World Breastfeeding Week 2024

World Breastfeeding Week 2024

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2024 is from Thursday 1st August – Wednesday 7th August 2024. The global theme set by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) for this year is:

“Closing The Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.”

WBW 2024 theme

#WBW2024 will focus on survival, health and wellbeing. It will showcase the need to improve breastfeeding support to reduce inequalities that exist in our society with a special focus on breastfeeding in times of emergencies and crises.

This year’s theme is important because:

• Lack of breastfeeding support during the critical first week negatively affects the overall breastfeeding intentions and prevalence.
• Unregulated donation of breastmilk substitutes (i.e. formula) combined with a lack of access to clean and safe water during emergencies place infants and young children at higher risk of malnutrition and mortality.
• Breastfeeding can act as an equaliser in our society and efforts must be made to ensure everyone especially the vulnerable group has access to breastfeeding support and opportunities.
• Investment in breastfeeding to address these inequalities is vital and can help alleviate the social inequalities.
• Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding addresses inequalities that stand in the way of sustainable development (source: WABA, 2024).

You can find more information at: https://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

Emergency Infant Feeding Plan

In response to the ‘Closing The Gap’ theme, Women’s Health Action, has produced an Emergency Infant Feeding Plan template to help you be prepared for an emergency situation, for example: a power cut, infectious disease outbreak, flooding, earthquake, etc.

This plan for feeding pēpi (baby) in an emergency gives examples of ways to prepare for a minimum of 72 hours when you might have limited access to clean and safe water.

Click the link below to download the template and fill this out. Print or save the plan to your phone or computer. Share these documents with your friends and whānau so they too can be prepared in the case of an emergency.

Download the Emergency Infant Feeding Plan here.

Support for breastfeeding parents

This is a handy list of resources for parents in relation to breastfeeding:

Find Your Breastfeeding Support – a tool that lets you search for Breastfeeding Support in New Zealand. You will be able to find support and contact deatils for breastfeeding services available near you.

Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces – information for both employees and employers to promote a supportive workplace environment for breastfeeding in Aotearoa.

Crayon Parental Leave Register – the most comprehensive database of employer parental leave policies in Aotearoa New Zealand so that all Kiwis can plan confidently for their family’s future; including returning to work while breastfeeding.

He Wāhi Haumaru – coming soon! Look out for the ‘He Wāhi Haumaru’ (Breastfeeding Welcome Here) initiative, a collaboration between BreastfeedingNZ, Canterbury Breastfeeding Advocacy Service and Womens Health Action. This new symbol will soon be found at local cafes, shops and spaces that welcome whānau and babies. We look forward to announcing more soon, helping you find a safe and welcoming space to feed pēpi in your local community. Stayed tuned for more information – please send all queries to [email protected].

What’s On across Aotearoa

Here is a list of events and gatherings happening across the motu to celebrate breastfeeding over the coming year. Find one in your area and pop along to celebrate! If you would like to add your event to the calendar, please email [email protected]

Check out the Aotearoa Breastfeeding Events Calendar here.

Whānau expectations for breastfeeding

Join us for this korero with Tash Wharerau, our Kaitiaki Wāhine Ora. This session is for all health professionals who support hapu and breastfeeding parents and is in response to the BFHI ‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’ – but this time looking at it from whānau māori point of view. This approach talks about how whānau can be champions of their own breastfeeding and the practical ways that we can support hapu and breastfeeding parents.

Supporting resource: “Just 10 Steps”. This resource is for parents and whānau and lets them know what they can expect from their birthing unit or hospital, tips for breastfeeding in public, returning to work while breastfeeding and useful tips from other parents plus further information.

View the ‘Just 10 Steps’ resource on mobile phone here.

Breastfeeding posters available to download

Celebrate breastfeeding across Aotearoa by printing one of these posters to use in your workplace or download them to share on social media (hint: use the hashtag #WBW2024). Please note there are both PNG and PDF files available. PNG files are great for social media and PDF files are best for printing.

Click any of the images below to download the PNG file. Scroll down to find PDF files.

You can also print off these beautiful breastfeeding colouring pictures:

Colouring Pictures: animals feeding their young

Ideas for celebrating WBW

Not sure how to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, check out these fun ideas:

• Local cafe/hub/community hall – get together, kai, giveaways, info, services 
• Social media posts and Facebook live sessions 
• Fun giveaways (approach local businesses as supporters)
• Colouring competitions
• Sausage sizzle
• Walking/fitness event
• Whānau event
• Māmā and pēpi pampering event
• Fun day at the park/pools
• Free movie viewing
• Library get together
• Bra fittings  
• Free 15 minute massages
• Photo competitions
• Baby wearing demos and try outs (helping people find the right carrier for them)