If you love your mother, food, and babies, you should know: World Breastfeeding Week is almost here!
August 1 – 7 Marks the 21st Annual World Breastfeeding Week
In 1991, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) was formed to act on the 1990 Innocenti Declaration “to protect, promote, and support” breastfeeding. Initially, WABA wanted to dedicate one day to breastfeeding—but that didn’t seem adequate, so the celebration was extended to a week in later years. Today, World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated in over 170 countries and is endorsed by UNICEF, WHO, FAO, and IPA.
Whatever your gender, age, marital status, etc., the Innocenti Declaration affects all of us. WBW aims to stimulate breastfeeding advocates, governments, and social agencies to generate public awareness and support for breastfeeding. That means letting people know why breastfeeding is so much healthier for infants than bottled formulas. It means talking about why breastfeeding is or isn’t acceptable in the workplace—and if it’s allowed, how it’s perceived.
A large part of WBW is changing the way people think about breastfeeding. We’ve made a quick list of some common misconceptions. Let us know if you can think of more!
Myth: Unless you eat super healthy, your breast milk is no better than formula.
Fact: Breast milk has a different chemical makeup than other mammalian milk and manufactured formulas. It passes essential antibodies and hormones from mother to infant, which protects the baby from illness. Breast milk changes as the baby grows to ensure that the child receives the right amount of nutrients—and mothers produce enough milk to keep babies full. Finally, breast milk is much easier to digest than formula for most babies.
Myth: Breastfeeding in public is indecent.
Fact: Breasts are everywhere. You’ll encounter near-nudity on magazine covers and TV shows, and you might get more than your daily dose of cleavage just by going out to dinner or walking around the city. A mother who breastfeeds in public isn’t looking for attention—she’s just trying to feed her child. It’s important that mothers feel comfortable breastfeeding wherever they need to do so; if they’re discouraged from breastfeeding around other people, they might resort to less nutritious formulas.
Myth: Breastfeeding is time-consuming and a hassle.
Fact: Okay, this one does contain some truth. Breastfeeding takes a little more time at first, while you and the baby are adjusting and figuring out a feeding schedule. But the more you do it, the more efficient you become—and you never have to clean a bottle or sterilize a rubber nipple. Further, most women love breastfeeding—they find it incredibly satisfying. And they know exactly what their baby’s eating, which is a big sigh of relief.
In short, breastfeeding is awesome. Spread the word.
For more information and materials on the benefits of breastfeeding, visit waba.org