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August 1st marked the beginning of National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week. All month long, 1,000 Days is celebrating breastfeeding in the U.S. and around the world and highlighting the policy changes that are needed to ensure all families can meet their breastfeeding goals.

This year’s theme for National Breastfeeding Month, Every Step of the Way, highlights the importance of anticipating and meeting the needs of lactating families throughout the breastfeeding journey. At 1,000 Days, we know that supporting families every step of the way requires Congressional action to increase access to healthy food, culturally-competent health care, and employee protection, all of which can help families meet their breastfeeding goals. Below is a list of current breastfeeding-related bills we support. We believe these bills will help anticipate and meet the needs of all lactating families in the United States.

Federal Nutrition Programs
H.R. 2011 / S. 853, the Wise Investment in Children (WIC) Act

This bill would extend eligibility for postpartum women to receive benefits under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to two years postpartum, extend the program certification window to two years to reduce attrition, and allow children to receive WIC benefits through their sixth birthday.

Access to Quality, Comprehensive Health Care
S. 1977, the Improving Coverage and Care for Mothers Act

This bill would expand eligibility for Medicaid to all who are pregnant or within one year postpartum. It would also authorize Medicaid to extend coverage of services provided to include lactation consultants. As the bill highlights, a lactation consultant is a health professional trained to focus on the needs and concerns of a breastfeeding mother and baby, and to prevent, recognize and solve breastfeeding difficulties.

H.R. 3407 / S. 411, the Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA’s) Act

This bill would expand eligibility for Medicaid up to one year postpartum, and for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) up to two years postpartum.

Pregnant and Postpartum Women in the Workforce
H.R. 3110 / S. 1658, the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act

This bill would expand access to accommodations for expressing breast milk in the workplace, extending protections in the 2010 Break Time law to 9 million currently excluded workers, including teachers and nurses.

H.R. 1065 / S. 1486, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

This bill would require employers to make reasonable accommodations for employees who are pregnant, recovering from childbirth, or who have related medical conditions. It would also prevent employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees who need reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.

Health Equity
H.R. 959 / S. 346, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act

This bill would comprehensively address every dimension of the Black maternal health crisis in America by making critical investments in social determinants that influence health outcomes and confront issues of systemic racism in the medical system. It would also establish grant programs to increase the number of perinatal health workers – including lactation consultants and dietitians – who offer culturally congruent support.

Paid Family and Medical Leave
H.R. 804 / S. 248, the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act

This bill would provide comprehensive paid family and medical leave of up to 12 weeks to all workers in the United States. Categorically recognizing paid leave as a public health imperative, this bill has the potential to transform the lives of moms and babies. As research shows, paid leave supports breastfeeding initiation and duration in a number of ways. For example, a mother is more than twice as likely to stop breastfeeding in the month she returns to work compared to a mother who has not yet returned to work.

On August 21, 2021, 1,000 Days, Bread for the World, the Micronutrient Forum and Standing Together for Nutrition (STfN) hosted a Congressional briefing on the COVID-19 Recovery and Malnutrition. Global recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic are increasingly urgent in light of a looming malnutrition crisis that threatens the futures of an entire generation of children.

Modelling done by the STfN, a collective group of nutrition, economic, food, and health system experts, that was published in Nature Food, shows that, by 2022, there will be an estimated additional 13.6 million wasted (severely malnourished) children, additional 3.6 million stunted children, and 283,000 additional deaths of children, with the most severe consequences for young children and their mothers. Economic losses attributed to childhood stunting and mortality translate to future productivity earnings of 44 billion USD.

The August event featured remarks from Congressional nutrition champions Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan and Congresswoman Young Oak Kim on the impact of COVID-19 on malnutrition and food insecurity around the world and the recent legislation they co-sponsored to address this crisis, the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021.

