by Stephanie Sosnowski
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated August 1 – 7 every year, and has been since its designation by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action back in 1992. It was created to generate both public awareness and support for breastfeeding worldwide. As ICEA childbirth educators and doulas, it is our responsibility to provide accurate information to the families whom we help, and that includes talking about infant feeding choices. Does your birth class include information about breastfeeding as part of the birth process? Does your support for laboring families include support for breast/chest feeding in the Golden Hour? And if you are a postpartum doula, it is vital that you are providing appropriate help for nursing/pumping during this vulnerable time.
Yes, birthing parents have a choice as to how they will feed their babies, but are they hearing the correct information from you, or is it coming from an infant formula company with social media influencers who are now encouraging them to just “do both”? Exclusive human milk feeding for the first six months of life is the recommendation from the World Health Organization – why would we accept the rhetoric from a formula company that it is okay to not be exclusive? As a birth or postpartum doula, when mom is exhausted, or thinking she doesn’t have enough milk, are you providing the right support or referral out to a lactation consultant if the problem is out of your scope of practice as a doula? The WHO Code (International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes) was established by the World Health Assembly in 1981, but the United States has never signed on in support. This is why it is so important for us as ICEA professionals, especially if you are in the USA, to help support human milk feeding, when possible. To help support breastfeeding in the United States, the USBC (United States Breastfeeding Committee) officially declared August as National Breastfeeding Month in August of 2011.
This year’s theme is Forward Together and centers unity, solidarity, and hope, and celebrates the strength and determination of the organizations and advocates committed to advancing policy, systems, and environmental change and improving access to human milk.
But did you know that our celebrations have been expanded to recognize the many cultures of breastfeeding people across the United States? Perhaps you can help to celebrate breastfeeding this August by partnering with the local breastfeeding network or support group in your community. Here is more information about each of the weekly celebrations:
- World Breastfeeding Week – August 1 – 7 2025 Theme: Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems National WIC Breastfeeding Week August 1 – 7
- Indigenous Milk Medicine Week – August 8-14 2025 Theme: Unapologetically Indigenous: Love, Landback, & Liberation
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week – August 15 – 21
- Military Lactation Celebration – August 22-24
- Black Breastfeeding Week – August 25 – 31 2025 theme is Boots on the Ground
- Workplace Lactation Week – September 1- 7
- Semana de la Lactancia Latina – September 2- 8
The United States Breastfeeding Committee https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/, of which ICEA is a member, offers a website full of great resources to learn more about the many ways to protect, support and promote breastfeeding. Find out how you can get involved with your state breastfeeding coalition – USBC has the list right here: https://web.usbreastfeeding.org/atlas/directory/category/affiliated–coalitions-directory
Thank you for all you do to help support birthing families!
