Every August, the breastfeeding community pauses to do two things at once: celebrate our progress, and name what's still missing. 

Whether you're currently breastfeeding/pumping, supporting someone who is, or working in maternal and infant health, National Breastfeeding Month is a good moment to slow down and take stock. Here's what it is, what's happening this year, and where to find real support.

Key Takeaways:

  • National Breastfeeding Month runs all of August, declared by USBC in 2011 around three verbs: Learn, Connect, Act. This year's theme is RISE.

  • The month is built around five weekly observances, World Breastfeeding Week, Indigenous Milk Medicine Week, AANHPI Breastfeeding Week, Black Breastfeeding Week, and Workplace Lactation Week, each centering a different community's experience.

  • Breastfeeding success depends on more than effort. Consistent guidance, workplace accommodation, proper fit, and real support all shape whether it works, and access to that support isn't equal across communities.

  • There are simple ways to participate: share accurate resources, check in on a friend who's breastfeeding, know your PUMP Act rights, or request an official proclamation if you're part of an organization.

  • Zomee shows up in that support system too, customizable fit, durability built for the long haul, insurance-eligible options, and real people to call when you need one.

What It Is

National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) was officially declared by the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) on August 6, 2011. Each August, USBC coordinates a national social media advocacy and outreach campaign inviting organizations, coalitions, providers, and individuals to come together around the policy and practice changes needed to build a landscape of support for babies and families. USBC frames the month around three verbs: Learn, Connect, Act.

2026 NBM Theme: RISE (Resilience, Interdependence, Self-Determination, Empowerment)

USBC chose RISE to capture the strength of the breastfeeding community as advocates push for the changes needed to support every family. Past themes have included Forward Together (2025), Nourish, Sustain, Thrive (2024), and Support Changes Everything (2019).

Breastfeeding Awareness Events in August

USBC organizes the month around a mix of global, national, cultural, and social observances, each with its own focus and, in most years, its own theme. Each week highlights a different community or focus area, a reminder that breastfeeding doesn't look, or feel, the same for everyone.

Infographic on events happening throughout the month of august and early september for national breastfeeding month

August 1 - 7:  World Breastfeeding Week & National WIC Breastfeeding Week

Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works

World Breastfeeding Week & National WIC Breastfeeding Week kick off the month on a global stage, observed in more than 170 countries. The theme matters because it doesn't ask anyone to reinvent the wheel, it asks what's already working and how to protect it. In a field where new parents are constantly bombarded with conflicting advice, that's a genuinely useful reframe: sustainability over perfection, reinforcement over overhaul.

August 8 - 14: Indigenous Milk Medicine Week 

We Keep the Fires Lit: Rising Through Milk Medicine

Indigenous Milk Medicine Week centers Indigenous families and the traditional knowledge around infant feeding that colonization actively worked to disrupt. It matters because breastfeeding isn't just a health behavior, it's cultural practice, and Indigenous communities have faced some of the steepest, most historically rooted barriers to reclaiming it. "Keeping the fires lit" is about continuity: passing down knowledge that was nearly severed.

August 15 - 21: AANHPI Breastfeeding Week 

Better Data, Better Care for AANHPI Families

AANHPI Breastfeeding Week matters because "AANHPI" itself spans an enormous range of cultures, languages, and traditions, and breastfeeding experiences within that umbrella are far from uniform. The week pushes back against the idea of a single "Asian American experience," making space for distinct stories that often get flattened together or left out of the conversation entirely.

August 25 - 31: Black Breastfeeding Week

WE ALL WE GOT 15 Years of Community, Care, and Collective Power

Black Breastfeeding Week exists because the numbers demand it: Black mothers in the U.S. breastfeed at persistently lower rates than other groups, not from lack of desire, but from a documented mix of historical trauma, hospital bias, and unequal access to lactation support. This week matters because it names that gap directly instead of treating breastfeeding disparities as incidental, and centers community-rooted solutions instead of individual blame.