The event featured the following nutrition champions (in order of appearance):

• Blythe Thomas, Initiative Director, 1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions
• Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan
• Congresswoman Young Kim
• Jordan Teague, Interim Director for Policy Analysis & Coalition Building, Bread for the World
• Dr. Rebecca Heidkamp, University of Johns Hopkins, Standing Together for Nutrition Consortium
• Abdoulaye Ka, Government of Senegal
• Shawn Baker, Chief Nutritionist, United States Agency for International Development

Watch the recording here.

Early this morning, the Senate voted to advance a $3.5 trillion budget resolution, taking a crucial first step toward the “once-in-a-generation investment in our families and our children” called for by President Biden. While there is much work to be done, this is encouraging progress toward securing paid family and medical leave for all, critical investments in maternal health and health equity, and a more secure future for all families. 1,000 Days will continue to work closely with partners and our allies in Congress to build support for this important package.

Blythe Thomas
Initiative Director
1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions

Posted Date: August 9, 2021
Anticipated Period of Performance: August – September 2021
Proposals Due: August 24, 2021

1,000 Days is seeking a consultant to create a high-level communications toolkit to inspire multi-stakeholder action at the Nutrition for Growth Summit.

1,000 Days respectfully acknowledges that our offices are located on the traditional lands of Piscataway and Nacotchtank people. Artwork by Erica Pretty Eagle Moore: @ericaprettyeagle.

The third annual Indigenous Milk Medicine Week is taking place this week, August 8-14. Formerly known as Native Breastfeeding Week, the weeklong celebration has now evolved to be more inclusive and to emphasize the healing power of those who breastfeed or chestfeed.

Native American children are breastfed at lower rates than the United States average. According to the CDC, 84.1% of all infants in the United States ever breastfeed, while only 80.7% of Native infants ever breastfeed. By six months of age, this disparity widens: only 19.6% of Native infants are exclusively breastfed, lower than the United States average of 25.6%.

The ongoing effects of historical trauma and structural barriers to accessing lactation support have affected breastfeeding rates. Family and community bonds were interrupted by the United States government’s forced relocation and assimilation programs, reducing the community’s ability to pass down traditions like breastfeeding. There are also few Native American lactation professionals in the United States, and other healthcare professionals are often more focused on issues like substance abuse than on lactation.

Indigenous Milk Medicine Week aims to help the community heal from this collective trauma. Courtney Peyketewa, a member of the planning committee, explains that Indigenous Milk Medicine Week exists “to increase support and resources, promote healing and wellness, and to provide stories and knowledge to the limited data regarding Native breastfeeding/chestfeeding and lactation.”

Learn more about Indigenous Milk Medicine Week by following @IndigenousMilkMedicineWeek on both Instagram and Facebook. Throughout the year, these accounts build community for Indigenous lactating parents and lactation supporters through statements of encouragement, news, and artwork that shares the joys and beauty of Indigenous breastfeeding and chestfeeding. Other social media channels uplifting Indigenous breastfeeders and chestfeeders include @CihuapactliCollective and the Navajo Nation Breastfeeding Coalition.

Looking beyond Indigenous Milk Medicine Week, there is more to be done to honor the power of Indigenous milk medicine and ensure that all families can meet their infant feeding goals. For example, more research involving or led by community stakeholders and elders is needed to inform lactation policies and programs. And importantly, all lactation support professionals need to practice cultural humility when working with Indigenous families.

“The Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act is a critical step in addressing maternal and child malnutrition in priority countries, to ensure that children everywhere can have a healthy first 1,000 days. COVID-19 has only exacerbated the crisis of malnutrition, with recent research suggesting that an additional 13.6 million children suffering from wasting (low weight in comparison to height), 3.6 million more children stunted (low height in comparison to age), and an additional 283,000 child deaths. Building on decades of American leadership, these provisions will ensure that USAID has the tools necessary to implement evidence-based interventions, coordinate with international partners, and integrate nutrition priorities into existing, successful programs to advance a multisectoral strategy. The Nutrition Leadership Council, housed at USAID, would be tasked with reviewing the efficacy of existing programs, identifying opportunities for interagency and international cooperation, and reporting to Congress on progress made towards specific, measurable goals towards ending global malnutrition. 1,000 Days is grateful to House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Michael McCaul, Chairman Gregory Meeks, and Representatives Chrissy Houlahan and Young Kim for their continued leadership, and we look forward to working closely to build support for this important legislation.”

