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Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding

Breastfeeding or chestfeeding is important for you and your baby.

Today most babies are breastfed or chestfed. And as more Canadians understand how important breastfeeding or chestfeeding is for the health of mothers/parents and babies, more people are supporting mothers/parents to breastfeed or chestfeed for longer, up to 2 years and more. 

Informal (peer-to-peer) milk sharing

Your own milk is the best way to feed your baby. When your milk is not available, for whatever reason, pasteurized donor human milk from an official milk bank is the next best choice.


Some parents feel the benefits of human milk outweigh the potential risks of formula. Informal milk sharing (sometimes called peer-to-peer milk sharing) is human milk that is:

  • obtained from family members, friends, a milk-sharing website, or purchased online;
  • usually not treated to kill any harmful bacteria or viruses

If you are thinking about giving your baby milk from an informal donor, read the Informal (Peer-to-Peer) Human Milk Sharing Family Information Sheet  and talk with your health care provider to discuss the risks and benefits of all feeding options.

BC Women's Provincial Milk Bank

The BC Women's Provincial Milk Bank screens milk donors, collects and pasteurizes donated milk, and distributes it to hospitals in BC.

Milk from a baby’s own mother/parent is always the first choice. When her milk isn’t available, donor milk is the next best thing. Donor milk has active beneficial properties and is similar to mother’s/parent's own milk. It provides babies with antibodies to fight disease and infection. Human milk is best for all babies. It is especially important for sick and very tiny babies.

The demand for milk is high and often exceeds supply. New donors are always needed.

Before attempting to drop off milk to a  milk collection depot, you must call the depot that you plan to use to confirm times and locations for drop off.

 

Public Health Agency of Canada Parent Resource

Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding My Baby Guide

The Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding My Baby guide, available inside the Pregnancy Passport, is a helpful tool that can be printed and posted in health-care facilities to promote breastfeeding or chestfeeding, or used with families for individual or group education: Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding My Baby


Breastfeeding Your Preterm Baby

The Breastfeeding Your Preterm Baby booklet was adapted with permission from the BFI Strategy for Ontario. The Breastfeeding Your Preterm Baby booklet supports families who have a preterm baby and who plan to breastfeed or chestfeed and/or provide human milk to their baby. Topics include: breastfeeding or chestfeeding your preterm baby, skin-to-skin contact and Kangaroo care, tips to getting off to a good start, pumping, feeding your baby at the hospital and tips for when you take your baby home.

The Breastfeeding Your Preterm Baby booklet is available in the following languages: 

Human Milk and Contrast Media

Is it safe to breastfeed or chestfeed my baby after my Medical Imaging test? Yes

Learn more about human milk and contrast media



Other Resources:

 

These materials promote community support of breastfeeding or chestfeeding. Click on the images below to see print-ready versions of the promotional materials.

  

4 x posters 

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‎World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7, but it is celebrated in Canada from October 1-7. It is celebrated in October because it is the 10th month of the year and symbolizes the first week of a baby's life (after nine months of pregnancy) when a baby may begin to breastfeed or chestfeed.


The #WBW2024 slogan "Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding support for all" will focus on survival, health and wellbeing. It will showcase the need to improve breastfeeding or chestfeeding support to reduce inequalities that exist in our society with a special focus on breastfeeding or chestfeeding in times of emergencies and crises. The theme is aligned with thematic area 2 of the WBW-SDG 2030 campaign.

 The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) reminds us that although support at the individual level is very important, breastfeeding or chestfeeding must be considered a public health issue that requires investment at all levels. In Canada, just over 91% of mothers/parents initiate breastfeeding or chestfeeding but 1 in 7 stop before newborn reaches one month of age.** A warm chain of support will help build an enabling environment for breastfeeding or chestfeeding and protect against industry influence. It is time to inform, anchor, engage and galvanize action to close the gap in breastfeeding or chestfeeding inequalities and support breastfeeding or chestfeeding at all levels.

 

**The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) Canada's Breastfeeding Progress Report 2022

 

Learn more about World Breastfeeding Week


Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge

In October, the Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge celebrates breastfeeding or chestfeeding and milk-banking and demonstrates promotion, protection, and support for breastfeeding or chestfeeding women/parents and their families. It's a chance for education and peer support to be done in a fun social way.

 The challenge is usually held the first Saturday in October of each year to see which geographic area (province, state, or territory) has the most breastfeeding or chestfeeding babies, as a percentage of the birth rate, "latched on" at 11 am local time.


PSBC National Breastfeeding Week 2024 Campaign

Check our our resources here: PSBC National Breastfeeding Week 2024 Campaign and learn about PSBC's 'Snap and Share' social media campaign #PSBCSnapShare2024

 
SOURCE: Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding ( )
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