Peer Support and a history of World Breastfeeding Week- Celebrate WBW 2013

this post made possible by the generous sponsorship of Fairhaven Health.

Nations around the world continue to make progress in terms of normalizing and supporting breastfeeding, whether in public or in the privacy of a mother’s home. Last week, Guam senator Aline Yamashita introduced a bill to protect the right of women to breastfeed in public or private spaces. In fact, most U.S. states and territories have passed some sort of law regarding breastfeeding.

This is exactly what the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action had hoped for when they launched World Breastfeeding Week in 1992. Each year, World Breastfeeding Week celebrates women’s breastfeeding rights from August 1-7. The global campaign aims to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding, while raising public awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding. 

This year’s theme is all about breastfeeding peer support. Approximately 77 percent of moms begin breastfeeding after delivery, however only 47 percent of moms continue to breastfeed at six months old, and by 12 months old only 25 percent of moms breastfeed their infants. Community support after delivery is essential to successful and sustained breastfeeding. Traditionally, families provided this support but with the global community available via the world wide web, women can seek peer support from Internet communities including The Leaky Boob.

To celebrate World Breastfeeding Week 2013 and breastfeeding peer support The Leaky Boob is hosting The Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week giveaway along with The Boob Group, and the San Diego Breastfeeding Center. Two lucky winners, announced August 8, will each receive an enormous gift basket of breastfeeding support products including teas, nipple salves, breast pads, baby carriers, and much, much more. Last year’s Ultimate World Breastfeeding Week giveaway had over 19,000 entries and the sponsors anticipate having even more this year!

In keeping with the theme of the week, Fairhaven Health plans to host contests and giveaways on their Belly to Breast Facebook page where Facebookers can enter to win natural breastfeeding support products like:

  • Nursing Blend: A doctor-designed breastfeeding supplement that offers optimal vitamin and mineral support for breastfeeding women, and helps increase milk production.
  • Nipple Nurture Balm: An organic, all-natural nipple balm designed to soothe, protect, and heal sore or cracked nipples.
  • Fenugreek: A concentrated, all-natural Fenugreek supplement designed to help increase breast milk production.
  • Nursing Time Tea: A natural nursing tea to help increase breast milk quality and quantity.
  • Nursing Postnatal: A comprehensive postnatal multivitamin designed to meet the unique nutritional needs to breastfeeding women.

World Breastfeeding Week also brings The Big Latch On, a global event where women and their children come together to breastfeed for one minute. The goal of the event is to break the record for the number of women breastfeeding simultaneously. Last year’s record to break: 8,862 women and their children. Valuing supporting breastfeeding mothers, Fairhaven Health is working with numerous local organizations to supply breastfeeding support products for Big Latch On events across the country and encouraging online events and interactions that raise awareness of breastfeeding around the world.

For a full list of this year’s events, visit worldbreastfeedingweek.org.

About World Breastfeeding Week

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed in 1991 to act on the Innocenti Declaration passed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO). The declaration recognizes that breastfeeding is a unique process that provides ideal nutrition to infants, contributes to healthy infant growth and development, reduces disease, contributes to women’s health, provides social and economic benefits, and provides women with a sense of satisfaction. World Breastfeeding Week, launched on August 1, 1992, is WABA’s main global campaign to support and promote breastfeeding, and commemorates the adoption of the Innocenti Declaration.

Comments

  1. So excited for breastfeeding week!!

  2. I hope being more open with breast feeding encourages others to be more comfortable and confident with breastfeeding.

  3. I love everything about this year’s WABA theme!! I think that peer support is SO important!! I would not have a successful breastfeeding relationship with my son if it weren’t for one of my very dear friends who sat beside me, through the tears, in the very beginning. Our son is now 33+ months old and still a crazy milkie monster! He can’t wait to share his milkies with his baby brother who is due any day now. And I can’t wait to continue to support other Mamas…that’s why I became a CLC 😉

  4. Nice to see such good resources out there for breastfeeding moms. All new moms need support!

  5. I love this , I think we all need support as moms. I breastfeed my daughter and now my son who is 30 months and I love it.

  6. I try to be as supportive of all moms, no matter how they choose to feed their children but I also advocate for breastfeeding as much as possible. I also try to lead new moms to specialized websites such as this one for more information than what I can give them. 🙂

  7. BF is not something you can learn from a book…successful BF requires support!

  8. I plan to breastfeed but will return to work after only 9 weeks. I’m worried that I won’t be able to keep up with the routine.

  9. April Lawrence says

    I love breastfeeding my children. Not only does it provide a great way for me to open a conversation with other moms, the experience is great to help with moms who are new, who are struggling, or who need some encouragement to think about breastfeeding.

    I think that BF is SO easy for most moms, if they would give it a whirl. I know, I supplemented with my first and the formula, the bottles, the sterilizing, the mixing, the temperature, the “duration” it’s good/ok to give, etc. . . Breast milk is an amazing substance. I was just admiring tonight that an hour ago my 16 month old emptied on breast, but within that hour could have another full-on drink/meal!

  10. I’m very happy to be a supporter of WBW and breastfeeding moms! I love that I’ve become “known” for breastfeeding in my peer group – some of my friends have even asked me for advice and references so they could learn more. I think that’s really the best way to increase awareness. Thank you for your passion for making breastfeeding “normal’ in today’s society.

  11. Been BF for 5 months and going strong! Wouldn’t have made it without people and resources like you!

  12. Ari Brown says

    I support WBW and hope to last longer than 6 months with baby #3. I plan on returning to this site many times for support =)

  13. I hope that when my son grows up, his wife breastfeeding their children will be no cause for cringing.

  14. Certain herbs, massage and working out can do wonders for your ornamental bust line.
    May be due to abiogenetic traits, such as animation and physique of the breast derma (the admeasurement of the ablaze oil glands).

    As soon as a girl approaches puberty, her breasts start to form and come out.

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