and families face systematic barriers to breastfeeding—a reality that is tethered to the historical legacies of chattel slavery in the United States. Compared to their white counterparts, Black mothers and birthing people are less likely to initiate breastfeeding—and once they start breastfeeding, they are less likely to continue the practice for long enough to confer the benefits onto their infants. This course is a moment for restorative justice and healing. Infant formula companies have long-targeted members of minoritized populations in their efforts to heighten the accessibility of formula, and this is an opportunity to shift the narrative. Mama Glow Foundation FIRST FOODS JUSTICE: BREASTFEEDING CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR DOULAS will provide professional lactation education to birth workers belonging to communities facing health inequity, to equip them with skills that they can bring back to their community spaces to be of service. Course attendees will emerge from the course as First Foods Justice Advocates and upon completion of certification, will become Certified Community Lactation Educators. This program is grounded in a deep commitment to community and an investment in the Mama Glow workforce of community care workers. It is our hope that with this education comes great validation and healing. ❤️ APPLY HERE: https://lnkd.in/gmsV6Tci

Replenish Retreat: Immersive Wellness Weekend for Doulas  Nourishing those who nurture their communities. May 17-19, 2024 AN INTIMATE IMMERSIVE HEALING GATHERING INVITING BIRTH WORKERS TO SURRENDER TO SELF-CARE. LEARN MORE & REGISTER TODAY: https://lnkd.in/eTMGWwKU Join us for an immersive weekend reclaiming rest, well-being, ritual, mindfulness tools, community healing and coalition building, in a space of sacred sisterhood. The Replenish Retreat is an offering designed, curated and facilitated by the global maternal health and education platform, Mama Glow. We recognize the deeply impactful work that doulas, nurses, physicians, caregivers, social workers, therapists and healing artists and the like, do to improve the lives of those they serve. Yet, who is there to nurture the ones who are constantly nurturing others? We are! We are here to hold space for you. The Replenish Retreat weekend is grounded in movement building, wakeful rest, inspired sacred sisterhood and a deep dive into the sanctity of ourselves. Because of the very nature of their work, birth workers need spaces to access healing. We will engage in healing modalities, soulful sound meditation, ritual and conversation exploring creativity and vulnerability as portals for authentic self-expression and pathways to empowerment as care workers. Burnout is now classified as an illness and it is far too common that doulas and caregivers experience burnout because they lack support and self-care practices that keep them fortified. We hope to facilitate a space where birth workers can replenish and therefore better serve their communities because they are caring well for themselves. This retreat weekend will guide us to explore how we can fully realize our personhood and activate self-care and self-reflective practices that support our personal growth and wellbeing and fortify us for the times we live in. During this weekend we will: Lean into vulnerability and expand our capacity to receive support  Explore paired sharing and storytelling and be witnessed in support  Practice new skills, mindfulness and leadership tools that will transform our relationship with our personal wellbeing Plant seeds to cultivate the personal care work that will continue after this weekend What’s included:  Gift Bag over $250.00 in wellness & self-care products Meals provided by: Chiyo, Welcome Home & Maman Weekend of expert content including workshops and panels Investment: $595.00 + processing fees Meet our Sponsors Carol’s Daughter Chiyo Liz Winston Mad Hippie Pink Moon Perelel Versine Welcome Home WTHN

JOIN US SATURDAY FOR WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH in D.C D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser and Latham Thomas founder of Mama Glow invite you to join them in the D.C HERSTORY 5K 2024 Join us for a lively morning walking in celebration of International Women's Day. SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2024 FREEDOM PLAZA, Washington D.C REGISTRATION | 9AM KIDS DASH BEGINS | 9:30AM RACE BEGINS | 10AM Mama Glow will be in Washington D.C., for in celebration of International Women’s Day. The FITDC HerStory 5K, powered by AETNA, is a free run/walk that attracts thousands of DC residents and folks from around the country to commemorate Women’s History Month, live and in person from Freedom Plaza. This event is dog friendly and stroller friendly. This annual event pays homage to the 350,000 women and girls living in the nation’s capital, and the 165 million women and girls across the country. Get ready for a downtown DC party featuring a pre-race lineup of speakers headlined by Mayor Bowser and Latham Thomas, a scenic race route down Pennsylvania Ave, a plaza adorned with quotes for HERstory making women, pop-up exhibits about women’s history, and a post-race finish festival with music, giveaways, and vendors from local women-owned businesses. Click here to learn more and RSVP: https://herstory5k.com/

MAMA GLOW CHILDBIRTH EDUCATOR CERTIFICATION COURSE - 4-WEEK ONLINE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING PROGRAM 8 SESSIONS TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS - MARCH 5 - APRIL 23, 2024 - 6:00-8:30PM ET (ONLINE) If you’ve pursued a professional training program with Mama Glow, then you’ve already embraced your role as a birth advocate and educator. If you have not yet joined our community but are ready to expand and build on your education in birth work, this is the right course for you, welcome! From the global maternal health and education platform that brought you the Mama Glow Doula Professional Training Program, comes a new offering for birth professionals that you don't want to miss. Are you ready to build on your knowledge and skills in the birth space? You are meant to stand alongside people during the most powerful and transformative moments of their lives, and with our new Mama Glow Childbirth Educator Certification course, that process just became a bit easier. The Mama Glow Childbirth Educator Certification Course will equip you with the education, skills, and to prepare people from all walks of life for the journey that is pregnancy, labor, childbirth and the early postnatal period. Over the course of eight sessions in four weeks, you will be joined by other like-minded individuals in your journey to ease the transition for women, laboring people, and their families. Twice a week, your instructors will focus on a curriculum theme that emphasizes a particular dimension of childbirth education, all of which will culminate in a full toolbox and an exploration of how to utilize the training. The Mama Glow Doula Childbirth Educator Certification course is unique in that it implements the framework of trauma-informed care to emphasize cultural competency, empathy, and structural competency. When you emerge from this course you will have the tools to be able to successfully lead individuals and groups in childbirth education and will broaden your access to career opportunities and advancement. We hope you can join us! This program is open to all individuals exploring and expanding their career path in birth work. This is a professional training program and upon completion of the course, students will receive a certificate. LEARN MORE: https://lnkd.in/exHCUv_m

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you! May this be a blissful and restful time for you and your family. We are thankful for all we were able to accomplish this year and look forward to reaching more milestones! xo Mama Glow Team

What an infant eats plays an important role in establishing a healthy microbiome and immune system for them. Human milk contains powerful nutrients that are individualized to support infants' needs. Human milk also contains important bacteria and probiotics that are critical to the development of the infant gut microbiome and immune system. There is a small yet critical window where we can lay the foundation for long term health for our newborns. Learn how you can protect and improve gut health to help your baby get a great start!