Solianna Meaza, Director of Policy and Advocacy, 1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions

“I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and I’ve also wanted to become an Olympian and compete at the highest level of our sport. I never thought I was going to be at the Olympics as a new mom.” – U.S. Olympic marathoner Aliphine Tuliamuk

Only 1 in 562,400 people make it to the Olympic games. Without question, even getting to the Olympics means you are a champion.

While all of us at 1,000 Days are excited to watch this year’s games, we are especially keeping an eye on one Olympian, American marathoner Aliphine Tuliamuk who has already blazed a new trail heading into these unique Olympic Games. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, restrictions would have separated her from baby daughter, Zoe, who is still breastfeeding. So Tuliamuk petitioned the Organizing Committee and now is cleared to bring baby Zoe to Tokyo so mom and baby can continue breastfeeding.

This is exciting on many fronts. First the basics: breastfeeding gives babies the very best start to life, and the benefits reach far into the future. Breastfeeding promotes healthy cognitive and social-emotional development. It also saves lives by helping to protect babies from infections, conditions such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia. And breastfeeding also has powerful health benefits for moms and birthing people. It helps women’s bodies recover from childbirth and decreases the risk of postpartum bleeding. It also reduces a woman’s risk of heart disease, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes and depression.

Second, this again shines a light on how difficult it is to be a breastfeeding person! Successful breastfeeding relies on parents having enough time, energy and capacity – but people in every corner of the world face too many barriers to start and continue breastfeeding. No one breastfeeds alone. It takes support from everyone – from parents to policymakers, health facilities, communities and employers. No one is immune from these obstacles – even an Olympian like Tuliamuk has to fight to continue her breastfeeding journey.

“I want to make sure my daughter understands that this world is not easy but that does not mean that you give up. It means that you double down and you work very, very hard and you seize every opportunity that you get. That’s how you achieve your goals,” Tuliamuk said in an interview with Good Morning America.

At 1,000 Days, an Initiative of FHI Solutions, we lead the fight to build a strong foundation for mothers and pregnant people, children, and future generations to thrive. Our mission is to make the well-being of women and children in the first 1,000 days a policy and funding priority, both in the United States and around the world. We encourage you to join us by participating in August Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week. Everyone is welcome to participate in the August 2021 #BreastfeedingIs Campaign to lift your voice to build a landscape of breastfeeding support.

This month, much attention on the Hill and around Washington, DC has been paid to ongoing, bipartisan negotiations on an infrastructure package. This important proposal, focused on roads, bridges, and other “hard” infrastructure developments, will likely be paired with some version of President Biden’s proposed American Families Plan, focused on making a once-in-a-generation investment in our children and our families. While 1,000 Days has been working closely with partners and allies in Congress to ensure that the needs of moms, pregnant people, babies, and their families are met in these packages, we are also focused on a number of other developments related to maternal and child health and nutrition. Here are a few recent actions we’ve been monitoring.

Committee and floor action on maternal and child health legislation:

Throughout May and June 2021, several Congressional committees moved to advance popular, bipartisan legislation to support the health of moms and babies, and a number of these bills received consideration on the House floor. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL)’s Protecting Moms Who Served Act passed out of the Veterans Affairs Committee and received bipartisan support in a floor vote, marking the passage of the first piece of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus. In June, reauthorization for an important newborn screening program, long-championed by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), received unanimous approval from the House. Additionally, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce held a hearing on the importance of quality data collection to improving public health that included consideration of two maternal health bills, Rep. Sharice Davids’ (D-KS) Data to Save Moms Act and Rep. Lucy McBath’s (D-GA) Social Determinants for Moms Act. These hearings and floor votes build on the productive consideration of several maternal health bills in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee before Mother’s Day. 1,000 Days will continue to share the stories of moms, pregnant people and babies with their representatives in Congress as we fight to make equitable, affordable, quality health care accessible to families everywhere.

