How can employers and workplaces better support breastfeeding? Why does breastfeeding contribute to climate action? And what was #OstentatiousBreastfeeding about anyway?
These and other questions are addressed below by Professor Lisa Amir, a breastfeeding researcher at La Trobe University and Editor-in-Chief of the International Breastfeeding Journal. She marked World Breastfeeding Week by guest tweeting for Croakey’s rotated Twitter account @WePublicHealth, as summarised below.
Lisa Amir tweets:
I’d like to start the week by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land where I live, the Boonwarrung people of the Kulin Nations.
My work is all about breastfeeding. I’m a medical doctor, research professor, journal editor-in-chief. World Breastfeeding Week is an opportunity to share my passion! Breastfeeding is an important public health issue
And we need to be more specific about what we’re measuring.
Is it how long a person lactates? How long a child receives human milk? Is child “at-breast-feeding” or receiving expressed/shared/donated/purchased human milk? More about milk donation and sharing: https://tinyurl.com/mps2a2rv
Societal actions 
The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action – WABA – shared this document for International Women’s Day in March this year: Working women have the right to support for breastfeeding!
You might be interested in hearing some practical advice: a GOLD webinar on 1 August, “Lactation and Employment: How to Make Breastfeeding WORK” (4 week free access) (disclosure: I have been a speaker for GOLD Learning).
Reducing emissions
Let’s chat about breastfeeding and the climate crisis. Breastfeeding is the shortest food mile possible!
@JuliePSmith1 from @ANUPopHealth has explained the carbon footprint of infant formula.
Questions about medicines
Now we are changing tack and looking at medications for breastfeeding women. This can be a barrier if mothers are unnecessarily told to stop breastfeeding in order to take medication.
We’ve published a blog today, Medicines and Breastfeeding: complicated questions.
Most maternal medicines are safe for most infants: “…a shared decision-making approach regarding medication use may help women feel more confident in the recommendations given and ultimately help women achieve their breastfeeding goals”.
Read the article. 
Read the article.
Read the article.
Read the article on urban design,
…and follow @Lisa_H_Amir on Twitter
See previous articles from @WePublicHealth guest tweeters
