AWARENESS MONTH
Family Fun Month: Family fun month is an opportunity to create more beautiful memories with the people that you love! It is a time to enjoy extra fun activities and new experiences with one's family. Use this month to incorporate anything that your family loves to do, like go to the farmer's market, go for a family walk or hike, have a picnic together, or even go on a family vacation.
August is also a perfect time to make and indulge in your favorite snacks and meals as a family. You could have a pizza and movie night once a week, you could have a s'mores night, or go out for ice cream or froyo on a hot, August day.
Use your imagination and creativity to come up with the perfect activities for your family! We invite you to share your family fun with the CCCN by commenting or posting with the #FamilyFunMonth. Feel free to tag the CCCN's Facebook or Instagram!
National Breastfeeding Month (NBM): Every August, the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) hosts a campaign for individuals to have a conversation about the policy and practice changes that are needed to create a safeguard of support for breastfeeding (USBC, 2022). Because the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee envisions "a world in which every family is supported along every step of the way through their breastfeeding journeys," the 2022 National Breastfeeding Month theme "is a celebration of the power and impact of our collective efforts. The USBC vision of thriving families and communities cannot be achieved by any one person, or by just one organization. It happens with daily effort by us all, and by working together to make change." (USBC, 2022).
AWARENESS WEEK
August 1st - August 7th, World Breastfeeding Week (WBW):
The first seven days of August are dedicated to World Breastfeeding Week! World Breastfeeding Week aims to highlight the benefits that breastfeeding brings to babies' as well as parents' health, overall nutrition, food security, and also poverty reduction (World Breastfeeding Week 2021). Each year, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) chooses a theme for World Breastfeeding Week.
You can continue to observe National Breastfeeding Month with U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and these additional weekly highlights:
Week 1: World Breastfeeding Week
Theme: Educate & Support
Week 2: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week
Week 3: Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week
Theme: Telling Our Own Stories. Elevating Our Voices.
Week 4: Black Breastfeeding Week
Theme: BBW 2022: 10 Years, A New Foundation
To celebrate this wonderfully informative week, make sure to spread the word about World Breastfeeding Week: as the first objective of this celebration is to inform celebrants of the yearly theme and why it is so important. Different lactation journeys can include chestfeeding, feeding, bodyfeeding, lactation support, pumping, etc. Breastmilk can also be referred to as human milk. If you know someone who is nursing/feeding their little one, we at the CCCN invite you to take a moment and acknowledge them and the amazing work that they are doing. If you are a parent that is making and giving human milk to your little ones or donating, feel free to share your journey with us in the comments below! Find Infant and Child Feeding support providers in the CCCN Member Directory here.
Image credit: https://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/
Read CCCN past blog posts here.
AWARENESS DAYS
August 17th, National Non-Profit Day: Today and everyday we recognize the impact we make together as a team through leadership, CCCN Members, Volunteers, Interns, and Community partners serving the community of parents, caregivers, families and birth and wellness professionals! Thank YOU for supporting our Mission and Vision here at CCCN. Learn more about CCCN Programs and services, here.
August 19th, World Photo Day: Thursday, August 19th, celebrates the art, history, and overall craft of photography. World Photo Day encourages people from all over the world to share a photo that represents their world. For many of you, this photo may be of your birth story, your family, or maybe even you experiencing the ins and outs of parenthood like birth, pregnancy, spending quality time, or key bonding moments. Who wouldn't want to capture these wonderful memories? To do so, the CCCN celebrates #cccnmember and San Luis Obispo volunteer photographers, Taylor Enerle. Taylor specializes in not only engagements and weddings, but also newborn and family portraits and Dena Salas local photographer capturing motherhood through photography.
Make sure to engage in World Photo Day this August 19th by sharing the picture that captures your life at this time with the CCCN! Tag us @centralcoastchildbirthnetwork on Instagram.
Do you know of any other important Awareness days or months for August? Please share in the comments.
Sources:
Authored in collaboration with:
Julianna La Coco, CCCN 2021 Intern
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