National Breastfeeding Month News You Can Use
August is National Breastfeeding Month, which coincides with World Breastfeeding Week from Aug. 1 through 7 and Black Breastfeeding Week from Aug. 25 through 31.
Here at the California Breastfeeding Coalition, we enthusiastically support each of these events in alignment with our own focus on workplace accommodation.
The U.S. Breastfeeding Coalition’s theme for the month is Support Changes Everything.
We couldn’t agree more. Recently, we profiled a mom whose lack of support in the workplace led to loss of milk supply just six weeks after returning to work. This mom, Sarah, joined CBC Executive Director Robbie Gonzalez-Dow at the state Capitol recently to testify on behalf of Senate Bill 142 before the Assembly Committee on Business and Professions. SB 142 expands lactation accommodation protections for moms and provides clear direction to employers and employees regarding compliance.
National Breastfeeding Month Sub-Themes
Each week in August, the USBC will focus on the following sub-themes:
- Week 1 — Empowered Parents & Partners
- Week 2 — Investing in our Future
- Week 3 — Workplace and Work Life (or School Life)
- Week 4 — Black Breastfeeding Week
The USBC offers a robust array of online tools and resources for stakeholders willing to amplify this message on social media. Hashtags for the campaign are #NBM19 and #SupportChangesEverything. Additionally, you can submit your own news and resources for National Breastfeeding Month by filling out this online form.
World Breastfeeding Week
World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, which sponsors World Breastfeeding Week, is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding worldwide.
The theme for the week, which takes place Aug. 1-7, is Empower Parents, Enable Breastfeeding. WABA has an impressive offering of tools and resources available online. Like the CBC, WABA considers parent-friendly workplaces in both formal and informal sectors to be critical to enabling breastfeeding now and into the future. WABA’s official hashtags for the week are #WBW2019 #WABA #EmpowerParentsEnableBreastfeeding #breastfeeding #SDGs and #worldbreastfeedingweek2019
Annually, WABA coordinates and organises the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) between Aug 1-7. Since 2016, we have aligned our WBW campaign to United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We call this the WBW-SDGs Campaign.
Black Breastfeeding Week
Black Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 25-31, is the creation of Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka and a response to the gaping racial disparity in breastfeeding rates.
The theme for 2019 is The World is Yours: Imagine. Innovate. Liberate. Black Breastfeeding Week has an active Facebook presence, with more than 12,000 followers. Hashtags for the campaign are #BBW19, #ItsMyWorld and #BFinnovation. You can share your #BBW19 events online by completing this form.
Call for Submissions
As we dig deeply into the issue and importance of workplace accommodation for lactating women this month, we want to hear from you. How has access to lactation accommodations in the workplace affected your breastfeeding journey? Email your story to robbiegd.cbc@gmail.com