World Breastfeeding Week has been designated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) as August 1-7 each year to promote breastfeeding and the anniversary of the adoption of the Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion, and Support of Breastfeeding.

PA-MILC strives to head up projects that help celebrate and bring recognition to World Breastfeeding Week each year. Following are some of the projects PA-MILC has completed to honor this special, annual event:

Laminated Breastfeeding Triage Cards Project (2008)
Laminated breastfeeding triage cards were distributed in goody bags to 100 healthcare professionals in central PA along with a current listing of La Leche League leaders, IBCLCs, WIC personnel, and nurses willing to do one to one breastfeeding support.

Placemat Distribution Project World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2002 PA-MILC designed, produced and distributed placemats free of charge to local Restaurants to use during World Breastfeeding Week, 2002. The placemats were a public awareness project that highlighted some of the important benefits of breastfeeding for the health of moms and babies. Along with information, the placemats also provided names and numbers of local professional contacts should people desire more information on the importance of breastfeeding.

The placemats were a public awareness project that highlighted some of the important benefits of breastfeeding for the health of moms and babies. Along with information, the placemats also provided names and numbers of local professional contacts should people desire more information on the importance of breastfeeding.

PA-MILC’s goal was not only to reach future mothers, but also the husbands, parents, friends and coworkers that make up their support network.

PA-MILC distributed over 5,000 free placemats to area restaurants for use during World Breastfeeding Week!!!

PA-MILC members created and distributed Informational Folders filled with useful information to local Healthcare Providers and Enthusiastic Breastfeeding Advocates.

Successful breastfeeding hinges on healthcare professionals providing accurate and complete information to their clients. We are living in an age where this information is readily available, yet with books, videos, journals, and the internet, practitionaers have more and more sources to turn to for breastfeeding information.

PA-MILC recognized that not all of this readily available information is useful, appropriate, or even accurate. Therefore, in an effort to aid practitioners in sifting through all this, PA-MILC identified some quality breastfeeding resources and compiled them into an easy to reference booklet. These booklets were then distributed throughout central Pennsylvania.

Window Decal Distribution Project World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2000 The World Breastfeeding Week theme for 2000 was, “Breastfeeding…It’s Your Right!” This theme highlighted the fact that women have the right to breastfeed, to receive factual information, and to be protected from outside interference when breastfeeding. PA-MILC members celebrated World Breastfeeding Week in 2000 by distributing window decals to local breastfeeding friendly establishments.

PA-MILC members seized this opportunity to recognize local establishments that were breastfeeding friendly by providing them with a window decal to display and publishing their names during World Breastfeeding Week, 2000.

Click here to read an article published Wednesday, July 26, 2000 about this project.

Library Book Distribution Project World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 1999 The World Breastfeeding Week theme for 1999 was, “Breastfeeding…Education for Life!” This theme highlighted the need to integrate information on the importance of breastfeeding into our education system at all levels.

PA-MILC members celebrated World Breastfeeding Week in 1999 by distributing copies of the books, We Like to Nurse By Chia Martin and The Complete Book of Breastfeeding, Third Edition By Dr. Marvin S. Eiger and Sally Wendkos-Olds to their local libraries.

PA-MILC members found the book, We Like to Nurse, to be a sweet book that was easy to read and talk about with younger children. The very positive and normal images of nursing are printed in crisp bright colors with simple text. The animals portrayed in the book also take on some human feelings and characteristics, like “purring with delight”, cuddling, protecting, being sheltered, and hugging as they nurse. The book ends with a human mother and baby nursing with the caption, “We like to nurse.” So normal, so natural.

PA-MILC members hope that this book will be a simple tool that will introduce the normalcy of breastfeeding to children at a young, impressionable age.

Click here to read a newspaper article published Sunday, August 1, 1999, in the Altoona Mirror about this project.

Book Distribution Project January 2000 PA-MILC members donated 70 copies of Tam Hale’s Book, Medications in Mother’s Milk. These books were donated to physician’s offices, WIC clinics and Hospitals. PA-MILC’s hope is that these books will prove to be helpful when professionals are working with breastfeeding women and their babies.