EBB 342: Lifelong Lessons in Lactation with Dr. Kimarie Bugg, the First African American IBCLC and President of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere

Evidence Based Birth®

Rebecca Dekker

Pregnancy, Health & Fitness, Childbirth, Parenting, Birth, Medicine, Kids & Family, Doula, Obstetrician, Midwife

4.6 • 978 Ratings

🗓️ 8 January 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, learn how Dr. Kimarie Bugg’s lifelong dedication to lactation and health equity is transforming lives nationwide. Dr. Bugg is President of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) and the first African American International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Dr. Bugg shares her journey into the field of lactation, sparked by personal challenges breastfeeding her first set of twins in the late 1970s. She recounts the evolution of breastfeeding support, her groundbreaking work at Grady Hospital in Atlanta, and the founding of ROSE, a nonprofit addressing breastfeeding inequities in the African American community. Dr. Bugg discusses the systemic barriers to breastfeeding, including workplace challenges, access to lactation support, and the lack of consistent education for healthcare providers. She emphasizes the importance of policy change, workforce development, and healing generational trauma through initiatives like ROSE’s "Breast Friend" and the Reaching Our Brothers Everywhere (ROBE) programs. Tune in for a conversation about the critical role of breastfeeding equity, the unique challenges faced by African American families, and the power of community-driven solutions.

(09:34) Empowering Black Nurses in Breastfeeding Support

(8:08) Supporting Breastfeeding in African American Community

(27:08) "Breast Friend Program: Reducing Breastfeeding Disparities"

(28:22) Empowering Communities for Inclusive Breastfeeding Support

(32:46) Reframing Breastfeeding Narratives in African American Community

(34:54) Enhancing Breastfeeding Equity Beyond Hospital Stay

(41:39) Community Transformers: Empowering Maternal Health Support

Explore ROSE's programs, including Breast Friends, Community Transformers, and more here.
Learn about Boston Medical Center's Community and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices (CHAMPS), a Baby-Friendly hospital initiative, here.
Learn more about the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine here.

For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, on today's podcast, we're going to talk with Dr. Kimmerie Bug about her work addressing
0:05.5	breastfeeding inequities in the African American community and some lifelong lessons
0:09.9	we can learn about lactation.
0:15.2	Welcome to the evidence-based birth podcast. My name is Rebecca Decker and I'm a nurse
0:20.0	with my PhD and the founder of
0:22.1	evidence-based birth. Join me each week as we work together to get evidence-based information
0:27.7	into the hands of families and professionals around the world. As a reminder, this information is not
0:33.8	medical advice. See eBbirth.com slash disclaimer for more details.
0:40.9	Hi everyone and welcome to today's episode of the evidence-based birth podcast. Before we get started,
0:46.5	just a quick reminder that early bird registration for the 2025 EBB conference is opening in two
0:52.8	weeks on January 22 for the wait list only.
0:56.0	We will have special bonuses and ticket opportunities that will be available only to the waitlist,
1:01.0	so make sure you get on the wait list at eBbirth.com slash waitlist for all the latest info and details about the EBB conference,
1:08.0	which will be happening virtually in March 2025.
1:11.8	And now I'd like to introduce our honored guest who is here to talk with us about
1:15.2	lifelong lessons learned in lactation.
1:17.8	Dr. Kimmery Bug is president and chief institutional officer of reaching our sisters everywhere,
1:24.0	also called Rose, a U.S. nonprofit created in 2011 to address breastfeeding and equities
1:30.0	in the African American community. Dr. Bug is a career perinatal and neonatal nurse professional.
1:36.0	She has spent nearly four decades working in the Atlanta metropolitan area and nationally
1:41.4	promoting perinatal health, breastfeeding, and community-based impact solutions.
1:47.0	Previously, Dr. Bug worked in private pediatric practice and for Emory University School of Medicine
	...

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