A Highlight of My 2018 Breastfeeding Milkbath Sessions
It’s the first day of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week and to celebrate, I’m sharing some of my favorites from last year’s breastfeeding milk bath sessions. Four lovely mamas trusted me, not just with their babies, but their own bodies and the images I made of both of them in a way that advocates for normalizing breastfeeding, modestly and beautifully.
Taken directly from the Who’s website for World Breastfeeding Week 2019:
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
This year, WHO is working with UNICEF and partners to promote the importance of family-friendly policies to enable breastfeeding and help parents nurture and bond with their children in early life, when it matters most. This includes enacting paid maternity leave for a minimum of 18 weeks, and paid paternity leave to encourage shared responsibility of caring for their children on an equal basis. Mothers also need access to a parent friendly workplace to protect and support their ability to continue breastfeeding upon return to work by having access to breastfeeding breaks; a safe, private, and hygienic space for expressing and storing breastmilk; and affordable childcare.
Breastfeeding promotes better health for mothers and children alike. Increasing breastfeeding to near-universal levels could save more than 800,000 lives every year, the majority being children under 6 months. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of mothers developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. It is estimated that increased breastfeeding could avert 20,000 maternal deaths each year due to breast cancer.
WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old. Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond.
If you or someone you know may be interested in a breastfeeding studio or milk bath session, 50% of all session fees for any breastfeeding session booked between now and September 30th, 2019 will be donated to World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (Waba) to help further breastfeeding education and advocacy efforts across the world. Please email me at rachael@rachaelhouser.com for more info and to book.