Advocates hold week of action on paid leave:

In mid-June, 1,000 Days participated with partners from more than three dozen organizations and the Paid Leave for All campaign on a series of lobby days, bringing constituents to Congress to tell their representatives why their families and communities need paid leave. Culminating in a virtual rally with remarks from advocates, workers, and Congressional champions, this event brought together a wide range of advocates to speak with one voice to say that the time for action on paid leave is now.

Committee hearing on paid leave:

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform held a hearing on “Leading by Example: The Need for Comprehensive Paid Leave for the Federal Workforce and Beyond” to discuss the recent, full implementation of paid parental leave for federal employees and opportunities to expand leave for both government staff and the broader workforce. This comes on the heels of similar attention to the need for a universal, equitable federal paid family and medical leave program in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, as well as the House Ways and Means Committee.

Funding for WIC fresh fruits and vegetables benefit:

In late June, the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee released their spending proposal for FY22, which included an extension of the increased WIC Cash Value Benefit for fresh fruits and vegetables. This program provides moms and babies on WIC with $35 a month to purchase fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables: a more than three-fold increase from the prior benefit. This program, most recently extended in the American Rescue Plan Act, has helped ensure the nutrition security of WIC families during the pandemic, and has received wide support for extension into the future. 1,000 Days looks forward to working with partners and Congressional champions during the appropriations and Child Nutrition Reauthorization processes to continue strengthening WIC and ensuring the program meets the needs of moms, pregnant people, babies, and their families.

August 1st marks the beginning of National Breastfeeding Month and World Breastfeeding Week, celebrating the benefits of breastfeeding for families in the U.S. and around the world. All month long we’ll be highlighting breastfeeding in different communities and how we can build a landscape of breastfeeding support.

In honor of the month, we’re launching a new campaign with the National WIC Association: #BreastfeedingIs. Join us by posting a selfie or a video on social media that explains what breastfeeding means to you! Whether you’re breastfeeding or chestfeeding now, have done so in the past, or support others who breastfeed, we’d love to hear from you. Directions on how to get involved below.

Step 1. Write Down What #BreastfeedingIs to You

First, write down “Breastfeeding is ____” on a blank piece of paper and fill in the blank with one word that sums up what breastfeeding is to you. Some examples to help brainstorm: powerful, challenging, love, bonding, gratifying, a struggle.

Step 2. Taking Your Photo or Video

After writing your message on a notecard or piece of paper, hold it up to your face, then grab your phone and take a selfie! If you’d like the chance to explain your response further, we invite you to record a short video (<60 seconds) of yourself talking about what breastfeeding is to you.

Step 3. Social Media Language

The last step is the most important: Share your message on social media. Talk to people about your breastfeeding journey and/or why protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding matters to you! And remember — attach your photo or video and use #BreastfeedingIs when you post! Please also tag @1000Days (Twitter & Facebook) and @first1000days (Instagram) + @NatWICAssoc (Twitter & Instagram) and @NationalWICAssociation (Facebook).

If you’re not quite sure what to say, here are some messaging examples:

• Join me along with @1000Days and @NatWICAssoc this National Breastfeeding Month in sharing what #BreastfeedingIs to you. [Attach your selfie]
• This National Breastfeeding Month, I want to share what #BreastfeedingIs to me! @1000Days @NatWICAssoc [Attach your selfie]

Breastfeeding is a universal solution that gives everyone a fair start in life and lays the foundation for moms and babies to survive and thrive. We all have a role to play in supporting breastfeeding, and we hope you’ll join us this National Breastfeeding Month as a breastfeeding champion.