Krystal Duhaney, an African American entrepreneur and mom herself from San Bernadino County, California, is the founder and owner of a popular lactation brand called Milky Mama. After struggling to breastfeed her son, she was inspired to create the brand to provide other moms with nutritious food and drink products that would help them while breastfeeding.
“I sought help from my healthcare provider and was told to ‘just give him formula,'” Duhaney told Ebony. “I was determined to breastfeed, so I educated myself and was able to breastfeed my son for two years.”
Duhaney, who is also a registered nurse, used her skills as well as her love for baking to develop a lactation-boosting cookie recipe when she had her second child. It was a success as it definitely increased her milk supply. Having experienced breastfeeding struggles herself, she thought she had to share her discovery with other moms who are also going through the same situation.
In 2015, she launched Milky Mama and offered a wide range of products that help breastfeeding mothers increase milk production such as cookies, brownies, drink mixes, and other herbal supplements. Aside from that, Duhaney’s company also provides support through online breastfeeding courses, lactation consultations, and support groups on Facebook and live Q&As.
Throughout her journey, Duhaney has also become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant which was important for her since Black women lack representation in the field. For this reason, Duhaney also created the Milky Mama Scholarship Fund which aims to increase diversity in the lactation field by encouraging more Black women to become certified lactation consultants.
“Due to this lack of representation, it’s more difficult for Black breastfeeding mothers to get assistance from someone that understands the unique struggles that Black breastfeeding mothers may face. By increasing the representation in the lactation field, I hope that will also contribute to greater breastfeeding rates within the Black community and better outcomes for Black maternal health,” she said.
Learn more about the brand via its official web site at Milky-Mama.com
Be sure to follow the brand on Instagram @MilkyMamaLLC
