World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7 every year, and August is National Breastfeeding Month in the USA. Additionally, cultural and social recognition weeks celebrate breastfeeding within populations across the country. Those special recognition weeks include:
- National WIC Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7
- Indigenous Milk Medicine Week, August 8-14
- Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week, August 15-21
- Military Lactation Celebration, August 22-24
- Black Breastfeeding Week, August 25-31
- Workplace Lactation Week, September 1-7
- Semana de La Lactancia Latina, Latinx Breastfeeding Week, September 8-14
- Deaf and Hard of Hearing Breastfeeding Week, September 15-22
Are you celebrating breastfeeding/chestfeeding/human milk feeding this year? Share your events and celebrations with us! Be sure to share what part of Ohio your event takes place in with your information.
Here are a few events we can share happening around the state:
- Black Breastfeeding Brunch in Dayton OH
Want to know more about the state of breastfeeding in Ohio? You can find the USBC State Breastfeeding report for Ohio at this link, showing rates, initiatives, partners, programs, and policy affecting breastfeeding success for Ohio families.
USBC has shared these state breastfeeding reports with members of Congress as part of an initiative to focus on improving support and funding for breastfeeding policy and programs on the federal level. You can help USBC support attention for breastfeeding from Congress by amplifying their voice with yours. Contact your congressional representative and let them know that you expect them to attend to the USBC information, including the state breastfeeding report, and to support initiatives that improve and support breastfeeding.
The PUMP Act has passed and is now in effect for US workers and employers, and if you have questions about the new law, you can visit the USBC explainer on their website to get all your questions answered. The US Department of Labor also has a press release and an updated webpage and resources related to the PUMP Act.
Another important piece of legislation that has become law is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which provides for accommodations for pregnant workers on the job to help to protect their pregnancy. You can find out more about this new law here.
OBA is seeking nominations for Regional Representatives in Region 4 and Region 6. Region 4 includes Franklin, Delaware, Morrow, Marion, Wyandot, Union Madison, Fayette, Pickaway, Ross, Fairfield, Licking, Knox, and Coschocton counties. Region 6 includes Crawford, Richland, Ashland, Medina, Wayne, Homes, Tuscararwas, Carroll, Stark, Summit, Portage, Trumbull, Mahoning, and Columbiana counties. If you live or work in one of these regions, please consider nominating yourself for our Leadership Board, and helping to shape the future of breastfeeding/bodyfeeding support in Ohio. You can submit your name at https://forms.gle/sFH5CxgTgxuCW28X9. If you would like to learn more or have questions about serving OBA, please feel free to email us at info@ohiobreastfeeding.org, or contact your current regional representative.
The Ohio Workplace Plus program provides information and support for workplace lactation programs through a toolkit with components for both employers and employees, as well as breastfeeding advocates. OBA is also available to offer support and information for your support of breastfeeding and lactation facilities in your workplace; contact us at info@ohiobreastfeedingalliance.org.
If you are interested in representing your region or state-wide breastfeeding organization on our Leadership Board, or in serving on an OBA working committee, please contact us at info@ohiobreastfeedingalliance.org.
Check our Facebook page for breastfeeding news and OBA updates!
OBA has partnered with Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association to launch a program that recognizes child care centers and businesses that are breastfeeding friendly in their practices and policies. Child care businesses can earn a tiered rating that shows their knowledge of and support for breastfeeding in their care setting. The ODH Breastfeeding/Child Care webpage is the place to find more information about the recognition program.
The Ohio Early Childhood Health Network, through their partners, Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Hospital Association, is continuing support of a program to encourage hospitals to support breastfeeding. Ohio First Steps rewards hospitals for progress on guidelines created to support breastfeeding by the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. You can get more information and contact the program directors through this website. OBA is looking forward to supporting hospitals interested in pursuing this initiative.
Is your healthcare facility interested in promoting and protecting breastfeeding? Here’s an important first step: Support the WHO Code for Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes by removing advertising and marketing about infant formula from your healthcare setting. Visit BanTheBags.org for detailed information about why and how removing free formula samples and advertising supports breastfeeding. You can also visit our Resources page for Healthcare Providers to find more links to great information on supporting breastfeeding in your clinical setting.