Last year 2019, Ruth Dennison launched Breaking Breastfeeding Barriers & Uplifting Education (BBBUE).

BBBUE was launched to help fund:

  • Free Antenatal Breastfeeding Education for Parents
  • Subsidised Postnatal Breastfeeding Support for Parents
  • Subsidised Training for those who would like to support mothers with breastfeeding using accurate evidence-based information
  • Breastfeeding groups, workshops and events –  to help Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities.

This movement/intervention was launched due to Ruth deciding to take action to raise the level of awareness of the higher infant mortality rates in the Black and Asian community and to put strategies in place to reduced the numbers.

Ruth’s aim is to help more mothers to have the support and confidence to exclusively breastfeed their babies upto 6 months, and upto 2 years alongside solid foods, as evidence show this can help to significantly reduce the high numbers of infant mortality.

Ruth explains: I have been working in maternity supporting mothers with breastfeeding since 2007 in the NHS and privately, in all these years I have witnessed the lower numbers of Black and Asian mothers exclusively breastfeeding their babies beyond 6 weeks, the lack of antenatal breastfeeding education, the lack of breastfeeding support in their postnatal period, the extremely low numbers of Black and Asian breastfeeding peer supporters, specialists, counsellors and Lactation Consultants over here in the UK.  There are many barriers which contribute to this and I will do what I can to help break these barriers and uplift education.

Not only can breastfeeding lower the infant mortality rate, it can help reduce the maternal mortality rate which is highest in the black community too.  Breastfeeding is the foundation to a healthier community, to a healthier world.

My first step was raising the attention to Black Breastfeeding Week over here in the UK, my next step is to help break these barriers for the Black, Asian and ethnic minorities.

What has Ruth done so far to help:

Carmelle Gentle is an Independent Midwife, IBCLC and Tongue-tie Practitioner, she has been amazing support towards this intervention since 2019 and shares a passion in supporting mothers with breastfeeding.  Carmelle and Ruth work very well together and recently confirmed to join Leadership for Breaking Breastfeeding Barriers.

How can you help:

Event Videos:

Black Breastfeeding Week | UK Event – 2019 | Breaking Breastfeeding Barriers & Uplifting Education.

Breastfeeding Festival, Milton Keynes 2019 – Ruth spoke about the barriers black families face.

Black Breastfeeding Week | UK Event –  2018 | Why Black Breastfeeding Week

Videos for Black Breastfeeding Week UK 2020 virtual event is currently only available with the Breastfeeding Culture Safety Online Course for Practitioners.

Black Breastfeeding Week 2021 Event:
Next event is coming August 28th 2021, tickets coming soon.