Breast Friends Lactation & Support Services

In a world where Black women’s voices are too often dismissed in medical spaces, Breast Friends Lactation & Support Services stands as both a sanctuary and a movement. Rooted in love, sisterhood, and healing, this organization is reimagining what postpartum and breastfeeding care can look like — by us and for us.

According to the American Journal of Public Health and the CDC, there is a daunting reality that Black mothers are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers. Their pain is too often minimized, their concerns overlooked, and their needs unmet. Breast Friends was created to close that gap — to ensure that when a Black woman brings life into the world, she is met not with doubt, but with dignity.

Here, mothers find what the healthcare system too often fails to provide: community, connection, and culturally grounded care. Whether navigating breastfeeding challenges, postpartum recovery, or the emotional weight of early motherhood, Breast Friends ensures that no mother walks that journey alone.

Their work is about more than feeding babies — it’s about nourishing generations.

By offering one-on-one lactation visits, peer support, movement-based wellness, and educational spaces for both mothers and professionals, Breast Friends is creating lasting change. Every class, every counseling session, and every circle of mothers gathered together represents a quiet revolution. 

Their mission is bold and transformative: to build community-powered care that sees, hears, and supports Black women during one of the most sacred and vulnerable seasons of their lives. By centering Black mothers, Breast Friends challenges the systemic neglect and isolation often present in traditional maternal healthcare. The goal isn’t just healthier babies — it’s empowered mothers, generational healing, and the kind of knowledge that ripples outward into families and communities.

The Services & Programs They Provide

• 1:1 In-Home Lactation Support Certified IBCLCs visit families directly at home to assist with painful latching, nursing twins, c-section recovery, milk supply concerns, and more.

• Peer Counseling Moms connect with other experienced breastfeeding mothers via phone, video chat, or text for real-time support from someone who’s been there.

• Breast Friend Mommy Groups Monthly in-person gatherings for judgment-free conversations about breastfeeding, parenting, and building authentic friendships.

• Mommy Meet-Ups Community events where healthcare and birth professionals join mothers in casual, affirming spaces — to eat, chat, and build connections.

• Breast Friends Fit A movement space for pregnant and breastfeeding women focused on posture, pelvic-floor recovery, and nervous system regulation. Held 1st & 3rd Fridays at 11AM at Lake Merritt near the Library in Oakland.

• Quarterly Lactation Workshops In-person workshops for doulas, nurses, lactation educators, and new IBCLCs to deepen their breastfeeding knowledge and skills through hands-on training.

Why Their Work Matters

Breast Friends Lactation & Support Services is doing more than helping babies feed — they are restoring trust in care, building self-advocacy among mothers, and creating spaces where Black maternal health is not just acknowledged but prioritized.

References

MacDorman, M. F., Thoma, M., Declercq, E., & Howell, E. A. (2021). Racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality in the United States using enhanced vital records, 2016–2017. American Journal of Public Health, 111(9), 1673–1681.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, April). Maternal mortality rates in 2022. Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2022

Partnership Acknowledgement

The organizations featured in Miles of Connections are part of a countywide effort to advance health, healing, and well-being within Contra Costa’s Black communities. Along with The Miles Hall Foundation, twelve organizations received funding through Contra Costa County to expand culturally rooted care and community support.

This work is built from the voices of over 4,000 Black residents who shaped the vision for a stronger ecosystem of services. In response, on August 12, 2025, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the launch of what will become the Federal Glover African American Holistic Wellness and Resource Hub — a coordinated network of Black-led wellness services to be anchored in East County.

The Contra Costa Office of Racial Equity and Social Justice (ORESJ), in partnership with the East Bay Community Foundation, is supporting this first cohort of organizations to ensure services reach the community now while the Hub’s long-term infrastructure is built.

As part of this initiative, The Miles Hall Foundation leads the “Miles of Connections” outreach effort, helping residents learn about, access, and connect with these vital healing resources.