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What is National Breastfeeding Month?
The History, 2023 Themes, and Events

National Breastfeeding Month is celebrated in August every year, and is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance and benefits of chest/breastfeeding for both infants and parents.

Organizations in the lactation space provide families with support, resources, and information, encouraging them to make informed choices, and overcome barriers they may experience.

How did breastfeeding month begin? It started with the Innocenti Declaration, which was produced and adopted by participants at the WHO/UNICEF policymakers’ meeting on “Breastfeeding in the 1990s: A Global Initiative”. The global focused World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) was launched in 1992 and is celebrated every August 1-7 in commemoration of the Innocenti Declaration. The United States focused National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) was launched in 1990. The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) officially declared August as National Breastfeeding Month on August 6, 2011 and since then it has been celebrated annually!


National Breastfeeding Month aims to raise awareness of racial disparities in chest/breastfeeding numbers and work towards reducing them by providing culturally sensitive support, education, and resources to communities that face more significant challenges in chest/breastfeeding. During the month of August, various campaigns, events, educational programs, and themed weeks are organized to promote chest/breastfeeding.

National Breastfeeding Month

  • Organization: U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)
  • 2023 Theme: This is Our Why
  • Website: USbreastfeeding.org/national-breastfeeding-month.html
  • Other Resource: NBM Proclamation Toolkit for submitting a request for the US Congress to declare August as National Breastfeeding Month in the United States
  • Mission: To drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States.

World Breastfeeding Week 8/1/23-8/7/23

  • Organization: World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)
  • 2023 Theme: Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a difference for working parents
  • Website:WABA.org.my/wbw/
  • Other Resource (Hashtags): #WBW2023​ #WABA ​#SDGs​ #worldbreastfeedingweek2023 #WarmChain ​#buildingbackbetter ​#EmpoweringParentsCampaign #EnablingBreastfeeding #MakingADifference
  • Mission: To protect, promote and support breastfeeding worldwide in the framework of the Innocenti Declarations (1990 and 2005) and the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding through networking and facilitating collaborative efforts in social mobilization, advocacy, information dissemination and capacity building.

Indigenous Milk Medicine Week 8/8/23-8/14/23

    • Organization: Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective
    • 2023 Theme: From the Stars to a Sustainable Future
    • Website: 
       Indigenousmilkmedicinecollective.org/milkmedicineweek
    • Other Resource (Facebook): 
       Facebook.com/IndigenousMilkMedicineWeek/
    • Mission: Indigenous Milk Medicine Heals. It is a grassroots organization of Native women, two-spirit, and femme lactation providers, lactivists and supporters. We work to increase support and resources for Native first food experiences, to promote healing and wellness, and to push for access, opportunity, visibility and equity in Indigenous Milk experiences. Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective sponsors Indigenous Milk Medicine Week which has been held annually since 2019 in August during National Breastfeeding/Lactation Month. 

AANHPI Breastfeeding Week 8/15/23-8/21/23

  • Organization: BreastfeedLA Asian Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Task Force
  • Website: Breastfeedla.org/aapi-breastfeeding-task-force/
  • Other Resource (Facebook): Facebook.com/APIBTF
  • Mission: BreastfeedLA is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of infants and families through education, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding.

Black Breastfeeding Week 8/25/23-8/31/23

  • Organization: Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association
  • 2023 Theme: We Outside! Celebrating Connection & Our Communities
  • Website: Blackbreastfeedingweek.org/
  • Other Resource (Facebook): Facebook.com/BlackBreastfeedingWeek
  • Other Resource (Hashtags): #BBW23 #WeOutside #blackbreastfeedingweek
  • Mission: Black Breastfeeding Week was created because for over 40 years there has been a gaping racial disparity in breastfeeding rates. The most recent CDC data show that 75% of white women have ever breastfed versus 58.9% of black women.

Workplace Lactation Week 9/1/23-9/7/23

  • Organization: Healthy Horizons
  • 2023 Theme: Preparing for the PUMP Act
  • Website: HealthyHorizons.com
  • Mission: To raise awareness about workplace lactation and support businesses in creating a comfortable space and an ideal workplace lactation program for parents returning to work.
In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, Healthy Horizons started Workplace Lactation Week. Which coincides with Labor Day and the Healthy Horizons 5th Annual Lactation Room Contest, where lucky organizations and parents will win $10,000 in lactation room and pumping gifts!


Healthy Horizons is also sponsoring two free events for Breastfeeding Month. An in-person Breastfeeding Awareness Walk on August 5, 2023 in Burlingame, California. Details can be found here on Facebook. As well as a virtual event on Introducing Solids & Food Sensitivities on August 17, 2023 that will be livecast on YouTube and Facebook. Details can be found here on YouTube, or here on Facebook.


Latina/x Breastfeeding Week (Semana de La Lactancia Latina) 9/5/23-9/11/23

National Breastfeeding Month serves as a time to celebrate and recognize the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers, babies, and communities. By highlighting its benefits and advocating for supportive policies, we can empower more women and families to choose to breastfeed, and create a nurturing environment where every parent feels supported on their chest/breastfeeding journey. Let's join hands in celebrating this beautiful and natural bond between a parent and their child and work towards a society that embraces and supports chest/breastfeeding!

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