For Immediate Release: July 25, 2024

Media Contact: 

Communication Office │ Department of Health

802-863-7280 │ AHS.VDHMedia@vermont.gov


 

Vermont Celebrates World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7

Events throughout Vermont being held in support of infant health

 

WATERBURY, VT — World Breastfeeding Week 2024 begins on August 1, and the Department of Health along with communities around Vermont will showcase the important health benefits breastfeeding/chestfeeding has for both infants and parents, and the supports available to make it an easy choice.

 

According to the 2022 CDC Breastfeeding Report Card, 91.8% of Vermont infants born in 2019 had ever been breastfed, compared to a national average of 83.2%. The 2024 Report Card is due to be released in August.

 

This year’s global celebration will highlight the theme Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All – the global goal of ensuring that everyone has access to lactation support. Family-friendly and breastfeeding-friendly employers are key partners in building a healthy Vermont where people want to live, work, and raise a family. 

 

Vermont communities have planned events to bring awareness to the importance of feeding human milk to babies and young children. Join us to celebrate and meet other breastfeeding/chestfeeding families in your area.  

 

For more about what’s happening in your area: Contact your Local Health Office or visit their Facebook pages (listed below). Find the office that serves your area at HealthVermont.gov/Find-Your-Local-Health-Office. 

 

World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 - 7) – Events and Activities 

 

Statewide 

 

Watch for our “Breastfeeding Standees” – life-sized cut-out images of breastfeeding parents, that recognize the many breastfeeding-friendly workplaces in Vermont. There will be displays in libraries, hospitals and WIC offices, and many county fairs will have an Infant Comfort Station or quiet space where you can take a break and feed your baby. 

 

Participate in the “Big Let Down & Latch On” – Virtual Event

Breastfeeding/chestfeeding people across Vermont can join others for the Big Let Down & Latch On virtual event to celebrate their infant-feeding journey. International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and WIC staff will be available to answer questions and offer support! Hosted by White River Junction and Springfield WIC.

  • When: August 2, 1:00 pm
  • Scan QR Code to attend the event: 
    Qr code Description automatically generated

https://bit.ly/WBW-Big-Let-Down

 

Bennington 

Bennington Local Health Office invites families and community partners to wear gold or yellow for "Go Gold for World Breastfeeding Week." Post a photo to Facebook and tag @Vermont Department of Health – Bennington so that the photos can be shared throughout the day. 

 

Brattleboro 

Gallery Walk: Pick up a free mocktail and set out on your Gallery Walk. You can also enjoy our Comfort Station, and relax in a shady tent stocked with resources for families and caregivers with young children. 

 

Prouty Parent-Baby Group: Join an ongoing drop-in group to network and talk about how we nourish our babies, while eating some extra special food ourselves!

  • When: Wednesday, August 7, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
  • Where: Winston Prouty, 209 Austine Dr., Brattleboro
  • Contact: Emma Schneider, 802-257-7852
  • Prouty Parent-Baby Group 

  

Middlebury 

Middlebury Local Health Office will host an in-person class “Preparing to Breastfeed/Chestfeed,” where you can learn tips about safe sleep, the importance of perinatal mental health, home visiting, and breast pump options. Invited organizations include the Family Child Health Nurse, Lactation Resources of Vermont (LRV), and Strong Families Visiting Nurse.

  • When: Monday August 5, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm
  • Where: Middlebury WIC Office, 156 South Village Green, Suite 102
  • Contact: Marlee.Malone@vermont.gov 

 

Morrisville 

Morrisville Local Health Office invites you to “Tuesday Night Live”. Refreshments and giveaways, including Farm to Family coupons for WIC participants, will be available for families. Take advantage of the quiet space set up in celebration of WBW. 

 

Rutland 

Visit the Rutland Local Health Office Facebook page for daily events and activities, including nature hikes, trips to Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum, and Rutland Free Library story time. Be sure to check the page for the secret day and time when you can get free entry to White’s pool if you say “World Breastfeeding Week”!

 

After every event you attend, tag @Vermont Department of Health – Rutland, La Leche League of Rutland County, or Promise Lactation Consulting to enter a raffle. The more events you participate in, the more chances you have to win!

 

 

St. Albans

Community libraries in Enosburg, Swanton, and South Hero will feature information and resources to take with you about the benefits of feeding babies' human milk. 

  

Visit HealthVermont.gov/Breastfeeding to learn more about breastfeeding/chestfeeding, including child health and the benefits of being a Breastfeeding Friendly Employer.

 

Visit your Local Health Office Facebook page for WBW events and activities in your area:

 

 

What is Chestfeeding? The Health Department refers to “breastfeeding” and “chestfeeding” to be inclusive of all people in Vermont who engage in human milk feeding. 

  • Chestfeeding is a gender-neutral term used by some people who identify as transmasculine, non-binary, or gender expansive, to describe feeding their baby milk from their chest. 
  • People who have had their breasts removed for medical reasons may still want to feed their babies from their chest, and refer to this as either breastfeeding or chestfeeding or both. 
  • Breastfeeding/chestfeeding also includes feeding infants with milk expressed from pumping.

 

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Translated Information – Print, video and audio resources are translated into many of the languages used in Vermont. Visit HealthVermont.gov/Translations for searchable tables of documents in each of the nine languages – including about preventing illness, healthy homes, and staying safe and healthy during extreme events like storms, power outages, hurricanes, and flooding.

 

About the Department of Health

We have been the state's public health agency for more than 130 years, working every day to protect and promote the health of Vermonters.

 

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Topics:
Breastfeeding | Child Development | Family Health | Infant Health
Last Updated: