08/04/2026
It's World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)! According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), who created WBW,
“WBW is celebrated every 1-7 August in commemoration of the 1990 Innocenti Declaration. WBW started in 1992, with annual themes including healthcare systems, women and work, the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, community support, ecology, economy, science, education and human rights. Since 2016, WBW is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2018, a World Health Assembly resolution endorsed WBW as an important breastfeeding promotion strategy.”
WABA also states: "Continued support during hospital stays and especially after discharge is crucial. Mothers need help to manage breastfeeding challenges, gain confidence, and balance breastfeeding with returning to work, especially in the face of widespread unethical marketing by the formula Industry."
Yes, of course, before someone yells in the comments about how some people need formula to feed their babies, we know that using formula is a reality for many families (whether that was their original intention or not). And having safe formula available and families having access to the education and resources to prepare and store formula safely is vital.
This week focuses on what we can do as a society to support those who want to breastfeed to breastfeed...to support those who want to lactate to lactate...to support those who want to pump milk to pump milk.
What/who helped you with breastfeeding in the days after your baby was born?
What/who helped you in the first few weeks after baby was born?
What/who helped with you pumping milk?
What do you wish had been different?
What do you think was missing?
What supports were in place that supported you?
