Breastfeeding Advocacy around the World
June 28, 2009 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under activism
The vast majority of Breastfeeding 1-2-3 readers are from the United States, with nearly 10 times as many visitors from the U.S. than from the second country on the list. Can you guess what the next four countries are? I will give you a little hint:
Google Analytics map for Blisstree's Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blog
The next four countries are:
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. India
5. Australia
I have been talking a lot about breastfeeding advocacy opportunities in the United States, so tonight I would like to share a breastfeeding advocacy opportunity for each of the other four countries listed. Please feel free to leave a comment if you are from any of those four countries and you have resources you would like to share!
Canada
“Join INFACT Canada and INFACT Quebec and sign on to the ‘Protect Breastfeeding Petition’ at http://protectbreastfeedingpetition.ca/. You can make a difference for mothers and children, sign the petition, share the petition and join us for a better world for all of us.”
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom you can read and sign the Breastfeeding Manifesto, an eight-page document that outlines seven objectives that support breastfeeding. The Manifesto notes:
The UK Governments and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, yet fewer than 2% of babies in the UK are exclusively breastfed at six months.
India
The Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India works to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in that country. You can endorse your views on an infant’s right to food by entering your name and email address.
Australia
The Australian Breastfeeding Association has a page dedicated to breastfeeding advocacy which includes a link to the incident report form for the marketing of infant formulas in Australia.
Hello!
I am from Bucharest, country Romania. I am reading your site every day and finding new information.
My son, Darie, is still breastfed.He is 2 years and 7 month old.
I have a blog about breastfeeding. I support mothers to feed our children with the natural first food:breastmilk!
I sustain and I promote this natural act: breastfeeding.
Some mothers from Bucharest initiate a group called “Group support for breastfeeding”. We have the first meeting and we hope to as many meetings.
In Romania average age at weaning as 6.66 months! Very sad!
We hope to improve it!
Breastfeeding counselors doesn’t exist, practically, in our country!There are few: maybe 2 or 4.
Best regards!
Hello Rox! It’s wonderful to hear from you and to learn that you have helped to start a group to support breastfeeding! That is one of the most powerful ways to support breastfeeding — from mother to mother! Best of luck with the group!
Hi Angela! I’m from the Philippines and think that we have a good advocacy here. Earlier, I thought that there would be no support but was pleasantly surprised that there are a lot of support groups here for pregnant and nursing mothers
Greetings from Australia! I really enjoy your blog
This isn’t really ‘advocacy’ as such, more education, our state’s health department has launched a campaign called ‘12+ months on the breast. Normal. Natural. Healthy.’ It’s come under fire in the media for the use of the word ‘normal’!
Anyway, there are some nice resources – a great booklet and gorgeous posters – on this page:
http://health.qld.gov.au/breastfeeding/bf_duration.asp
HI! I”m Dani Arnold from Canada. I’m technologically impaired and have only now figured out how to add your “feed” to my favs…. instead of looking you up everyweek, ROTF.
I’m a very loud breastfeeding advocate in the Toronto area (or at least I use to be- at the moment I”m in the the Democratic Republic of the Congo- long story, but it’s alll in my blog.). My partner Helen and I run natural mothering and work closely with Dr. Jack Newman and the Newman Breastfeeding Clinic & Institute. I love you blog and read it as regularly as possible- a million thanx for all the hard work you do!!
Dani