Even for readers who don’t have children, whose children are grown, or who don’t breastfeed, it’s an important topic in global health. The World Health Organization reports: “Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. If breastfeeding were scaled up to near universal levels, about 820,000 child lives would be saved every year.”
Advice from experts and breastfeeding parents says the support of immediate and extended family members makes the biggest difference in breastfeeding success. For the general public, Healthy Families British Columbia advocates “accepting breastfeeding as the normal way for women to feed babies goes a long way in creating safe, secure, and supportive environments for women to breastfeed.”
Wondering what more you can do to support breastfeeding? Start with these resources, then check out our interview with Leigh Anne O’Connor, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
READ:
The Breastfeeding Café: Mothers Share the Joys, Challenges, and Secrets of Nursing by Barbara L. Behrmann, a collection of stories from women throughout the country highlighting women’s diverse breastfeeding experiences
+ Unlatched: The Evolution of Breastfeeding and the Making of a Controversy by Jennifer Grayson
+ The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by Diane Wiessinger, Diana West, and Teresa Pitman
BROWSE:
Florida State University Associate Dean of Graduate Medical Education Dr. Joan Y. Meek’s article arguing that breastfeeding has been the best public health policy throughout history
+ La Leche League International
+ World Breastfeeding Week
WATCH:
UNICEF’s Ten Square Meters of Love campaign, which encourages viewers to support nursing mothers
+ Breastfeeding World’s video about the NYC Big Latch On event
+ Breastmilk
TEACH:
Your ninth through twelfth graders about breastfeeding using the Ontario Public Health Association’s A Breastfeeding Information and Activity Kit for Secondary School Teachers
+ Leicestershire Healthy Schools Programme's breastfeeding lesson plans, suited for ninth through twelfth graders
+ Marion County Public Health Department's Life’s Best Beginning curriculum, aimed at ninth through twelfth graders
ATTEND:
The Bronx Breastfeeding Coalition’s Sixth Annual Breastfeeding Night with the New York Yankees on August 15, which will bring together breastfeeding moms, families, and advocates to raise awareness about mothers' right to nurse their children anywhere — including Yankee Stadium
+ NYC Health + Hospitals’ Benefits of Breastfeeding educational event on August 28 in New York City
+ A variety of breastfeeding events hosted by the New York State Department of Health in August throughout New York state
VOLUNTEER:
Using the NYC Department of Health's breastfeeding resources, including the Breastfeeding Action Kit, which includes downloadable cards to hand out about breastfeeding rights, a list of community lactation spaces, and information on signing up for Mobile Milk, a text messaging campaign of breastfeeding encouragement
+ HealthyFamiliesBC's list of ways everyone can support breastfeeding parents
+ La Leche League International Leadership
Illustration by Marina Csomor / Ultravirgo
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