This Inspiration Guide is a living document, providing an open-source, unbranded library of content for a community of organizations who use social media to promote, protect and support breastfeeding for World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 – 7), National Breastfeeding Month (August in the U.S.) and beyond.
How to Use the Inspiration Guide
The messaging included within this inspiration guide is meant to be used throughout the month of August, across social platforms along with the proposed graphics and/or other general breastfeeding imagery. Additionally, each graphic within this guide is downloadable. In order to save, right click and select Save As.
We've included both general breastfeeding content as well as messaging geared towards specific topics, depending on the weekly schedule. We encourage you to use content related to each week's theme.
Schedule:
- Week 1 (August 1–7): World Breastfeeding Week – Support Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet
- Week 2 (August 9–15): Native Breastfeeding Week
- Week 3 (August 16–24): Spotlight on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
- Week 4 (August 25–31): Black Breastfeeding Week: Revive. Restore. Reclaim
World Breastfeeding Week: Support Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet
August 1–7
Use the below social copy and graphics to highlight ways that supporting breastfeeding contributes to a healthier planet. We recommend using this as general content for World Breastfeeding Week as well as through August.
Hashtag(s): #WBW2020
Messaging:
- Breastmilk is nature’s perfect first food, tailor-made for babies providing all the vitamins, proteins and fats that they need for the first 6 months. It is a critical part of a sustainable food system.
- Direct breastfeeding & hand expression of breastmilk are efficient for reducing waste & saving energy & other resources.
- Supporting mothers to breastfeed throughout the 1,000-day window is critical to creating an environment that empowers all women to breastfeed.
- Scaling up optimal breastfeeding could prevent more than 823,000 child and 20,000 maternal deaths each year.
- Breastfeeding creates almost no waste and uses very few natural resources, making it a critical component of a sustainable food system.
- Producing, packaging and distributing milk formula leaves behind a large carbon footprint and contributes to greater climate change.
- The infant formula industry’s sales are growing, especially in low-and middle-income countries. The total market value of milk formula in 2019 = about $71 BILLION.
- Current food production & consumption are undermining our health, degrading the 🌎 & driving climate change. Promoting breastfeeding is a critical component to building a sustainable food system.
- Unethical marketing of infant & toddler formula must be curbed by widespread legal adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes & relevant WHA recommendations.
Graphics
Additional Resources
- World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action – #WBW2020 Social Media Toolkit
- Alive & Thrive –2020 World Breastfeeding Week Activities
- National WIC – World Breastfeeding Week: Support Breastfeeding for a Healthier Planet!
- UNICEF, WHO – Global Breastfeeding Collective
- UNICEF, World Health Organization, 1000 Days, and Alive & Thrive – Investment Case for Breastfeeding
Native Breastfeeding Week
August 9–15
Visit here for more information.
Hashtag(s): #NativeBreastfeedingWeek, #StrongResilientLatched, #NBM20
Graphics
Additional Resources
Portraits Of A Native American Mom Breastfeeding Have A Powerful Message
Spotlight on Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies
August 16–24
Use the below social copy and graphics to spotlight infant and young child feeding in emergencies.
Visit here for more information.
Hashtag(s): #NBM20, #IYCFE
Messages:
- Breastfeeding is the safest, most nutritious and reliable food source for infants under the age of 6 months. Breastmilk is always the right temperature, requires no preparation and is readily available even in settings with limited access to clean water and adequate hygiene.
- Breastfeeding decreases the risk of infection and disease, which is vital to survival in emergency settings. Breastmilk contains antibodies and other components that protect children against deadly infections.
- In emergencies, when there may be limited or no access to clean water and hygienic conditions, breastfeeding can drastically reduce the risk of diarrhea and other deadly diseases.
- During emergencies, the life-saving protection of breastfeeding is more important than ever and breastfeeding mothers need (even more!) support.
- During emergencies when breastfeeding is not possible, immediate support is necessary to explore feeding options that protect the health of vulnerable infants.
- Strengthening systems and capacities for breastfeeding support is a crucial form of emergency preparedness. Putting policies, programs and actions in place will provide support for mothers to breastfeed even when they are affected by an emergency.
- In emergency settings, breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious and accessible food source for infants and young children, as well as a protective shield against death and disease.
- Breastfeeding in emergencies is no small task—mothers face immense challenges and need to be supported. We must put the rights, dignity and well-being of mothers at the center of our focus.
- Breastfeeding can contribute to short- and long-term health, good nutrition and food security in normal and emergency situations.
Graphics
Additional Resources
- 1,000 Days Update – 5 Things You Need to Know About Breastfeeding in Emergencies
- CDC – "Disaster Planning: Infant and Child Feeding"
- WHO – Pregnancy, Childbirth, Breastfeeding and COVID-19
Black Breastfeeding Week: Revive, Restore, Reclaim
August 25–31
Visit here for more information.
Hashtag(s): #BBW20, #ReviveRestoreReclaim, #NBM2020
Graphics
Additional Resources
- Top Five Reasons We Need A Black Breastfeeding Week
- Black Breastfeeding Week Facebook Live: A NICU Mom's Experience During the Pandemic
- Milky Mama’s Scholarship Fund Supports Aspiring Black Lactation Consultants
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance Webinar: Centering Black Mamas to Revive, Restore, and Reclaim their Breastfeeding Power
General Messaging
*To be used throughout the month of August (and beyond).
- ALL women deserve support to reach their #breastfeeding goals.
- In a world filled with inequality, crises and poverty, #breastfeeding is the foundation for lifelong health of babies and mothers.
- We all have a role to play by providing safe & adequate nutrition for infants, by protecting & promoting breastfeeding & by ensuring the proper use of breastmilk substitutes, when these are necessary, on the basis of adequate info & through appropriate marketing/distribution.
- Breastfeeding is the best way to protect newborns from malnutrition, infections & disease, but only 41% of babies around the world are exclusively breastfed.
- Scaling up breastfeeding support for mothers = a vital action to prevent children from dying of severe malnutrition.
- Breastfeeding is a universal solution that gives everyone a fair start in life and lays the foundation for women and children to survive AND thrive.
- Breastfeeding is an equalizer that can help break the cycle of poverty.
- Breastfeeding prevents hunger and malnutrition in all its forms.
- For women, breastfeeding can help with lowering the risk of heart disease, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
- For children, breastfeeding combats infectious diseases, decreases diarrhea, lowers respiratory infections, prevents dental cavities and increases IQ.
- Whether breastfeeding or not, moms deserve FACTS when it comes to feeding their little ones, not bogus health claims and aggressive marketing tactics. It’s time for the makers of infant formula to market their products ethically.
- What stands in the way of ensuring that at least HALF of the 🌎’s babies are exclusively breastfed by 2025? Women need more support to reach their breastfeeding goals.
- Access to paid leave helps provide women with the time they need to establish and continue breastfeeding, benefiting the health of both mom and baby.
- No mother should have to choose between providing for her family economically or offering the best nourishment for her baby through #breastfeeding.
