World Breastfeeding Week 2023
In World Breastfeeding Week, we have lots of useful information on our website to support parents to give their baby the best start in life.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 - 7 August and aims to raise awareness of the health and wellbeing outcomes of breastfeeding. It also outlines the importance of supporting mothers to breastfeed for as long as they wish.
This year’s theme is enabling breastfeeding: making a difference for working parents, which highlights the fact that workplace challenges remain the most common reason worldwide for women to never breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding earlier than recommended.
The key objectives of #WBW2023 are to inform people about working parent’s perspectives on breastfeeding and parenting, to anchor optimal paid leave and workplace support as important tools, to engage with individuals and organisations to enhance collaboration and support for breastfeeding at work, and to galvanise action on improving working conditions and relevant support for breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding support and information
Our website outlines your choices when feeding your baby, organised into different stages of your journey. You can also find information about feeding twins and multiples, colic, coping with crying and links to information in different languages.
You can find our feeding section here: https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/feeding-your-baby
- The wonderful Maternity Care Assistants at Stroud Maternity offer one-to-one breastfeeding and parent support for babies up to 14 days old. This is available 7 days a week and partners are welcome.
- Find out more about Gloucestershire Breastfeeding Supporters' Network (GBSN), including local groups, on their website:.
- For more information about breastfeeding, head to https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/baby/feeding-your-baby/breastfeeding/ or call the National Breastfeeding Helpline for support on 0300 100 0212 – lines are open 9.30am to 9.30pm every day.
You can visit our Maternity Spotlight page to see monthly figures for births in Gloucestershire, including the percentage of women and birthing people who choose to breastfeed their babies.