September 1 - 7: Workplace Lactation Week

Work. Pump. Advance. Empowering the Modern Parent.

Workplace Lactation Week closes out the season by tackling the moment a lot of breastfeeding journeys quietly end: the return to work. It matters because supply and demand don't pause for a job, and without real workplace protections (like the PUMP Act), plenty of parents lose their supply not by choice but by circumstance. This theme reframes pumping at work as compatible with career advancement, not a career cost.

What Is World Breastfeeding Week?

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is the global observance that kicks off National Breastfeeding Month. It was created in 1992 by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and is now observed in more than 170 countries(!!). Since 2016 it's been aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and in 2018 it was formally endorsed by the World Health Assembly as a breastfeeding promotion strategy.

The 2026 theme is "Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works." We love this one. It's not asking anyone to reinvent their approach, it's asking what's already working and how to make it sturdier. That's a good question for a parent to ask about their own routine, and it's a good question for a company like ours to ask about how we show up for you.

Why Breastfeeding Support Matters?

The health benefits of breastfeeding are well documented at this point. What gets talked about less is how much success depends on the support around a parent, not just their own effort.

Consistent guidance. A workplace that actually accommodates pumping. Gear that fits right. Someone to call when something isn't working. All of it adds up to whether breastfeeding feels sustainable or like a battle you're fighting alone.

This is why USBC builds weeks like Indigenous Milk Medicine Week and Black Breastfeeding Week into the month. The barriers aren't the same for everyone. Access to lactation support, culturally informed care, even something as specific as proper flange sizing, all of it can look completely different depending on who you are and where you live.

So here's the takeaway, for parents and for everyone supporting them: support isn't a nice extra. It's the thing that makes breastfeeding actually work.

Ways to Celebrate National Breastfeeding Month

However you're connected to this community, there’s a way in:

  • Share USBC's official graphics and resources on social media to help spread accurate information.

  • Support a local breastfeeding-friendly business or coalition in your area.

  • Check in on a friend who's breastfeeding or pumping. A meal, a text, or an offer to hold the baby for twenty minutes goes further than people expect.

  • Learn your workplace rights under the PUMP Act if you're returning to work while pumping.

  • If you're an organization or provider, USBC's Proclamation Toolkit makes it easy to request formal recognition of NBM from a local or state official.

How Zomee Supports Breastfeeding Moms

Zomee was built on the idea that a pump is only as good as the support system behind it. That shows up in a few concrete ways:

  • Inclusive flange sizing, so fit issues, one of the most common reasons pumping feels painful or unproductive, are something you can actually fix.

  • Durability built for the whole journey, not just the first few weeks, so your pump is still working as well in month eight as it was on day one. And because we know things happen, we have an industry-leading warranty.

  • Insurance-eligible options, so getting a Zomee pump doesn't have to turn into a fight with your coverage.

  • Zomee Mom Line™; real support from real moms, for product questions and for the days you just need to talk to someone who gets it.

Whether you found us through your OB, your DME provider, or a friend's recommendation, the goal is the same: a pump that works, and a team that actually has your back.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week?

World Breastfeeding Week (Aug 1–7) is the global observance that opens the month, coordinated by WABA. National Breastfeeding Month runs the full month of August in the U.S. and is coordinated by USBC, with a different national theme each year.

Who sets the themes for each week?

Each observance is coordinated by its own organizing body. USBC sets the NBM theme; WABA sets the WBW theme; Indigenous Milk Medicine Week is set by the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective; Black Breastfeeding Week by its founding collective; and so on. USBC's site links out to each organizer directly.

How can I get involved?

 Sharing accurate information, supporting a friend who's breastfeeding, and learning your own workplace rights are all meaningful ways to participate. Organizations and providers can also request an official proclamation through USBC's toolkit.

Is Zomee involved in NBM programming?

Zomee participates in National Breastfeeding Month through educational content, community programming, and resources aligned with each week's official theme, all month long. Stay tuned for what we have coming next!

Helpful Breastfeeding Resources

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