Abrazo West Campus will host a series of educational events during World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1–7, joining a global public health effort aimed at expanding support for new and expectant parents.
The schedule includes a public health fair on Tuesday, Aug. 4, followed by free workshops on Thursday, Aug. 6, covering breastfeeding fundamentals and practical strategies for parents returning to work.
World Breastfeeding Week was launched in 1992 by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action to commemorate a global pledge by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to promote infant nutrition.The campaign highlights the health benefits of nursing and advocates for workplace support and community resources for families.
Local health leaders say the outreach effort directly addresses families facing navigating the early days of feeding without adequate guidance or social support.
“We want pregnant and breastfeeding families, hospital staff, and local breastfeeding support resources to come together in a spirit of learning, encouragement, and community because no family should have to walk the breastfeeding journey alone,” said Jennifer Nowlin, Nursing Director of Women and Infant Services at Abrazo West Campus.
"Breastfeeding provides lifelong health benefits for both babies and mothers, giving every child the healthiest possible start in life," said Barbara Otterson, a registered nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant at Abrazo West Campus.
The initiative aligns with a broader push by the hospital's Women and Infant Services department to emphasize continuous, personalized care. As part of that model, staff members have reinstated traditional practices, such as direct follow-up phone calls to families after discharge, to help ease post-birth anxiety.
Otterson, a 40-year healthcare veteran, said that post-discharge check-ins were once standard across the industry but have largely fallen away in modern hospital systems.
"Healthcare has turned into a health business for a lot of places, but this hospital still has that quality where they care about the patients," Otterson said. "To see them doing some of the thoughtful, kind, patient-centered things that we did 30 years ago touches my heart."
Hospital administrators said the week's events encourage more local families to use available resources.
“This is an opportunity to discover the many people and resources available to support breastfeeding success, ask questions, build connections, and celebrate the difference we can make together because when a community comes together to support breastfeeding, every family has the opportunity to thrive,” Nowlin said.
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