Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - National Breastfeeding Month Special Section

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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - National Breastfeeding Month Special Section

7/19/2024

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- FY25 Sign-On Letter Urging Congress to Invest in Breastfeeding Delivered to Policymakers
- Call for Applications: Join a USBC Committee
- Donate Your Old Vehicle to the USBC and Make a Difference!
Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month
National News
- Pumpspotting Bus Tour
- Issue Brief on Leveraging Medicaid to Reduce Racial Health Disparities
State & Community News
- Rhode Island Bill Providing Licensure to CLCs and ALCs Signed Into Law
Action Opportunities
Upcoming Events
News & Views
Journal Publications

denotes a USBC member organization news item denotes a USBC-affiliated constellation news item

USBC Updates

FY25 Sign-On Letter Urging Congress to Invest in Breastfeeding Delivered to Policymakers

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is mobilizing action to maintain and expand investments to support babies and families by urging Congress to direct $20M to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program in the Fiscal Year 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies (LHHS) appropriations bill. To demonstrate widespread support for this funding, the USBC delivered a letter signed by 170 organizations to Senate Appropriations Committee members that states why this funding is so important. Organizations are invited to sign on to the letter to be included in future deliveries.

Call for Applications: Join a USBC Committee

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is accepting applications for committee service. Working with a USBC committee provides an opportunity to lead, learn new skills, and experience the joy of governance rooted in inclusion and innovation. Volunteers provide critical recommendations to the Board of Directors on topics pertaining to membership, finances, operationalizing equity, and beyond. Express your interest via the form and our team will reach out when a committee has an opening.

The following committees are open solely to USBC member organization representatives:

Finance & Audit Committee
Membership Engagement Committee
Nominating Committee

The following committees are open to all interested individuals:

Conference Program Committee
CRASH Committee (DEI)
Sustainability & Vitality Committee

Visit the USBC Committee webpage to learn about the work of each group. We hope you'll join us because together, we do great things!

Donate Your Old Vehicle to the USBC and Make a Difference!

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is partnered with CARS, a non-profit 501(c)(3) that turns old vehicles into cash that directly benefits the USBC. By donating your used or otherwise non-functioning vehicle, boat, plane, trailer, RV, or even farm equipment, you will be contributing essential funding for our continued advocacy efforts. CARS has made the donation process seamless from start to finish with experts who are prepared to handle all the details for you. All you need to do is complete a simple form or make a call. Then you can sit back and embrace the space you are opening up in your driveway, garage, or shed, all while feeling great about your donation! Not only does your donation make it possible to continue advocating for human milk feeding protections, but it may be tax-deductible for you too. Visit the Ways to Give webpage to learn more and get started today!

Special Section on National Breastfeeding Month

National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) is right around the corner! The 2024 NBM theme is Nourish, Sustain, Thrive. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and the lactation field are busy preparing a variety of activities and events. Join us as we take the time in August (and beyond!) for action, education, and celebration of our collective efforts. Share your organization's plans with us so we can amplify your work in the Weekly Wire and on social media, shop the USBC Store for official NBM merch, and make a donation to help support important campaigns like this one. Highlights from the field include:

