Raising Awareness for AAPI Heritage Month
Motherhood is a journey filled with both joy and challenges—many of which are shaped by culture, community, and personal experience. As we recognize Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this May, let’s take a moment to acknowledge some of the unique postpartum and breastfeeding challenges that AAPI mothers may face.
1. Generational Divide Over Breastfeeding VS Formula
The World Health Organization recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for six months, and that breastmilk should remain in their diet for at least 2 years.
Many modern Asian moms are choosing to exclusively breastfeed as recommended by WHO and other experts. However, they often find themselves at odds with their immigrant parents who likely opted for formula as a preferred feeding method.
For example, many Chinese immigrants may view feeding an infant formula as a status symbol, showing that a parent can afford to feed their baby. In fact, some view breastfeeding as something “poor people do.” Additionally, there is a common misbelief that formula is more nutritious than breastmilk. In an interview with NBC news one mom reported being pressured to switch to formula as her family assured her that her breast milk “wasn’t good enough” to feed her baby.
However, there is good news as well. In 2010, the United States Department of Health and Human Services released its Healthy People 2020 goals. Their breastfeeding goals are not as strict as those of the WHO, which recommends exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months as well as an extra 12 months of continued breastfeeding. Even with these relaxed targets, Americans are by and large failing to meet the goals, however Asian Americans were the only group to meet them. (Louis-Jacques MD et al, 2017).
2. Generational Divide on Acceptability of Breastfeeding in public spaces
Another issue many AAPI mothers face is a generational difference in how they view breastfeeding in public. While many moms view breastfeeding as natural, many older members of the AAPI community object to public breastfeeding. It can be viewed as shameful or immodest. While 49 states have laws requiring employers to establish lactation rooms or other accommodations for postpartum mothers, many employers don’t follow this guideline, causing more hurdles for AAPI moms.
3. Higher Rates of Postpartum Mental Health Issues
Last week, we discussed postpartum depression and anxiety for Mental Health Awareness Month. While these issues affect everyone, Motherly reports that Asian American moms are 9 times more likely than white moms to become suicidal during postpartum. This is likely due to the overall problem of maternal mental health postpartum combined with the mental health stigmas in many Asian cultures.
Final Thoughts
Motherhood isn’t a one-size fits all. While we all face a myriad of challenges,our cultural backgrounds shape how we experience and respond to them. So this AAPI Heritage Month, let’s continue to honor the diverse experiences of AAPI mothers with empathy and understanding. Happy Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! Please Don’t forget to share. Also you may also be interested in our previous article onAANHPI Breastfeeding week.
Sources
Detola LJ, Deubel,TF., Taylor,M.. Stuebe,AM. Racial and ethnic disparities in U.S. breastfeeding and implications for maternal and child health outcomes. Seminars in Perinatology. Volume 41. Issue 5,2017.Pages 299-307. ISSN 0146-0005. https://doi.org/10.1053/j.semperi.2017.04.007.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0146000517300496)
Goldbort J, Bresnahan M, Zhuang J, Bogdan-Lovis E, Park S. Breastfeeding but not Exclusively: Exploration of Chinese American Mothers’ Infant Feeding Practices. Journal of Human Lactation. 2020;37(2):380-389. doi:10.1177/0890334420948451
Herrick, C & Goyal. D (2023). It’s time to address the lack of maternal mental health resources for AAPI moms. Motherly.We Need Maternal Mental Health Resources for AAPI Moms – Motherly
Luhar, M. (2018) Mothers seek to Combat Breastfeeding Stigma in Asian American Communities. NBC News. Mothers seek to combat breastfeeding stigma in Asian-American communities
Lindsay AC, Le Q, Greaney ML (2017) Infant Feeding Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge and Practices of Chinese Immigrant Mothers: An Integrative Review of the Literature. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2017 Dec 23;15(1):21. doi: 1. PMID: 29295487; PMCID: PMC5800121. DOI:Infant Feeding Beliefs, Attitudes, Knowledge and Practices of Chinese Immigrant Mothers: An Integrative Review of the Literature – PMC
Marks KJ, Nakayama JY, Chiang KV, Grap ME, Anstey EH, Boundy EO, et al. (2021) Disaggregation of Breastfeeding Initiation Rates by Race and Ethnicity — United States, 2020–2021. Prev Chronic Dis 2023;20:230199. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.230199.
