During World Breastfeeding Month and Black Breastfeeding Week, we take a moment to honor Maggie Whitman, pioneering BreastfeedLA board member, experienced birth and lactation professional, maternal health and breastfeeding advocate, beloved community member, and our treasured friend. We are honored and humbled to work with her. Please read more about Maggie’s incredible story , and about another strong mother, Marchanna Brown. “Mama Maggie,” as she is known to Marchanna and other blessed families, has helped countless parents and children through their pregnancies, births, breastfeeding, and postpartum journeys. Beautiful!
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The Story of Mama Maggie
by MAGGIE WHITMAN, RN, MSN, IBCLC
Longest-standing and first African American BreastfeedLA board member
Hello everyone, happy August and Happy World Breastfeeding Month 2020!
Those of you that know me and my line of work know that I’m very passionate about supporting mothers, babies, and families with breastfeeding success. As a former breastfeeding mother of my own five children, now grown, my success starting a ripple effect in my family. I supported my two daughters, sons and two daughter in-laws that collectively birthed my nine grandchildren; whom all had the benefit of breastfeeding and receiving pumped breastmilk. I provided their private childbirth education and served as their birth doula, and gave each the initial 1-2 weeks postpartum of my time to help them initiate a good start. Their breastfeeding durations where anywhere from 3 months to 20 months giving them an good foundation for their future health and wellness. I have supported family, friends, neighbors, and those that were referred to call Ms. Maggie for help. I also encouraged my three sisters to breastfeed. Two that I supported and counseled long-distance and both established breastfeed for their babies. One was here with me and I was able to support her extensively, and she sustained breastfeeding over a year for her two children.
Because of our family history of severe allergies (ear, nose, and throat allergies, and sinus congestion, lactose intolerance, and the worst asthma ever), I really encouraged and insisted that my sisters breastfeed. They listened to me, the oldest sibling, and we all saw that breastfeeding made a huge difference for our children. Not only are all the children very smart and intelligent; they have had less health challenges than we did. Some have no allergies, others not as severe allergies as we did and our cousins growing up. And yes, we do contribute that to breastfeeding!
Had I known then as a young mother of 19 and had some personal or professional support, I would’ve breastfed to the full year mark. I stopped at 6 months with four of them because of biting; I didn’t know what to do and had no other help. And I stopped at only a few weeks with last child because MD told me I had to because the medication he prescribed me to control a chronic condition that flared up was harmful to baby. I cried that they took breastfeeding away from me and my baby, whom ending up having the worst asthma and was hospitalized for a week at nine months and again at ten years old. I truly believe that long term breastfeeding could’ve made a huge difference for my child’s health and wellbeing. He was on asthma medicines and steroids for the rest of his childhood years into his young adult life; and still has to have emergency inhalers for triggers that could effect his breathing. But I didn’t have support then and I just didn’t know that I could even contest the doctor or get a second opinion, or that lactation professionals existed.
I returned to school and became a nurse later after that 5th child. Found out years later that the medication I was prescribed was not contraindicated, but because of the lack of education about breastfeeding and medications, it was easier for the MD to just say you shouldn’t breastfeed than doing the research and finding the correct answer. I think about how breastfeeding my last child for a longer duration could have changed our lives, and made his life better! I think of the time I invested in taking care of a sick child with asthma!
I pursued supporting childbirth as a labor delivery nurse and later switched to postpartum nursing. I learned so much but became aware that most of my nurse colleagues did not know how to help mothers with breastfeeding; and mothers were challenged trying to establish breastfeeding. There was little to no support in the hospitals. I worked with midwives at one of my hospitals in labor and delivery for two years, where the midwives saw my support of mothers breastfeeding and would ask me to please help their patients establish the first latch and breastfeeding before I transferred their patient to postpartum, fearing they wouldn’t have help later.
As I began to see how great this need was later in my career as a postpartum nurse. I turned my whole focus toward becoming more educated about how childbirth education can affect mothers birth experience and initiation of breastfeeding. Considering all the challenges mothers have, my goal became to help my colleagues and other health professionals better understand and be able to help and support Mothers that want to breastfeed. A took a week long child birth education course; then sought a professional lactation education course and became certified as a lactation educator.
While on this journey, I did a search for community support in other organizations that cared about supporting mothers to breastfeed in the hospital settings and in the community. I found the Breastfeeding Taskforce of Greater Los Angeles a.k.a. BreastfeedLA on the internet. I called them up and asked how to join. I attended the next meeting and immediately became a volunteer and that was in 2003. It was so wonderful to find a group of women and other professionals that cared about this and wanted to help change how breastfeeding was perceived in the hospitals and public; and help mothers and babies get the support they needed.
This organization branched out to tackle breastfeeding problems in every area from the workplace; to the community; to educating health professionals in multiple disciplines that provide care to mothers, babies, and families; to establishing breastfeeding support groups; engaging community partners, and public health; to petitioning to support changes in law for breastfeeding rights and protection for this vulnerable population; to hosting equity forums to address the issues on inequality in healthcare and the disparities that still exist among various minorities and people of color; to bringing the best world renowned lactation and breastfeeding experts here to Los Angeles (to teach and educate health professionals in the latest research and best evidence based practice); and to advocating for mothers and hosting protests or sit-ins when their rights were violated; you name it! If it has to do anything with breastfeeding and lactation support and mother’s rights, this organization is involved.
It was when I started a new job at another hospital that initially was doing nothing to support breastfeeding, that I inquired if they wanted help, explaining this was my primary passion and purpose to help with breastfeeding. I asked them to please let me know when they are ready. Then within the next two years, it became mandated as the breastfeeding report card was initiated that looked at how poorly hospital supported breastfeeding, then everybody’s antennas raised in hospitals and now they were interested.
Breastfeeding had become a ‘public health issue’ with all the recent research surrounding it and all of the benefits and protections that breastmilk could provide. The formula marketing industry and its advertisements had overshadowed the value of breastfeeding and so many were ignorant about breastmilk. Doctors and nurses were not originally educated in their universities and medical degree programs or internships about breastfeeding. Breastfeeding, the life protecting and preserving act that was naturally intended to give infants the healthiest start and developmental advantage of human milk for human babies makes sense, right?
I was then asked to help, so I made the decision to start the pathway to become an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). By this time, I am sure that I had spent collectively over a thousand hours helping and educating mothers and families how to successfully initiate breastfeeding in two hospitals, and supporting family and friends in the neighborhood and those that called me on referrals. I became certified in 2007, which I determined was a must if I was going to be educating my colleagues and working on the team to help establish the baby friendly process and education in my hospital.
I became a board member with Breastfeed LA in 2005, I served as the secretary for seven years; and I have remained on the board as an at-large member to this day. I believe I was the first African-American to join the board and I have remained on to keep a diversified focus in the group as well. I am really happy to report that we recently have two more African-American members on the board as well.
The relationship I have with this organization has been so profound, I will probably remain connected until I retire, and BreastfeedLA will always have my financial support! I am so proud of the work this organization has done. I love BreastfeedLA, this organization is amazing in what it has accomplished over the past 26 years.
The growth that we have seen in the rise of baby friendly hospitals in LA County and beyond, was significantly impacted by the partnership with BreastfeedLA to support, educate, and train hospital staff in the Baby Friendly Ten Steps to successful breastfeeding, and evidence-based practice, with skill training of clinical hours. We have witnessed the sustained efforts that we have seen in community and workplace; and the collaboration of multiple like-minded organizations, including faith-based communities that have partnered to help continue the work and reach of BreastfeedLA.
Thank you all that took the time to read my story.
Please visit www.breastfeedla.org to learn of our other activities during World Breastfeeding month and beyond. We welcome you.
Sincerely,
Maggie Whitman, RN, MSN, IBCLC
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My Breastfeeding Journey
by MARCHANNA BROWN
Hi I am Marchanna Brown, my breastfeeding journey started 12 years ago. I have two daughters one is 12 and the other is almost 3. When my oldest child was born I was not educated about breastfeeding. I knew that it was important but I had no idea how important. I didn’t research or ask questions. I was truly uneducated, and none of my nurses or doctors told me about the many benefits of breastfeeding. So when she was born via c -section, I didn’t know how skin to skin was important the first moments of her being born or she should have tried to latch in those moments. I was away from my baby for 2 hours trying to recover from the medication that was used. When I finally was able to see her I was upset to find out that they had given her a bottle without my permission. I wanted my milk to be what she had first.
The lactation nurse tried to reassure me that she would latch fine and that she would just know what to do. She tried to show me a few techniques. I tried and tried. I was in the hospital for 5 days and had no success. She would drink a little here and there. When I got home I had no support from someone who was experienced in breastfeeding. So unfortunately her breastfeeding journey only lasted 3 months.
10 years later, I was blessed to have another child. This time around I educated myself. I also came to know Sis. Maggie from my church, who is a RN, lactation consultant, childbirth educator, and doula. Mama, Sis Maggie, that is what I call her, but you may know her as Magdalene Whitman. I developed a relationship with her as my leader in our church health care ministry and church dance ministry. Her daughter was my close friend and she told me how she helped all of them and their close friends with birth and breastfeeding. Mama, Sis. Maggie invited me to attend the childbirth class she was teaching at Millers Children Hospital, Long Beach Memorial. My husband and I did attend the class and I learned so much.
I was planning to have a repeat C-section, the doctors never shared information about any other options??? However, Mama Maggie encouraged me to consider a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) and to discuss it with my doctor. I was initially scared about natural childbirth and didn’t know if I could do it. Mama Maggie helped me weigh the risks of a repeat cesarean versus the benefits of a VBAC, and shared medical research and recommendations. This is empowered me to go have a conversation with my doctor and ask for a VBAC. My first doctor was so against it. But when my insurance company changed, I got a new provider, who was all for it! This doctor said yes, and was in agreement to give me a trial for labor and birth. After class and discussion, my husband and I asked Mama Maggie could she please attend our birth as our Doula. I learned about that role in her class as well. She was hesitant to commit, because of her nightshift work schedule, but she said yes!
I believe God put it on my heart to ask her to be my Doula. She gave me so much education and kept me informed. She not only told me about VBAC, but also shared how important skin to skin is in the first hour of birth; and how it helps the baby to initiate that first latch after they are born. When I got my new baby home I was overjoyed. Mama Maggie offered to come by and help me several times when I struggled to get the baby to latch. It was so difficult for me at first. I was frustrated, sore, and still in alot of pain recovering from childbirth. She came and made me tea, brought groceries and food for my family, gave me stuff to treat sore nipples, and help me practice latching better. I would have given up if she wasnt there to support me and my family. She also brought me a beautiful and comfortable Limerick Breast Pump donated by Joan Ortiz, another boardmember, from BreastfeedLA. She set it up and taught me how to use it when I needed to pump, when I was full or engorged. It help me also prepare to store milk when I had to go back to work. Mama Maggie was available when I called to answer all my questions and concerns.
Because of dedicated, compassionate, experienced, and well educated people like Magdalene Whitman, I was able to learn the true benefit of breastfeeding. When I was still pregnant, she invited me to come to a BreastfeedLA fundraiser, where I heard testimonies of other women who had challenges, and were discouraged to the point of wanting to give up! But they shared how it made a difference having someone believe in them and help them to keep going, and that was very inspirational.
All of that encouraged me and the support of others helped me continue to breastfeed my daughter for two and half years. I see how smart and healthy she is, and I am proud I was able to breastfed her that long. I thank God for Mama Maggie and all the people in my family that saw the importance in breastfeeding, and became believers and encouraged me.
This is my story, and I hope it educates and inspires others to become more aware of the challenges of birthing and breastfeeding for mothers. All mothers need support and you can make a difference! Thanking God for BreastfeedLA’s work and the new LES program that is educating more people of color to support birthing and breastfeeding. Everyone needs a ‘Mama Maggie‘ or someone skilled and compassionate like her that really cares and understands.
