World Breastfeeding Week 2018
30 July 2018
Below are details of 2018’s Breastfeeding Celebration and Awareness Weeks, including details of Channel 4’s special World Breastfeeding Week edition of Dispatches.
World Breastfeeding Week: 1-7 August
This year’s World Breastfeeding Week will run from 1-7 August, aiming to raise awareness of the links between good nutrition, food security, poverty reduction and breastfeeding and galvanise action to increase breastfeeding rates worldwide.
To mark the week our Programme Director Sue Ashmore joined other health professionals, academics and families on a special edition of Channel 4’s Dispatches: “Breastfeeding Uncovered” to share insight on breastfeeding in the UK and how we can better support women to breastfeed. Throughout World Breastfeeding Week we’re sharing blogs from Sue and others interviewed on the programme:
- Relieving the feeding pressure, Sue Ashmore
- Are we really still talking about breastfeeding in public? Professor Amy Brown
Scotland: 18-22 June
Scotland’s Breastfeeding Awareness Week took place 18-22 June, and the focus was directed by the findings from the Scottish Maternal and Infant Feeding Survey – mainly breastfeeding in public and empowering women around milk supply issues. Scotland also celebrated the wonderful achievement of 100% Baby Friendly accreditation in maternity and community services.
Wales: 18-22 June
Wales’ Breastfeeding Awareness Week took place 18-22 June, with a focus on increasing breastfeeding rates in Wales.
England: 25-29 June
England’s National Breastfeeding Celebration Week, run by Public Health England (PHE), took place 25 – 29 June. The week focused on celebrating the benefits of breastfeeding and promoting the role that all healthcare professionals, commissioners and managers have in advising and supporting mothers to take up and continue breastfeeding for at least the first 6 months of their baby’s life. The week looked at the evidence that exists, showing breastfeeding’s wide and positive impact on a baby’s development, from strengthening immunity and providing nutritional value to emotional bonding and building mental resilience. PHE published a number of blogs during the week:
- Supporting breastfeeding is everybody’s business – Sue Ashmore
- Getting breastfeeding support right for women and their families – Shereen Fisher
- Building a breastfeeding responsive University for students and staff – Anna Byrom
- Celebrating Breastfeeding – Viv Bennett
- Using Community Assets to Support Breastfeeding – Wendy Nicholson
