National Breastfeeding Month

UCLA Health supports breastfeeding

August is National Breastfeeding Month, and we’d like to share how UCLA Health is committed to supporting breastfeeding families.

UCLA Health:

• Promotes and supports lactation throughout our health care system in policy and in practice. Find more on UCLA Health breastfeeding support.
• Reduces inequity and increases food security by protecting breastfeeding for at-risk families, especially Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC.)
• Promotes compassionate, inclusive and equitable care for LGBTQ+ patients. We encourage you to share your preferred pronouns, terms and plans for infant feeding so we can support your goals. 
• Lifts up our community partners to increase lactation support.
• Supports students, faculty and staff with a lactation accommodation policy and campus resources and support.

National Breastfeeding Month asks us all to step up to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in all arenas.  Here are some ways you can begin supporting breastfeeding!

Health care providers: Give basic breastfeeding support and encouragement, safe treatment and avoid medications that can affect milk supply or the baby.

Obstetricians and midwives: Enable skin to skin after delivery and support breastfeeding in the first hour after birth, even after a cesarean birth.

Pediatricians and family medicine physicians: Provide breastfeeding support and avoid unnecessary formula use.

Nurses: Support the decision to breastfeed by providing practical support for breastfeeding, and optimal breastfeeding immediately after birth.

Faculty: Contribute to educating and training our future health care professionals on the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding using research and evidence-based clinical protocols.