LOS ANGELES—CinnaMoms, a local breastfeeding and postpartum support program of PHFE WIC and a program of Heluna Health, hosted a Black breastfeeding week celebration Wednesday at their flagship office, CinnaMoms Crenshaw, located in the Obama Boulevard WIC office.
The event featured dancing and giveaways, along with a special appearance from Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
Kamlager-Dove toured the facility and spoke to participants about the importance of Black maternal health and community support.
“Thank you to the moms for showing up; for saying, ‘My life is important and my baby is beautiful, and our presence here is critical to success in the future,’” Kamlager-Dove said.
Representatives from CinnaMoms and PHFE WIC, along with other community partners, provided information about community resources that are available to support birthing families, including doula services, nutritional support and lactation consultations.
During the event, families participated in “purple couch talk,” a roundtable discussion that touched on a wide range of topics, from birthing and postpartum experiences to investing for retirement and financial planning. A free photoshoot gave participants the opportunity to capture the joy and love of their growing families.
“CinnaMoms Crenshaw was founded on the idea of creating a safe space for Black and brown birthing families to rest, nest and connect,” said Toncé Jackson, Ed.D., MPH; co-founder of CinnaMoms.
CinnaMoms began in 2015 as an initiative to increase breastfeeding rates among Black/African American women in the PHFE WIC program. CinnaMoms created support circles that extended beyond WIC services to provide encouragement and a safe space for families to connect about historical feeding practices, perceptions of breastfeeding, familial feeding experiences and the health benefits of breastfeeding. CinnaMoms hosts classes, support groups, cooking demonstrations and special events that focus on sparking conversations about maternal and postpartum health, support systems and cultural beliefs as they relate to nutrition.
“The focus on supporting Black birthing families is critical at this time when Black maternal and infant mortality rates remain persistently high,” Jackson said.
According to CDC data, Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Black birthing people are also more likely to experience life-threatening conditions associated with pregnancy, like blood clots or preeclampsia. African American infants are 3.2 times more likely than non-Hispanic white infants to die from complications related to low birth weight (Center for American Progress, 2019).
About PHFE WIC and Heluna Health
PHFE WIC, a program of Heluna Health, is the largest WIC agency in the country. The program serves parents, infants and children in Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties. PHFE WIC is nationally recognized as a leader and innovator in nutrition education, breastfeeding support, staff training, customer service and outreach to community partners.
For more than 50 years, Heluna Health has worked together with nonprofit and community-based organizations, public health agencies, healthcare systems, providers, and policymakers to strengthen health interventions and create equitable access to disease prevention, treatment, care and social resources.
