An Intergenerational Exploration of Breastfeeding Journeys Through the Lens of African American Mothers and Grandmothers

Background

Many individuals comprise a nursing mother’s social support network. Grandmothers within African American families, historically, have played a vital role in the transmission of culture. Understanding intergenerational perspectives within African American families related to infant feeding and scholarship about breastfeeding is critical, given the breastfeeding patterns among African American women.

Research aim

To describe intergenerational perspectives within African American families, where the mother has successfully breastfed.

Methods

A prospective, cross-sectional, qualitative design using semi-structured interviews was used. African American nursing mothers and maternal grandmothers ( N  = 14) residing in the Metro–St. Louis area, who reflected economic and educational diversity, were recruited. Inductive and iterative data analysis, framed by Black Feminist Theory allowed for emerging patterns reflecting the participants’ voices.

Results

Three of the six (50%) grandmother participants had breastfed. The majority of the mother participants were married ( n =  5; 62.5%) and had a college degree ( n =  4; 50.0%) or a high school diploma ( n =  1; 12.5%); and four (50.0%) had received the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Three patterns emerged: (a) intergenerational connections; (b) changes in breastfeeding experiences over time; and (c) going with the flow (referring to the choice to work within the constraints of one’s circumstances). Grandmothers supported mothers’ breastfeeding decisions; grandmothers who had breastfed benefited from the updated information the mothers provided; and grandmothers who did not breastfeed acquired new breastfeeding knowledge, which informed the ways they supported the mothers.

Conclusion

The intergenerational perspectives surrounding breastfeeding within African American families participating in this study offer future research directions.