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World Breastfeeding Week 2022: 1 August-7 August

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)2022



Overview:

World breastfeeding week is celebrated with utmost pride and joy every year in the month of August from August 1 through August 7.  It is an annual celebration on a large scale including almost 120 countries around the globe.  The  major agenda and motto is to bring awareness among the people and promote the breastfeeding practices across the world.  

Breastfeeding is the most important component of motherhood and WHO, UNICEF and WABA( World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action) are the official organisations who have taken charge of spreading community awareness by bringing the motivation and active campaigns to promote breastfeeding in a positive manner across the globe. 

WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK:  SOME FACTS 

Let us get familiar with some of the historical facts related to the world breastfeeding week. 

When was the first world breastfeeding celebrated?

According to the best information source, Wikipedia, The world breastfeeding week was celebrated for the first time in the year 1992 by WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action) to mark the celebration of Innocenti declaration.

Which organisations are a part of this global movement of celebrating world breastfeeding week?

  • WHO: The World Health Organization, a specialized agency that works for the promotion of health at the international or global level.
  • UNICEF: The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
  • WABA: The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, and many more to name a few.
What are the main objectives of this week celebration?'

  1. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of baby's life.
  2. Continuation of the breastfeeds till the baby reaches two years and beyond to ensure your baby's healthy status and protection from disease. 
  3. Effective weaning implementation at the completion of six months with soft solid foods but not giving up your breastfeeding practice till two years.
  • To support breastfeeding
I have already posted a blog on Breastfeeding. Check it out here: Breastfeeding Facts

What is the major goal of behind the World Breastfeeding Week Celebration?

  • To establish the global breastfeeding practice culture along with reinforcing support and motivation for breastfeeding among the women in all the countries through carefully driven awareness campaigns in collaboration with many healthcare systems and organizations at a global level.
What is the theme of the World Breastfeeding Week 2022?

  • This year the theme is a significantly motivating phrase: 'Step up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support.'
The theme is so captivating that it clearly reveals the intentions and objectives behind this week celebration. 

So let us talk about the theme and the World Breastfeeding Week altogether.

First sharing information on this topic is really overwhelming, as I feel the world needs to understand the importance of breastfeeding, particularly the men. 
 
It is definitely a task of a woman to breastfeed their babies but the support, care and love of the partner and family members plays an equal role in determining the success of breastfeeding practice in each household. 

A family who supports breastfeeding raises healthy child.

Observations from my side: 

Let me share some my viewpoints on some of the issues the women in our country face till now: (p.s: I have actually witnessed many events)

Declining the opportunity to breastfeed the baby in public

I am a North Indian and I have seen many women who feel shy to breastfeed in the public, like in a bus or a park or in some relatives' house; even when their baby cries unstoppable.  This makes me really sad.  

My opinion: 
  • Being a mother makes you a superwoman as you have got the powers and honor to raise a life by feeding your milk that is equal to nectarine, and I think no one needs to question a woman on why she is feeding in public.  

  • Breastfeed as and when and where needed.  Cover yourself properly with a towel or sheet if you feel uncomfortable but please take care and understand the needs of your baby and feed them.
Workload and mental pressure refrains them from breastfeeding

Strict in-laws and orthodox families, they have their own spectrum of understanding.  They often trouble their daughter-in-law by not letting to breastfeed her baby.  The silly reasons they give will blow up your mind:

  1. You want to avoid doing household work. So you want to feed your baby?
  2. You should not feed your baby when it is cooking time?
  3. You already are weak. No need to feed your weak milk to our grand baby. 
  4. You just fed him. No need to feed. Leave him cry.
  5. Your baby is already full. Three feeds are enough. Do your work now
  6. You start joining your work.  We will feed the powder or formula milk to baby
  7. Your milk may have disease in it. So dont make your baby sick.  
  8. Finish all the chores and then nurse your baby.  Now put to sleep.
  9. This continues in some household as a daily blabbering and the result is mental pressure that leaves the woman stressed out and resultant low production of milk. 

And many more .......

My opinion: 
  • Do not pressurize women.
  • Let them enjoy their motherhood journey through pleasant breastfeeding experience
  • Support them. A work more /less OR a baby healthy/sick? What makes sense.  Let the women feed their babies. 
  • Your daughter-in-law/your wife needs rest and stress-free environment to let her produce more milk for the baby.  Do not overburden her with extra works and or mental tortures. Simply Support her.  

Theme of this year August1-7 World Breastfeeding Week 2022:


Step up for breastfeeding: Educate and support. 

Talking about the theme, we need to raise voice against the wrong and reach out the women who are ignorant of the benefits of breastfeeding, and the disadvantages of not practicing breastfeeding.

We should aid the women step up for breastfeeding and just feed their baby for exclusive six months without any kind of hesitation or excuse.  

All health care professional must explain them the benefits of the breastfeeding in a logical manner.  Use of government posters and audio-visual aids definitely serve the purpose. 
Health education and role plays are also explicit community based methods of teaching the lactating mothers.  Teach them the importance of breastfeeding in their local language.  Try to explain their family members and partners too.

Imparting education and creating awareness through government-run campaigns can do a fabulous job in stepping up the breastfeeding around the globe. 

Educate the women in groups about their role and importance as a mother.  The first-time mothers are specifically taught the steps of breastfeeding to initiate a successful and burden-free joyful life-time experience of feeding their babies.

Bringing together the community of mothers to globally put forward their issues and acting cohesively to make breastfeeding a culture norm with utmost dignity and space for the women. 

Enjoy exploring and reading more about the World Breastfeeding week by surfing the below links:


Blog post disclaimer: Please do not misunderstand my words.  This is seen in some of the families and not all. Nowadays the women are too strong to handle their problems effectively and raise their children in families or else even as a single parent.  I do not intend to harm any one's sentiments.  

The only aim of this post and discussion is to bring awareness of breastfeeding.  I am a small blogger who feels every lactating mother needs an honor to breastfeed, to exclusively breastfeed their child for first six months and continue it up to 2 and a half years as per convenience along with the weaning process.  Know more on Weaning.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week to all women across the world. 
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