In this episode of Behind the Latch, Margaret Salty interviews Dr. Maggie Butler, a Maternal & Child Health Researcher, Biocultural Anthropologist, Certified Lactation Counselor, and Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Illinois Chicago’s School of Public Health. They dive into Dr. Butler’s research on stress, breastfeeding disparities, and the role of authoritative knowledge in lactation care.

Dr. Butler shares insights on how systemic barriers, social determinants, and lived experiences shape infant feeding outcomes, and why interdisciplinary research is crucial for improving breastfeeding support.

Dr. Butler shares her journey from studying bioarchaeology and skeletal remains to focusing on maternal health and lactation. She explains:

• How structural violence in medical history shaped her research interests
• The shift from historical research to qualitative and quantitative studies on infant feeding
• Why she chose to study breastfeeding, stress, and health inequities

Dr. Butler discusses the complex relationship between stress and lactation, including:

• How chronic inflammation and stress biomarkers can impact milk production
• The social and economic barriers that make breastfeeding more difficult
• The role of social support in helping families meet their breastfeeding goals

Margaret and Dr. Butler explore Chicago’s racial health disparities and their impact on breastfeeding, covering:

• How maternity care deserts on the South and West Sides limit lactation support
• The impact of hospital closures on access to lactation care
• How police violence and neighborhood stressors correlate with higher rates of preterm birth

Dr. Butler highlights the importance of community engagement in research, including:

• How partnering with community organizations leads to better breastfeeding support
• The need for more diverse researchers in maternal and child health
• Why lived experiences should be centered in breastfeeding research

Dr. Butler applies the concept of authoritative knowledge to lactation, explaining:

• How biomedical knowledge has become dominant in infant feeding practices
• Why social media and lived experiences are becoming new sources of breastfeeding information
• The risks of misinformation and the need to balance evidence-based guidance with real-life experiences

Dr. Butler’s research categorizes three key sources of lactation knowledge:

✔️ Biomedical Knowledge – Information from healthcare providers and research-based sources

✔️ Social Network Knowledge – Advice from family, friends, online forums, and social media

✔️ Lived Experience Knowledge – Firsthand experiences that shape infant feeding decisions

She discusses how mothers increasingly rely on online sources rather than healthcare providers and why this shift has both benefits and risks.

Dr. Butler shares her future research goals, including:

• Examining how healthcare systems can improve postpartum care
• Integrating mental health and lactation support into standard care
• Expanding community-based research on breastfeeding and stress

Dr. Butler offers advice for those interested in lactation research and maternal health, encouraging:

• Interdisciplinary collaboration to strengthen research impact
• Community engagement to ensure research benefits families directly
• Advocating for funding in maternal and child health to close knowledge gaps

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🎙 Hosted by: Margaret Salty

🎧 Guest: Dr. Maggie Butler, Maternal & Child Health Researcher

🎵 Music by: The Magnifiers, My Time Traveling Machine

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