Every August for the first seven days of the month, World Breastfeeding Week aims to bring awareness to the benefits that breastfeeding can bring to both the health and welfare of babies, as well as a wider push for maternal health, focusing on good nutrition, poverty reduction and food security. The event is organized each year by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network that aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding around the world.
Something to note is that the celebrations don’t just stop at the end of the first week. In fact, August is National Breastfeeding Month. The theme of the 2021 National Breastfeeding Month is Every Step of the Way.
“We envision a world in which every family is supported at every step along the infant feeding journey, with warm and coordinated hand-offs and transitions so that the needs of lactating families and those who support them are anticipated and met, every step of the way.” ~ UCBC
August 1st – 7th: World Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: Protect Breastfeeding: A shared Responsibility
August 8th – 14th: Native Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: Nourishing Our Futures
August 15th – 21st: Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: Reclaiming our Traditions– this will be the very first time we celebrate this national event
August 22nd – 31st: Black Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: The Big Pause: Collective Rest for Collective Power
What’s going on during this month & how can you celebrate?
- The Kentuckiana Lactation Improvement Coalition (KLIC) will be hosting their next quarterly meeting on August 3rd where they will feature continuing education presentations for healthcare professionals and lactation consultants. They work to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding throughout Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
- Live, Love, Latch! 5K Run, Walk, Ride 2021: La Leche League USA is hosting a month-long national event to get people moving and to raise awareness of the need for breastfeeding support.
- Check out the local La Leche League of Louisville for updates on events that they are planning. They work with local photographers to capture breastfeeding sessions during World Breastfeeding Week. Donations will go towards supporting the local league. Slots fill up fast so hurry over to check them out. In addition, if you need local support they host a Breastfeeding 101 info session on the 2nd Thursday of every month at 6:30pm at Louisville Family Chiropractic.
- Want to show your support? The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) recently came out with a new T-shirt & Tank Top design that encompasses the spheres of influence in a breastfeeding family’s world and the continuity of care that every family deserves along the human milk feeding journey. A portion of each purchase will go toward supporting the USBC’s mission to create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States.
- The Big Latch On August 6th, 7th, and 8th of 2021: This is a virtual event that it aims to strengthen national and global support for breastfeeding and to improve the health of children and women around the world.
- The Global Breastfeeding Collective will be hosting a few webinars Building Better Breastfeeding Counselling Programmes: New tools for Implementation on August 3rd & 4th with emphasis of introducing new tools to support Skilled Breastfeeding Counseling.
How will you be celebrating World Breastfeeding Week & National Breastfeeding Month? Share your photos with us using #MomsAroundLouisville!
