Yes, World Breastfeeding Week is a thing, it starts today, here’s why it matters

There’s been a lot in the news as of late re: mothers working hard to normalize public breastfeeding. There was the Argentinian politician whose story went viral after a picture was snapped of her breastfeeding her daughter on the job, the woman who had the best response to the stranger who Facebook-shamed her for breastfeeding in public, Nicole Trunfio’s amazing Elle cover featuring the model breastfeeding her child, the list goes on. And the world IS responding. Recently, breastfeeding moms all over took to the internet to celebrate the release of Target’s super mom-friendly breastfeeding policies.

That all said, there are still so many moms who are made to feel uncomfortable while engaging in the most normal act of breastfeeding babies. That’s where World Breastfeeding Week comes in, an event that highlights the importance of breastfeeding AND the responsibility communities have to support breastfeeding mothers. The week, which starts today, “calls for concerted global action to support women to combine breastfeeding and work,” according to a statement. This year’s theme is “Breastfeeding And Work. Let’s Make It Work!” This is such an important mission statement, as one of the major barriers a mother with small children faces as she balances child-rearing with the rest of her life is a culture that would insist on a woman taking care of her children entirely behind closed doors (See: that stranger who Facebook-shamed that mom for breastfeeding in public).

Here’s a couple of awesome infographics that the World Health Organization has put out about the issue:

Festivities for the week include “The Big Latch On.” Groups of breastfeeding moms all around the world will congregate and, for one minute, simultaneously feed their babies, as a means of raising awareness re: the importance of communities supporting mothers. Meanwhile, the Manchester Evening News has put a call out for “milk drunk snaps” or “drelfies.”

With that said, happy WBW, everybody! We are so glad this week exists to raise awareness and support moms.

Related:

Target’s breastfeeding policy is awesome, and we think other stores should take note

Why it’s important that this Argentinian politician was breastfeeding her baby on the job

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