Free Black Lactation Peer Support — Iowa Virtual | Chocolate Milk Cafe
Chocolate Milk Cafe — Des Moines is the Iowa chapter of Chocolate Milk Cafe National, a Black peer support organization that creates sacred spaces for children and families of the African Diaspora on their lactation and human milk feeding journeys. For Black parents in Iowa, where culturally specific feeding support can be hard to find, these free virtual gatherings offer community with facilitators and families who share their lived experience.
What to Expect
The Des Moines chapter hosts free virtual support groups several times each month, with recurring sessions on the first Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, the second Saturday from 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM, the third Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:30 PM, and the last Sunday from 12:00 to 1:30 PM. Each 90-minute gathering is a peer-centered space where families share their lactation experiences, ask questions, celebrate wins, and work through challenges together with trained facilitators who reflect the community they serve.
Who This Group Is For
Groups are designed for African-Diaspora and Black-identified Iowa residents who are pregnant, lactating, or feeding human milk in any form — along with their partners and support people. Whether you are nursing, pumping, combo feeding, or navigating a return to work, you are welcome. Chocolate Milk Cafe National supports chapters across the United States and Canada, so families who relocate can stay connected to the network.
Why Peer Support Works
Black families face well-documented systemic barriers to lactation support, and representation matters: being supported by facilitators and peers who share your culture and experience removes the burden of explaining yourself before you can ask for help. Peer-centered groups have long been a cornerstone of successful feeding journeys, building confidence, normalizing challenges, and connecting families to trusted community resources.
How to Join
Groups are free to join. Visit the Des Moines chapter page on the Chocolate Milk Cafe website to see upcoming meeting dates and access the virtual meeting link. Because sessions are virtual, families anywhere in Iowa can participate.