BBW: The Black Breastfeeding Week Steering Committee announced that the 2024 Black Breastfeeding Week theme is Listen Up! Reclaiming Our Narrative & Centering Our Stories. Black Breastfeeding Week was created in 2014 by a collective of Black leaders from the breastfeeding field and is celebrated annually from August 25-31. The observance was developed as a response to the high black infant mortality rate, the lack of diversity in the lactation field, and unique cultural barriers among Black women. The annual event shines a light on efforts and initiatives that support breastfeeding among Black families.
DOL/EEOC: In honor of National Breastfeeding Month, the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division and U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are hosting a series of free webinars to provide workers, worker advocates, and other stakeholders with information on the federal laws that protect pregnant workers from discrimination, provide time off for the birth or adoption of a child, and ensure nursing workers can take breaks to pump breastmilk while at work. Eight states will host an individual panel session to introduce local stakeholders that provide expertise, support, and resources to parents and nursing mothers:
GBC: The Global Breastfeeding Collective is hosting the "Strength In Numbers 2024 World Breastfeeding Week Webinar" on Tuesday, August 6, at 11 a.m. ET. Held in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, attendees will hear from mothers about their experiences, learn from experts on using monitoring to create accountability, and get new ideas from countries who have used monitoring for change.
GOLD Learning: This year for World Breastfeeding Week, GOLD Learning is hosting a free presentation,"The Critical First Week of Breastfeeding: Strategies for Increasing Infant Health and Equity," on Wednesday, August 7, at 1 p.m. ET. The presentation will explore why breastfeeding is about so much more than just food, the forces that can negatively impact breastfeeding initiation and duration, and strategies for engaging key community members to increase equitable lactation support.
Healthy Horizons: Healthy Horizons announced that the 2024 Workplace Lactation Week theme is Policy to Practice: Making Lactation Support a Reality. Workplace Lactation Week was created in 2023 and is celebrated annually from September 1-7. The observance celebrates the contributions of nursing mothers and parents in the workplace and aligns with Labor Day, highlighting the vital role working and pumping parents play in the workforce.
IABLE: The Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education is hosting the "IABLE Abstract Presentation Day: A Free World Breastfeeding Week Celebration" on Friday, August 2, from 9:45 a.m. - 5:05 p.m. ET. Presenters will share lactation research and quality improvement outcomes, innovative strategies for overcoming community breastfeeding barriers, and ideas for creative study designs.
IMMC: The Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective announced that the 2024 Indigenous Milk Medicine Week theme is Mind. Body. Milk. Medicine. Indigenous Milk Medicine Week was created in 2019 by the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective and is celebrated annually from August 8-14. Formerly known as Native Breastfeeding Week, the observance was created to encourage and uplift the diversity of Native breast/chestfeeding experiences. The IMMC will be hosting a free virtual conference during Indigenous Milk Medicine Week with conference sessions occurring on the weekdays from 12-3 p.m. ET.
LLL USA: New Beginnings, the La Leche League USA blog, is seeking stories from readers and followers who identify as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) ethnically or culturally. Share your personal story or experience with a favorite, delicious, and heartwarming postpartum dish that was prepared especially for you, helping you through the early days of breastfeeding and caring for a newborn, and most importantly, reconnecting you with your very own cultural roots. Responses may be used in a National Breastfeeding Month blog post.
NCDH: The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is collecting lactation success stories to publish in their National Breastfeeding Month special edition newsletter and social media posts.
SLL: The Semana de La Lactancia Latina team announced that the 2024 theme is Reclaiming Culture Through Lactation/Reclamando Nuestra Cultura Por Medio de la Lactancia. Semana de La Lactancia Latina was created in 2023 and is celebrated annually from September 3-9. The observance shares stories, uplifts voices, and comes together to celebrate the culture and resilience of Latino communities, bringing awareness to the unique barriers faced by these communities.
USBC: The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is hosting the "National Breastfeeding Month 2024: Celebrating the Weekly Observances!" webinar on Monday, July 29, from 2-3 p.m. ET. We'll hear from the organizers of weekly observances to share what they are planing and how to get involved. The current lineup includes: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week; Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week; Workplace Lactation Week, and Semana de la Lactancia Latina.
USDA: Each year in the first week of August, National WIC Breastfeeding Week is hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and celebrated in conjunction with World Breastfeeding Week to promote and support breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for a baby. The WIC Breastfeeding Support webpage features a variety of resources for promoting and supporting breastfeeding during National WIC Breastfeeding Week.
USLCA: In celebration of National Breastfeeding Month, the United States Lactation Consultant Association is hosting the free "Empowering Your Practice: Policy Updates and Action Opportunities for Lactation Care Providers" webinar on Thursday, August 22, from 1-2 p.m. ET. The presentation will feature Cheryl Lebedevitch, National Policy Director for the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee, to explore how policies impact the lactation experience, update lactation care providers on new protections for lactating students and workers, and highlight current opportunities for advancing policies that support breastfeeding families.

Breastfeeding Month Proclamations:

USDA: U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack issued a proclamation to declare August 1-7 National WIC Breastfeeding Week. The observance recognizes the 50 years of notable contributions of the WIC Program's breastfeeding promotion and support activities.

Local Events:

SOMI: Supporting Our Mothers Initiative is sponsoring two National Breastfeeding Month events in Queens, New York. "Breastfeeding Awareness Day In the Empire State" will take place on Saturday, August 10 and "Breastfeeding @ the Ball Game" will take place on Friday, August 16.
UPEC: The Urban Perinatal Education Center is hosting "Lactation Celebration: Black Breastfeeding Week 2024" on Wednesday, August 28, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. ET in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The event will celebrate and share local lactation resources.
City of Berkeley: The City of Berkeley Health, Housing, and Community Services Department Public Health Division is hosting the "4th Annual WIC-NIC" on Friday, August 2, from 1-3 p.m. PT. The event will celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and include free giveaways.
COBA: Join the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates (COBA) for the "World Breastfeeding Week Social Hour" in Oklahoma, City. Lactation professionals, birth workers, advocates and mother-baby care providers are invited to network and socialize.

National News

Pumpspotting Bus Tour

Pumpspotting is preparing to begin the "2024 Feel Better, Feed Better Bus Tour." The Pumpspotting's unique roving nursing and pumping bus will pull up to cities across the country from July to October. Community partnerships in each city will bring the tour to life, activating health organizations, workplaces, breastfeeding support and advocacy groups, milk banks, and parenting epicenters. The Bus will pull into each city with its mobile lactation room, inviting parents aboard for a comfortable place to nurse, pump, connect with other parents, and learn about products and local support resources.

Issue Brief on Leveraging Medicaid to Reduce Racial Health Disparities

The Kaiser Family Foundation published an issue brief titled "Medicaid Efforts to Address Racial Health Disparities." The issue brief aims to provide greater insight into key ways in which Medicaid can be leveraged to help address racial health disparities. Expansions of Medicaid benefits may increase access to care for all enrollees, including the disproportionate share of people of color covered by Medicaid. The 2023 KFF budget survey found many states reporting Medicaid benefit expansions, including benefits that may help reduce disparities. For example, to improve maternal and infant health outcomes and address racial and ethnic health disparities, states continue to expand and enhance pregnancy and postpartum services, including coverage of doula services, lactation services, and home visiting supports.

State & Community News

Rhode Island Bill Providing Licensure to CLCs and ALCs Signed Into Law

Rhode Island Governor McKee signed Rhode Island House Bill 7882 into law. The new law builds on a 2014 Rhode Island law which provided licensure for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) by providing licensure to Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) and Advanced Lactation Consultants (ALCs). The law does not prevent qualified members of other professions or other occupations or volunteers from performing functions consistent with the accepted standards of their respective professions; provided, however, that they do not hold themselves out to the public by any title or description stating or implying that they are licensed lactation counselors.