Public Health celebrates National Breastfeeding Month

Public Health celebrates National Breastfeeding Month

August 1, 2024

SOLANO COUNTY- The Solano County Department of Health and Social Services, Public Health division, joins the California Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and United States Breastfeeding Committee in celebrating August as National Breastfeeding Month, as well as the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2024. This year's World Breastfeeding Week theme is "Closing the Gap; Breastfeeding Support for All", which emphasizes the importance of everyone having access to breastfeeding support and opportunities.

Throughout the month, communities nationwide will participate in various activities and events to raise awareness and offer support to breastfeeding families. Each week of National Breastfeeding Month will highlight different aspects of breastfeeding:August 8-14 is Indigenous Milk Medicine, August 15-21 is Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, and August 25-31 is Black Breastfeeding Week.

In honor of National Breastfeeding month, the Solano County Breastfeeding Coalition is hosting its seventh annual Donor Breast Milk Drive and celebration to recognize mothers for their role in developing healthy infants, families and communities. Families are encouraged to attend and participate in fun activities and enjoy light snacks and refreshments while visiting with local community resource programs.

During the celebration, the Mother's Milk Bank of San Jose will be the present to receive breast milk donations from registered donors. The Mother's Milk Bank of San Jose is the only milk bank in Northern California, as well as the only organization in Northern California to be accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America for adherence to standards for processing and delivering human milk to hospitals and families in need. Information will be available to learn how to become a registered donor.

"Medically fragile and premature infants rely on donor breast milk for their survival," says Ana Rivera, Lactation Consultant and Chairperson for the Solano County Breastfeeding Coalition. "We are encouraging mothers to donate their extra breastmilk to help these infants in need receive the best start in life, through donor milk."

The Mother's Milk Bank of San Jose collects breast milk from mothers with additional milk supply that they would like to donate to babies in need. The Milk Bank staff screens the donors, receives the breast milk, pasteurizes, tests the milk, and then distributes it to medically fragile infants who are in need at neonatal intensive care units throughout California.

The celebration will be held on Thursday, August 8 from 11 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room of the Family Health Services building, located at 2101 Courage Drive in Fairfield.

Families are encouraged to attend this wonderful celebration. For more information, call Christina Hatcher at (707) 784-8329 or email her at [email protected].