Moms, babies celebrate World Breastfeeding Week at Baby Bistro support group

BARRINGTON – Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital’s Baby Bistro hosted a special celebration on Aug. 7 in honor of World Breastfeeding Week.

Moms enjoyed completing a footprint craft with their babies to mark the occasion.

Baby Bistro is a free, weekly support group that meets on Thursdays at 10:30 a.m. in the Center for Health and Integrative Medicine. The group is led by a certified lactation consultant and offers guest speakers and engaging Mommy and Me activities, fostering a supportive environment for new mothers.

World Breastfeeding Week, observed Aug. 1–7, was established in 1992 to raise public awareness and support for breastfeeding. While some assume breastfeeding comes naturally, studies suggest that challenges with breastfeeding are very common. In one study, more than 70% of study participants had difficulty breastfeeding, and most of the issues arose in the first month of life.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months, with continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for up to two years of age or longer.

“Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants; it has all the essential nutrients a baby needs and contains antibodies which may help protect against many common childhood illnesses,” Jill Burman, certified lactation consultant at Advocate Health Care, said in a news release. “Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not yet fully normalized in the United States, and we need to do more to empower women to feel confident breastfeeding in public.”

For Tiffany Weber, a mom of three, World Breastfeeding Week is a powerful reminder of her journey. After delivering twins prematurely at Advocate Good Shepherd, Weber overcame early challenges with Burman’s instruction and donor breastmilk. She found continued support through Baby Bistro, attending weekly sessions and returning with her third child, Kammy.

“After I went to Baby Bistro for the first time, I didn’t miss any weeks until the twins graduated,” Weber said in the release. “I started going with Kammy one week after she was born because I was so excited to go back. It is such an incredible postpartum resource.”

“Being a new mom is a big transition, whether it’s your first baby or your fourth,” Burman said. “At Baby Bistro, we want to help moms make meaningful memories. It’s so important to uplift and encourage them and remind them they’re doing an amazing job.”