World Breastfeeding Week

What is World Breastfeeding Week?

World Breastfeeding Week, according to the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is,

Celebrated worldwide annually from 1 to 7 August. This global campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding and its many advantages.

WBW commemorates the 1990 Innocenti Declaration. The first WBW was held in 1992, with annual themes including healthcare systems, women and work, community support, ecology, economy, science, education and human rights.etc carrying it forward into the present.This years theme is Closing the Gap.

A Breastfeeding Story

After the birth of my daughter, breastfeeding felt like another hurdle to be tackled and it wasn’t easy. However, I was lucky enough to receive a lot of support from the midwives within the hospital and during my appointments with my midwife post birth. But, this isn’t the case for everyone.

A lack of breastfeeding support during the first few weeks of motherhood has shown to dramatically impact the breastfeeding journey for both mum and bub with more than 95% of Australian mums starting breastfeeding, but this number dramatically drops to only 39% of babies being exclusively breastfeed past three months (statistics from the 2010 Australian National Infant Feeding Survey). These statistics are even lower for mothers who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

Breastfeeding offers food security for babies without any extra cost to mum. Therefore breastfeeding can act as an equaliser in society and also protect its most vulnerable in the event of a disaster if access to formula becomes challenging or water supplies become contaminated. It is for all these reasons that the theme for this year of Closing the Gap is so important.

How can we support Mums on their Breastfeeding Journey?

Sometimes the simplest of steps can make all the difference.

• Allowing mums to get plenty of skin-to-skin contact after the birth.
• Teaching different types of methods for positioning baby/babies to feed.
• Education before leaving hospital about, What to expect in the first week i.e when to expect your milk to come in / how to ensure a good supply / how often a newborn feeds /how to tell if they are getting enough.
• Ensuring all Mums know where to get help if they begin to struggle or have any concerns, so they don’t have to wait to get into their doctor. Services like ABA’s 24/7 Helpline (1800 MUM 2 MUM) are free and offer interpreters if needed.
• Support from a partner, friends or family.

But what can I do personally to support a breastfeeding mum?

Professional support is crucial for all Mums however, those in her daily life can do so many key things to assist her on this journey. These simple things can completely change a breastfeeding mothers experience making it possible for us all to help in closing the gap.

• Check-in with them while they are breastfeeding, see if they need anything. Often mums get very thirsty while breastfeeding.
• Entertain other children while mum is trying to breastfeed.
• Help by cooking nutritious meals.
• Offer them comfort when things aren’t going to plan and recommend services like ABA’s 24hr helpline, Mum2Mum live chat or peer support groups.
• Listen to her and reassure her she a great mum