1 - 7 August, 2008
The Australian Breastfeeding Association celebrates World Breastfeeding Week from 1-7 August. World Breastfeeding Week is an initiative of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is celebrated in 120 countries around the world.
With the Olympic Games just around the corner, this year's World Breastfeeding Week Australian slogan is 'Mother Support: Everyone Wins!' Just like an athlete, mothers have natural ability (in breastfeeding), but often need support, practice and perseverance to get there.
When breastfeeding mothers receive support from all those around them everyone wins. Babies win as they receive the food and care that supports their health, growth and development. Mothers win as breastfeeding hormones reduce stress and assist them to look after their babies, as well as reducing their risk of developing breast cancer. They also experience the satisfaction and enjoyment of the breastfeeding relationship and the convenience that breastfeeding provides. Australia wins as fewer babies and mothers need to use medical services. The world wins as breastfeeding does not use scarce resources or pollute the planet.
Let's get Australia on the world breastfeeding map!
Promote breastfeeding for World Breastfeeding Week and light up Australia in the WABA Virtual Torch Run! As the Olympic torch makes its way to Beijing, WABA are lighting up the world online with their virtual torch run. For every World Breastfeeding Week promotional activity pledged a virtual torch will be illuminated on the World Breastfeeding Week website. Visit theWorld Breastfeeding Week website to include your activity in the torch run, or see how Australia is going. Let's make Australia the brightest country on the map!
See the winners of the World Breastfeeding Week video contest and the winners of the World Breastfeeding Week photo contest.
The Australian Breastfeeding Association has posters and postcards available for you to use during August and beyond to help your organisation give support to breastfeeding mothers. 'mum 2 mum' posters and postcards are available free of charge and can be ordered by emailing info@breastfeeding.asn.au
For more information on how you or your organisation can offer help to breastfeeding mothers, download the World Breastfeeding Week Action Folder
Like the five Olympic rings, mothers need to be surrounded by five rings of support:
Family and social network
Family can be the mother's immediate and continuous support network. This could include the father of the baby, her partner, her mother, sisters or other close relatives. Support extends beyond the immediate family to support provided by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Our mother to mother groups provide the opportunity to learn from other mothers who have experienced successful breastfeeding and access to trained breastfeeding counsellors. The ABA's 24 hour Helpline provides telephone support from breastfeeding counsellors, together with our online forum and email counselling.
When out in the community, being able to breastfeed comfortably supports mothers and babies. Are there venues in your local area that are breastfeeding friendly? Reward them with a Breastfeeding Welcome Here kit! Order your free kit.
Workplace and Employment
Paid maternity leave is being advocated by the ABA as one of the most important ways of allowing mothers to take care of their babies and continue to breastfeed. Further support for breastfeeding women once they return to work includes lactation breaks during the work day, a clean, stress-free, accessible place for this to happen and a supportive attitude by management. Is your workplace breastfeeding friendly? Workplaces and workers can get support and information and apply for the ABA's Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation by visiting breastfeedingfriendly.com.au
Health Care
Health care systems and health care workers have indirect and direct impacts on breastfeeding. ABA's annual health professionals' seminar series brings high quality evidence-based education about the management of breastfeeding to every capital city in Australia. Breastfeeding Review journal, Lactfacts sheets, the ABA website and other resources developed by the ABA's Lactation Resource Centre provide information on all aspects of human lactation. Visit www.lrc.asn.au
Promotion of breastfeeding by health professionals during each phase of childbearing is essential to enabling women to succeed with breastfeeding. Is your local hospital baby friendly? See our Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative information page.
Government and Legislation
Government policy and legislation are essential in supporting women in many aspects of their lives. Laws and public policies are equally needed to support breastfeeding mothers. When governments provide Anti Discrimination legislation and other policies that specifically protect breastfeeding, mothers and their babies are protected and feel supported to continue to breastfeed. The ABA participates with governments at national, state and local levels in developing healthy public policy; and welcomes contributions and opportunities to further this. Contact us directly or visit http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/advocacy/index.html
When governments implement the World Health Organization International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and subsequent resolutions, mothers are protected from commercial influences that undermine breastfeeding. Australia is a signatory to the Code, but currently has not implemented it fully. For more information about the Code and what it means visit IBFAN
Response to Crisis or Emergency
Emergencies like floods, bushfires, earthquakes or cyclones can happen anywhere and anytime. Without a safe and secure water and food supply, babies that are not breastfed are at great risk in emergencies. Protecting babies in emergencies involves protecting breastfeeding. Emergency preparedness for infants involves protecting breastfeeding. The Australian Breastfeeding Association supports strategies in emergencies such as the Operational Guidance on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies . For more information on what you can do to support breastfeeding in emergencies see theEmergency Nutrition Network site.
Media Release: 1st August 2008
Are Norwegian breasts better than Australian breasts?
Whether they look better in a bikini is debatable. However, when it comes to their practical use, Norwegian breasts are beating Australian ones hands down. Over 90% of Norwegian mothers breastfeed their babies at 3 months of age, but only 64% of Australians do so.
With World Breastfeeding Week being celebrated in over 120 countries around the world from 1-7 August the question is being asked: 'Are our Australian breasts failing us?'
Absolutely not, according to the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA). Nearly 90% of Australian mothers choose to breastfeed. However, large numbers give up, not through lack of trying, but through lack of help.
'Mothers (and their breasts!) do not fail to breastfeed. Our society fails to help them do it', said Margaret Grove, ABA President. 'Biologically all mothers have the same ability to breastfeed. The fundamental difference between ourselves and countries like Norway is the level of support breastfeeding mothers receive.'
In Norway there is an active government program to mobilise community awareness and practical support for mothers. Healthcare workers are well-trained in breastfeeding management, mothers can access 42 weeks paid maternity leave, advertising of infant formula is banned, most babies are born in breastfeeding-friendly accredited maternity wards and breastfeeding in public is seen as normal.
The World Breastfeeding Week theme is 'Mother Support: Everyone Wins!'
'When a mother is supported and able to breastfeed everyone wins - the mother, the baby, the family, the health system and the environment', said Ms Grove. 'Support can be at an individual level or through such programs as Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation or becoming a Breastfeeding Welcome Here venue. People can visit www.breastfeeding.asn.au for ideas.'
The Australian Breastfeeding Association is one organisation standing up and helping mothers. It provides 7-day telephone Helplines in each state, run by volunteer mothers trained as breastfeeding counsellors.
The federal government is also standing up to be counted, announcing recently it will fund the expansion of the ABA state Helplines to a national toll free service.
Contacts:
- Margaret Grove - President ABA 0414 773 714
- National & NSW PR Carey Wood 0408 207 826
- VIC Karen Ingram 0414 865 018
- QLD Shannon Breen 0408 889 506
- TAS Marion Bowen 03 6425 5780
- WA Kirsten Tannenbaum (08) 9364 1321
- ACT Julie Smith 0416 099 630
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