Infant-Feeding Beliefs and Experiences of Black Women Enrolled in WIC in the New York Metropolitan Area

Abstract

In this ethnographic inquiry, the author explored infant-feeding beliefs and experiences of Black women enrolled in WIC (BWEW) in a New York metropolitan inner city. The study was conducted over an 18-month period and included 319 people (130 BWEW, 116 children, 20 grandmothers, 17 fathers, 11 friends, and 25 other relatives). From this group of BWEW, the author interviewed and observed 11 primiparous key informants during pregnancy and the first year postpartum to see how infant-feeding decisions fit into the context of their everyday lives. The major themes that emerged from analysis include (a) formula-feeding experiences were the norm for most BWEW, (b) life experiences of BWEW included a preponderance of loss and stress, and (c) infant-feeding beliefs of BWEW reflected responses to life experiences. These findings could be used to provide culturally sensitive care for BWEW.