Why We’re Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2019
We believe access to lactation services and resources should be the standard of care
At the Lactation Network, we celebrate the vital importance of providing new moms and moms-to-be with essential breastfeeding resources every day. We’re not alone in recognizing the value of lactation services. Each year, the first week of August is dedicated to honoring the global tradition of breastfeeding with World Breastfeeding Week—a weeklong event that pays tribute to the Innocenti Declaration of 1990, which was signed by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and government leaders from around the world to “protect, promote and support” breastfeeding, according to the WHO.
Promoting Breastfeeding Worldwide
Each year, the global health organization sets its sights on breastfeeding-positive initiatives and goals, with World Breastfeeding Week 2019 focusing on promoting “the importance of family-friendly policies to enable breastfeeding and help parents nurture and bond with their children in early life when it matters most.” Those policies include things like enacting 18 weeks of paid maternity leave, as well as paid paternity leave, affordable childcare, advocating for more parent-friendly workplace policies that protect a mother’s right to breastfeed, and ensuring new moms are well-versed in their rights to a clean, safe and private place to express milk at work.
“Breastfeeding promotes better health for mothers and children alike,” according to the WHO. “Increasing breastfeeding to near-universal levels could save more than 800,000 lives every year, the majority being children under 6 months. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of mothers developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. It is estimated that increased breastfeeding could avert 20,000 maternal deaths each year due to breast cancer.”
Crucial Access to Care
These statistics shine a spotlight on the crucial importance of not only supporting moms who breastfeed but the crucial need for breastfeeding advocacy and access to guidance and resources early on. That’s why we’re proud to help moms focus on their unique breastfeeding journey. From pregnancy through the first year of birth and beyond, we provide moms with access to our network of Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). IBCLCs help with everything from troubleshooting breastfeeding challenges like latching, milk supply and infant weight gain to painful breastfeeding and much more.
Run by moms, for moms, our team works with insurance companies to provide moms with a 90-minute consultation, with no out-of-pocket cost to you. Our IBCLC experts offer personalized advice to help keep moms and babies comfortable, healthy, safe and on-track for success. Whether you’re looking for breastfeeding advice from the pros or need help troubleshooting breastfeeding challenges (for example, latching, milk supply, infant weight gain, painful breastfeeding and more), an IBCLC is here to help.
If you’re planning on pumping, IBCLCs can help you with that too. If you need help choosing or using your insurance-covered breast pump, we’ve got your back.
We believe every mom who wants to breastfeed should have access to the best resources, and that lactation services should be the standard-of-care around the world. That means having an IBCLC work with you one-on-one to make feeding your child as easy as possible.
Need some support, tips or expert advice along your breastfeeding journey? Contact us today.
