What is Breastfeeding Awareness Month?
By Jose Moreno
Breastmilk, the liquid gold,
Whether for a day or many years
Benefits which never grow old.
To your baby, you, the first they meet
A home, a safety, the nourishment they seek.
Breastfeeding, an invaluable action
A treasure ever held
For the protection of a lifetime
Never did you fail.
We celebrate only one month a year,
With a lifetime of benefits for both, no fear.
Your efforts, your dedication were never in vain
Despite the fears and tears
Your struggles and successes
Joyous are we here.
So Three cheers and three cheers more this breastfeeding month
Hurray! Huzzah!! We celebrate you, evermore!
The month of August is recognized nationally as Breastfeeding Awareness Month in the U.S. A time when a greater emphasis is placed on the promotion of the importance of breastfeeding. Both WIC and CinnaMoms recognize the disparities and inequalities that exist in available resources, and access to breastfeeding support. We seek to address those disparities and provide equal access in our communities, to increase not only breastfeeding initiation, but duration rates as well. To help families breastfeed as long as they intended to.
Breastfeeding saves lives, a bold but true statement as this action reduces the risk of many illnesses and cancers for both mothers and their babies. Breastfeeding is also beneficially impactful for the environment. Nursing families contribute less in pollutants caused by production of cans, lids, labels, that use aluminum, papers, and petroleum based products like plastics and rubbers. Not to mention the processes in formula production from factories, cattle grazing and soy farming (Smith).
What good are these benefits if I couldn’t latch, were unable to produce enough, and were medically advised to offer formula by my healthcare professional?
“Breast is best,” but has this always been true? We have come a long way as a society in understanding the benefits of breastfeeding, for a long time this was not the case and the damage, done (Stevens et al.). “It takes a village to raise a child,” but the village of support was destroyed, and the transgenerational knowledge, lost. A new belief began to grow, that the inability to breastfeed, to produce enough, was genetic and this was false.
For those families struggling with producing enough, latching or having to offer formula for any medical reason, all hope is not lost. You may simply need additional support, a little extra attention from lactation professionals, and that is why we are here!
Please click on this link for access to culturally appropriate, continued breastfeeding support. Whether online, video, in-person, whatever you need to help you reach your feeding goals.
Works Cited
Smith, J.P., "A commentary on the carbon footprint of milk formula: harms to planetary health and policy implications." Int Breastfeed J, vol 14, 2019, p. 49 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13006-019-0243-8
Stevens, E. E., et al. "A history of infant feeding." The Journal of perinatal education, no. 18, vol. 2, 2009, pp. 32–9. https://doi.org/10.1624/105812409X426314
