Aug 02 National Breastfeeding Month

Aug 02h in Bold Voices by

(August 2, 2024)

World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from August 1-7 and marks the beginning of National Breastfeeding Month, which was first recognized in 2011. In conjunction with the month-long celebration, this first week of August is proclaimed National WIC Breastfeeding Week by the USDA. Breastfeeding education and support are a key part of the WIC program. In addition to including formula in their food packages, WIC encourages mothers to breastfeed if at all possible and offers enhanced food packages to support breastfeeding mothers’ nutritional needs.

Breastfeeding has been proven to have many benefits to both mothers and babies. It helps babies build strong immune systems and reduces their risk of diarrhea, respiratory infections, asthma, SIDS, and more. Breast milk also perfectly meets babies’ nutritional needs and even adapts to babies’ needs over time. For mothers, breastfeeding lowers the risk of postpartum depression as well as the chances of developing various diseases later in life, including breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It may also help mothers recover more quickly from childbirth.

It is because of all these benefits that WIC promotes and supports breastfeeding through everything from breastfeeding and nutrition support, to referrals, to breast pumps and other supplies. The WIC Breastfeeding Support campaign also states that breastfeeding can have financial benefits to families: “Breast milk is free. Breastfed babies may also be sick less often, which may keep your health costs low.” The Lactation Lab estimates that the cost to formula feed a baby for one year could be about $1,752. Though there are costs associated with breastfeeding (nursing bras, pumps, etc.), they tend to be one-time, not recurring.

Unfortunately, there are some disparities in access to and engagement in breastfeeding. A study of the 2016–2019 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data, including 5.9 million women:

  • Non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native people are the least likely to initiate breastfeeding.
  • Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic/Latino, and multiracial adults are also less likely to breastfeed for  at least 6 months, compared to the U.S. national rate.

This study concluded culturally tailored breastfeeding information and support could help reduce breastfeeding disparities.

It is important to engage in conversations around breastfeeding in culturally sensitive and appropriate ways as we work to close these gaps. As part of National Breastfeeding Month, there are several culturally-specific weeks to acknowledge the breastfeeding experiences and needs of specific communities. These include:

To learn more about National Breastfeeding Month and the benefits of breastfeeding please visit:

Laura Condon, Allies for Children Project Coordinator