August 1st to 7th is World Breastfeeding Week.  Over 170 countries celebrate World Breastfeeding Week in the spirit of supporting breastfeeding and promoting infant health worldwide.

This year, in time for World Breastfeeding Week, the World Health Organization (WHO) published four fantastic graphics aimed at teaching husbands, partners, friends, family, and employers how to support breastfeeding dyads.

The following is a summary of the messaging from the four graphics:

What Moms Can Do to Support Their Own Breastfeeding

  1. Before your baby arrives, get the facts on breastfeeding
  2. When your baby is born, try to give the first breastfeed within an hour
  3. You’ll need help with learning to breastfeed and so will your baby.  Don’t be afraid to ask for it!
  4. Make sure you get plenty of healthy food, water, and rest.

What Dads (Partners) Can do to Support Their Partners and Babies with Breastfeeding

  1. Help around the house, reduce stress for your partner and make sure she gets enough rest
  2. ‘Burp’ the baby after a feed – dad’s chest is great for this!
  3. Care for the baby in ways other than feeding (baths, diaper changes, walks)

What Family and Friends Can do to Support Breastfeeding

  1. Provide emotional support and practical help (deliver groceries, cook meals, clean the house)
  2. Take care of big sisters and brothers
  3. Listen and be supportive.  Boost mum’s confidence in breastfeeding

What the Workplace Can do to support Breastfeeding

  1. Give enough maternity leave for mums to get breastfeeding established
  2. Make it easier for mums to return to work by providing time and a place to breastfeed, express, and store milk
  3. Support your colleagues while they’re breastfeeding – it’s not always easy to balance work and being a new mom!

The links to these graphics can be found here.

Kudos to the WHO for putting together such practical and valuable set of recommendations.  Hopefully we can all take these measures, from whichever perspective we’re coming.  Some effort in that regard will, no doubt, help more mothers to best achieve their breastfeeding goals.

For more information about the WHO’s role in supporting breastfeeding and infant nutrition visit the Breastfeeding section of their website