World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is here and there is much to report from the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), your breastfeeding advocacy headquarters! This year’s theme, “Talk to Me! Breastfeeding – a 3D Experience,” reminds us that communication is critical to breastfeeding success. We encourage you to talk to others within and outside your personal networks about ways to support breastfeeding moms, as the U.S. Surgeon General called us to do earlier this year.

But why stop at one week? This Saturday, August 6, the United States Breastfeeding Committee will officially declare that August is National Breastfeeding Month! Many states, cities, and towns already celebrate throughout the month: you can find events in your area on La Leche League’s calendar, or visit USBC’s WBW page to find ideas and tools from USBC members for hosting your own event.

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding (SGCTA), released in January, provides a road map for action in six major sectors of society, and we are thrilled to report on progress and major new initiatives in each of the six areas. Read on to learn about several new pieces to the puzzle…

Mothers and Their Families

We are honored to participate in the MomsRising breastfeeding blog-a-thon, just one of many examples of how moms are being empowered and supported to reach their personal breastfeeding goals. But we need your help to spread the word that all moms need and deserve good support to make breastfeeding possible! USBC is seeking the voices of real moms talking about the many ways that "everyone can help make breastfeeding easier." Please consider sharing your story: it might inspire someone else to make the difference for another mom.

Communities

Will you be participating in the Big Latch On this Saturday to try to break the record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously? That’s not to be confused with the “Latch On America” cross-country bus tour, of course! Milk for Thought is traveling across the country (in a giant pink bus) to showcase what Americans are doing to support and empower breastfeeding moms. They started in San Diego and will meet up with USBC this weekend in Washington, DC (and that’s only the first half of the trip)! The second leg of the trip has just been announced: are they coming to your city or town?

Health Care

On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an issue of Vital Signs on “Hospital Support for Breastfeeding.” The report examined data from CDC’s national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC). It finds that less than 4 percent of U.S. hospitals provide the full range of support mothers need to be able to breastfeed. In nearly 80 percent of hospitals, healthy breastfeeding infants are given formula when it is not medically necessary, a practice that makes it much harder for mothers and babies to learn how to breastfeed and continue breastfeeding at home. The Fact Sheet recommends several actions that are needed to help hospitals support mothers to breastfeed. Social media tools, podcasts, and other resources are available.

On Monday, The Joint Commission (the organization that accredits and certifies more than 19,000 U.S. health care organizations and programs) launched a Speak Up™ educational campaign, “What You Need to Know About Breastfeeding,” to help support and prepare mothers to successfully breastfeed. The award-winning Speak Up program urges people to take an active role in their own health care; materials are distributed through accredited hospitals and on YouTube and other websites.

Earlier this week, HHS issued historic guidelines that will ensure women receive preventive health services at no additional cost, including breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling. Be sure to read HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s blog on the topic. (Did you know that she pioneered the “babies at work” program in Kansas state government?)

Employment

The Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2011 was reintroduced yesterday by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). The legislation will protect and expand working moms’ right to breastfeed by:

1. Amending the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to protect breastfeeding mothers from being fired or discriminated against in the workplace.
2. Extending last year’s federal “Break Time for Nursing Mothers” provision to ensure that an additional 13.5 million executive, administrative, and professional employees, including elementary and secondary school teachers, have break time and a private place to pump in the workplace.

Research and Surveillance

Detailed state reports on CDC’s 2009 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey have just been released to facilitate work with hospitals and birth centers in improving breastfeeding care. And the 2011 Breastfeeding Report Card is now available, depicting state and national trends in breastfeeding data. How does your state compare?

Public Health Infrastructure

The SGCTA identified USBC and our state coalition affiliates as leaders in the implementation of the 20 recommended actions. We need your voices and your support to continue to raise the profile of breastfeeding: please join our e-mail list to receive news and action alerts.

As you can see, this has been an amazing year so far…truly a 3D experience! The USBC leadership and membership look forward to our continued work together to advance breastfeeding on our Nation’s agenda thorough Collaboration, Leadership, and Advocacy.

Happy World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month!