World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is recognized internationally each year from August 1-7 and kicks off National Breastfeeding Month in the United States.

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) shares that this year’s theme for World Breastfeeding Week is Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthening What Works. WABA explains that “protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding will ensure optimum nutrition, food security and poverty reduction. Breastfeeding saves both the infant and maternal lives. It also supports nutrition, development and lifelong health. Breastmilk is a low-cost, locally available nutrition for all, hence promoting equity with economic returns to families and nations.” You can learn more about World Breastfeeding Week on WABA’s webpage.

In the United States, National Breastfeeding Month also begins this week. The theme for 2026 is “RISE”. The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) explains that RISE represents Resilience, Interdependence, Self-Determination, Empowerment. “This year’s theme was crafted to capture the heart and strength of the First Food field. Each word in the acronym was chosen to highlight our network’s strengths as we advocate for the policy, systems, and environmental changes necessary to create a landscape of breastfeeding support for every family.” You can read more from USBC on their webpage.

Each year, New Beginnings aims to center the voices of human milk feeding families from the individual communities  honored during each of the six national observance weeks. From August 1 to September 22, you can look forward to special articles for:

• Indigenous Milk Medicine Week
• Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week
• Black Breastfeeding Week
• Workplace Lactation Week
• Semana de La Lactancia Latina (Latina/x Breastfeeding Week)
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing Breastfeeding Week

Looking for ways to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month? Connect with your local LLL USA Group (find an LLL Group or Leader through our locator map) or a Live, Love, Latch!^® event (find event details and locations on this webpage). This year our LLL USA Live, Love, Latch!^® theme is “Together We Nourish”, because nursing parents need to feel seen and held by their communities.

Commemorate your own nursing relationship with photos, even just a selfie. Journaling is another great way to reflect on your human milk feeding journey. As you reminisce, please consider sharing your stories and experiences with New Beginnings.

Please send your blog ideas to Kylie at [email protected].

Supporting Breastfeeding Families–Today, Tomorrow, Always

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