World Breastfeeding Week and Month 2024
August is Breastfeeding Promotion Month
World Breastfeeding Week Memo from IDHS Associate Director Stephanie Bess
The Governor has issued Proclamations for the following Breastfeeding Month/Weekly Observances
Week 2: Indigenous Milk Medicine Breastfeeding Week; August 8 - 14, 2024
Week 4: Black Breastfeeding Week: August 25 - 31, 2024
Week 5: Workplace Lactation Week: September 1 - 7, 2024
Week 6: Latina/X Breastfeeding Week: September 5 - 11, 2024
World Breastfeeding Week 2023
Breastfeeding Promotion Month
The Governor has issued Proclamations (attached) for the following Breastfeeding Month/Weekly 2023 Observances:
August is IL Breastfeeding Promotion Month
- Week 2: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week
- Theme: “From the Stars to a Sustainable Future”
- Week 3: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: “Telling our Stories, Elevating our Voices!”
- Week 4: Black Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: BBW 2023: “We Outside: Celebrating our Connection and our Communities”
World Breastfeeding Week 2022
The Governor has issued Proclamations (attached) for the following Breastfeeding Month/Weekly 2022 Observances:
- August is IL Breastfeeding Promotion Month
- Week 2: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week
- Theme: Strengthening Our Traditions From Birth and Beyond
- Week 3: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: Telling Our Own Stories. Elevating Our Voices
- Week 4: Black Breastfeeding Week
- Theme: BBW 2022: 10 Years, A New Foundation
World Breastfeeding Week 2018
Breastfeeding: Foundation of Life
http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/
World Breastfeeding Week 2017
August 1-7, 2017
Sustaining Breastfeeding Together
World Breastfeeding Week 2016
August 1-7, 2016
Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development
World Breastfeeding Week 2015
August 1-7, 2015
BREASTFEEDING AND WORK LET’S MAKE IT WORK!
from Worldbreastfeedingweek.org
The WBW 2015 theme on working women and breastfeeding revisits the 1993 WBW campaign on the Mother-Friendly Workplace Initiative.
Much has been achieved in 22 years of global action supporting women in combining breastfeeding and work, particularly the adoption of the revised ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection with much stronger maternity entitlements, and more country actions on improving national laws and practices. At the workplace level, we have also seen more actions taken to set up breastfeeding or mother-friendly workplaces including awards for breastfeeding-friendly employers, as well as greater mass awareness on working women’s rights to breastfeed. Yet, after over two decades, global monitoring on infant and young child feeding progress shows that this fourth Innocenti Declaration (1991) target is still the most difficult to meet!
With the WBW 2015 campaign WABA and its partners at global, regional and national levels aim to empower and support ALL women, working in both the formal and informal sectors, to adequately combine work with child-rearing, particularly breastfeeding. We define work in its broadest form from paid employment, self-employment, seasonal and contract work to unpaid home and care work.
Bulletin Board Template - Breastfeeding: The Only All-Natural Way to Feed Your Baby
Illinois Breastfeeding Promotion Month Proclamation
For more information: www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org
World Breastfeeding Week 2014
August 1-7, 2014
from Worldbreastfeedingweek.org
WABA is now pleased to announce that the slogan and theme for WBW 2014 is BREASTFEEDING: A Winning Goal - for Life! The theme asserts the importance of increasing and sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding - in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) countdown, and beyond.
WBW 2014 Objectives are:
To inform people about the MDGs and how they relate to Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding.
To showcase the progress made so far and the key gaps in Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding.
To call attention to the importance of STEPPING UP actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding as a key intervention in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) countdown, and in the post 2015 era.
To stimulate interest amongst young people of both genders to see the relevance of breastfeeding in today's changing world.
for additional information www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org
World Breastfeeding Week 2013
August 1-7, 2013
Breastfeeding Support : Close to Mothers
from http://www.worldbreastfeedingweek.org
This year's World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) theme, 'BREASTFEEDING SUPPORT: CLOSE TO MOTHERS', highlights Breastfeeding Peer Counselling. Even when mothers are able to get off to a good start, all too often in the weeks or months after delivery there is a sharp decline in breastfeeding rates, and practices, particularly exclusive breastfeeding. The period when mothers do not visit a healthcare facility is the time when a community support system for mothers is essential. Continued support to sustain breastfeeding can be provided in a variety of ways. Traditionally, support is provided by the family. As societies change, however, in particular with urbanization, support for mothers from a wider circle is needed, whether it is provided by trained health workers, lactation consultants, community leaders, or from friends who are also mothers, and/or from fathers/partners.
The Peer Counselling Program is a cost effective and highly productive way to reach a larger number of mothers more frequently. Peer Counsellors can be anyone from the community who is trained to learn to support mothers. Trained Peer Counsellors, readily available in the community become the lifeline for mothers with breastfeeding questions and issues. "The key to best breastfeeding practices is continued day-to-day support for the breastfeeding mother within her home and community."
2012 WBW August 1-7, 2012
Understanding the Past -- Planning the Future
2011 World Breastfeeding Week & Illinois Breastfeeding Promotion Month
Activities to Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and Month From World Breastfeeding Week & Illinois Breastfeeding Month Events Survey 2011 Thirty-one agencies responded to a SuveyMonkey survey to describe agency activities and events to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and Illinois Breastfeeding Promotion Events. Celebrations included: agency parties, lunches and recognitions, donated massages, giveaways and special breastfeeding presentations. Community walks, health fairs, zoo events and pool parties were hosted by many agencies. Agency staff wore breastfeeding bracelets and t-shirts to celebrate breastfeeding week and month. Special in-services provided breastfeeding up-dates for staff and educational materials were shared with pregnant and breastfeeding clients. Over two-thirds of the agencies had prominent breastfeeding displays or bulletin boards in their lobbies or entrances. Other agencies exhibited posters or displays at local libraries or their community college. Almost half of the agencies used WBW/Month as an opportunity to do outreach to area physician offices and community hospitals. Besides information on WIC and breastfeeding peer counselor services, agencies took cookies, fresh fruit and baskets of treats and educational materials to share with area pediatricians and obstetricians. Almost a fourth of the agencies provided “nursing stations” at county fairs and participated in regional or county task force events to celebrate WBW and Illinois Breastfeeding Promotion month. Many agencies (32%) adapted the theme, while almost a third used the theme in their celebrations and promotions and 29% chose not to use the WABA theme for WBW. Fifty-two percent of the responding agencies had newspaper coverage and 5 agencies had radio interviews or programs. One agency reported a TV interview. Congratulations on a successful WBW/Month!
For more details and information on agency celebrations: