Every year in August, communities around the world, including our local communities, come together to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.   The start of this "official" celebration began 25 years ago when the WHO and UNICEF signed the " Innocenti Declaration."  This declaration proposes, through a number of principles and guidelines, the protection for breastfeeding together with the promotion and support of communities. It emphasizes the need to work together to improve and sustain the well-being of our children and families.

 

 

This year's World Breastfeeding Week theme, "Sustaining Breastfeeding Together", is about the power of collaboration to bring impactful change.   One of my favorite quotes is from Dr. Fran Butterfoss: "...partnerships (collaboration) successfully bring people together, expand resources, and focus on a problem of community concern better than any single group or agency could do alone."  If we truly want to make a difference in our breastfeeding outcomes, we must take a closer look at what we value the most in our work as public health advocates. We need to protect human milk as the most important nutrition for our infants, promote a breastfeeding culture and defend it-no excuses! We need to support each other's efforts, big or small, to attain a positive and extended breastfeeding experience by removing obstacles in our village for all mothers, regardless of skin color or financial abilities. 

   

This year, Governor Jay Inslee signed a proclamation recognizing August as Breastfeeding Promotion Month . Yes, a whole month. Although many of our local promotion activities will take place during the first week of August, other breastfeeding promotion will take place throughout the entire month as well.  Make sure you support the efforts of the impactful national platform associated with Black Breastfeeding Awareness Week that takes place the week of August 25-31.

 

On the subject of "impactful" efforts, mark you calendars for September. The BCW and several local breastfeeding coalitions are excited to host Kimberly Seals Allers. She will travel across WA State during the week of September 11-14 and speak at a number of venues. More information to come soon. Kimberly is a consultant and expert on maternal and child health issues, focusing on the social and racial complexities tied to breastfeeding. She is also a journalist and has a terrific website called MochaManual.com for families of color navigating parenting, breastfeeding, and more.

Another huge community effort in support of equity is the 2 ^nd Annual Breastfeeding Conference hosted by The Pierce County Breastfeeding Alliance. The event titled, " Be Part of the Change: Creating an Equitable Pierce County Breastfeeding Community," will take place on Tuesday, September 12 at the Environmental Services Building at Chamber's Bay. The event has an impressive line up of speakers, including the People's Institute Northwest who will share their expertise, creating opportunities for all of us to be accountable in our work and harness change for an equitable community.

 

Finally, there is no group more dedicated than Washington's Local Breastfeeding Coalitions . They are the TRUE champions of breastfeeding in our state. Scroll down, support their hard work, and attend one or more World Breastfeeding celebrations. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE LOCAL BREASTFEEDING COALITIONS IN WASHINGTON STATE! You truly embody the meaning of this year's theme, "Sustaining Breastfeeding Together". THANK YOU for your trust, commitment, and generosity that you have provided to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding across WA State. 

 

 

Sincerely,