Latham Thomas Creates Breastfeeding Certification Program for Doulas

If you’re a doula who’s captivated with making breastfeeding more inclusive, Latham Thomas, founding father of Mama Glow & Mama Glow Foundation, created a breastfeeding certification program for doulas. Officially generally known as The Mama Glow Foundation First Foods Justice Breastfeeding Certification Program, it’s an academic program rooted in restorative justice.

This program will provide skilled lactation education to marginalized individuals and people living in communities which have been negatively impacted by inequalities in access to healthcare, leading to poor breastfeeding outcomes.

“As a Black mother who breastfed my son for 3 years, I am deeply proud of the work we have done to develop this program for the community,” says Thomas. “I was fortunate to have a mother who was a strong role model for Black breastfeeding education, who helped me learn to feed my newborn in the first week after giving birth. My son and I developed a rhythm, and over time, breastfeeding became second nature to me. This is not the case for all of us.”

Data shows that black women face disproportionate barriers to breastfeeding Barriers included: lack of expertise about breastfeeding, lack of support from the community, and insufficient education and support from health care facilities.

“Many new mothers struggle in silence as they face challenges, pain, and ultimately are unable to continue,” says Thomas. “The First Foods Justice Breastfeeding Certification for Doulas program was born out of what I saw as a need to address the unique challenges and disparities in breastfeeding rates in the Black community, as well as empower doulas to provide much-needed information and resources to new parents navigating their breastfeeding journeys.”

The programme has already trained over 100 First Foods Justice Defenders during its summer edition held in July.

You can visit the inspiration official website to learn more about certification and apply.