World Breastfeeding Week 2025

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2025 is from Friday 1st August – Thursday 7th August 2024. The global theme set by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) for this year is:

“Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems”

“When breastfeeding is protected, promoted and supported, a sustainable environment is created and will help us mitigate immediate impacts of climate change”

WBW 2025 theme

#WBW2025 World Breastfeeding Week 2025 focuses on environment and climate change. It will highlight our roles in supporting breastfeeding to create a sustainable environment while simultaneously reducing the impact of climate change. With a focus on food security for infants in times of adversity and weather related disastors. Employees supporting breastfeeding in the workplace in an increasingly industrialised and urbanised world,

This year’s theme is important because:

Breastfeeding is a natural and low-cost way of feeding babies and children. It is affordable for everyone. Breastfeeding contributes to poverty reduction.
Exclusive breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding for two years and beyond provide high quality nutrients and adequate energy and can help prevent hunger, undernutrition and obesity. Breastfeeding also means food security for infants.
Breastfeeding can act as an equaliser in our society and efforts must be made to ensure everyone especially the vulnerable group has access to breastfeeding support and opportunities.
Breastfeeding entails less energy when compared to formula production industries. It also reduces the need for water, firewood and fossil fuels in the home.
Breastfeeding people who are supported by their employers are more productive and loyal. Maternity protection and other workplace policies can enable women to combine breastfeeding and their other work or employment. Jobs should cater to the needs of breastfeeding women, especially those in precarious situations.
With industrialisation and urbanisation, the time and space challenges become more prominent. Breastfeeding parents who work outside the home need to manage these challenges and be supported by employers, their own families and communities. Crèches near the workplace, lactation rooms and breastfeeding breaks can make a big difference.
Breastfeeding safeguards infant health and nutrition in times of adversity and weather-related disasters due to global warming.

You can find more information at: https://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

Emergency Infant Feeding Plan

In response to this years theme, Women’s Health Action, has an Emergency Infant Feeding Plan template to help you be prepared for an emergency situation, for example: a power cut, infectious disease outbreak, flooding, earthquake, etc.

This plan for feeding pēpi (baby) in an emergency gives examples of ways to prepare for a minimum of 72 hours when you might have limited access to clean and safe water.

Click the link below to download the template and fill this out. Print or save the plan to your phone or computer. Share these documents with your friends and whānau so they too can be prepared in the case of an emergency.

Download the Emergency Infant Feeding Plan here.

Collaborative return to work plan for breastfeeding employees and employers

In response to this years theme, Women’s Health Action has created a collaborative return to work plan to help facilitate positive guided discussions and create a plan for returning to work while breastfeeding. These conversations and the self advocacy which is often needed can be hard for the parent who is returning to work

This form follows the recommendations from Employment New Zealand, current codes and legislation around breastfeeding in the workplace and provides encouragement to employers on the benefits of creating a breastfeeding friendly workplace.

Download the Breast Feeding And Return to Work Plan

Support for Breastfeeding Parents

This is a handy list of resources for parents in relation to breastfeeding:

Find Your Breastfeeding Support – a tool that lets you search for Breastfeeding Support in New Zealand. You will be able to find support and contact deatils for breastfeeding services available near you.

Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces – information for both employees and employers to promote a supportive workplace environment for breastfeeding in Aotearoa.

Crayon Parental Leave Register – the most comprehensive database of employer parental leave policies in Aotearoa New Zealand so that all Kiwis can plan confidently for their family’s future; including returning to work while breastfeeding.

He Wāhi Haumaru – coming soon! Look out for the ‘He Wāhi Haumaru’ (Breastfeeding Welcome Here) initiative, a collaboration between BreastfeedingNZ, Canterbury Breastfeeding Advocacy Service and Womens Health Action. This new symbol will soon be found at local cafes, shops and spaces that welcome whānau and babies. We look forward to announcing more soon, helping you find a safe and welcoming space to feed pēpi in your local community. Stayed tuned for more information – please send all queries to [email protected].

What’s On across Aotearoa

Here is a list of events and gatherings happening across the motu to celebrate breastfeeding over the coming year. Find one in your area and pop along to celebrate! If you would like to add your event to the calendar, please email [email protected]

Check out the Aotearoa Breastfeeding Events Calendar here.

Previous Year: Whānau expectations for breastfeeding

‘Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding’ – looking at it from whānau māori point of view. This approach talks about how whānau can be champions of their own breastfeeding and the practical ways that we can support hapu and breastfeeding parents.

Supporting resource: “Just 10 Steps”. This resource is for parents and whānau and lets them know what they can expect from their birthing unit or hospital, tips for breastfeeding in public, returning to work while breastfeeding and useful tips from other parents plus further information.

View the ‘Just 10 Steps’ resource on mobile phone here.

Shareable Breastfeeding Images Available to Download

Celebrate breastfeeding across Aotearoa by printing one of these posters to use in your workplace or download them to share on social media (hint: use the hashtag #WBW2025)

Click any of the images below and save image to download the PNG file.

Activities For Children

You can also print off these beautiful breastfeeding colouring pictures:

Colouring Pictures: animals feeding their young

Ideas for celebrating WBW

Not sure how to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, check out these fun ideas:

Local cafe/hub/community hall – get together, kai, giveaways, info, services
Social media posts and Facebook live sessions
Fun giveaways (approach local businesses as supporters)
Colouring competitions
Sausage sizzle
Walking/fitness event
Whānau event
Māmā and pēpi pampering event
Fun day at the park/pools
Free movie viewing
Library get together
Bra fittings
Free 15 minute massages
Photo competitions
Baby wearing demos and try outs (helping people find the right carrier for them)