Theses and Dissertations

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8512-2855

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Okojie, Mabel CPO

Committee Member

Boulder, Tinukwa

Committee Member

Sun, Yan

Committee Member

Cox, Jordan, L.

Date of Degree

12-13-2024

Original embargo terms

Visible MSU only 6 months

Document Type

Dissertation - Campus Access Only

Major

Instructional Systems and Workforce Development

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

College

College of Education

Department

Department of Industrial Technology, Instructional Design, and Community College Leadership

Abstract

This study examined Black lactation professionals’ lived experiences navigating the human lactation workforce. Grounded in hermeneutic phenomenology and guided by Black feminist thought and critical race theory, this research unveiled the impact of various barriers that play a role in human lactation. While evidence cites the importance of human milk feeding, the voices of Black lactation professionals are often overlooked and marginalized, resulting in limited representation of Black lactation training practices. This study aimed to address a critical gap in the literature by centering the voices of Black lactation professionals. This research was conducted utilizing semi-structured interviews and a focus group with Black lactation professionals from various locations across the U.S. South. Participants represented diverse professional roles, years of experience, and lactation work settings ranging from hospitals and academia to private practice and government agencies. Additionally, reflexive journaling and document analysis were utilized in this study. In my research process, I applied the hermeneutic circle process through reflexive journaling to note my assumptions, biases, opinions, and reactions. The document analysis of two lactation textbooks allowed me to review and understand the content as it pertains to the materials used in the education and training of lactation professionals (Wambach & Spencer, 2021; Wilson-Clay & Hoover, 2022). Findings from this study revealed that Black lactation professionals used self-definition in their identities as lactation providers and were often made to feel like an “outsider within” the human lactation field. This combined with their experiences of implicit bias, microaggressions, and racism, manifested in various ways, such as being questioned on their competence or authority by both colleagues and patients/clients. Research contributors also reported facing significant barriers to entering into and advancing in the lactation field, including unsupported education and clinical training, limited mentorship opportunities, and financial constraints. While Black lactation professionals face challenges within the field, there were strategies of resistance and action that Black lactation professionals applied to navigate the barriers. Specifically, Black lactation professionals shifted the narrative of the dominant society within lactation with counter-storytelling, coalition building, and mentorship. These findings created concrete strategies to improve the experiences of Black lactation professionals in the field.

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