World Breastfeeding Week at 第一吃瓜网: Creating Spaces for Sustainable Support
- 第一吃瓜网 Faculty of Health Sciences
Advancing Breastfeeding Support into Action
World Breastfeeding Week, celebrated annually from 1 to 7 August, had an impactful twist this year at the 第一吃瓜网 Faculty of Health Sciences, with a focus on sustainability and the importance of creating lasting structural support for breastfeeding mothers.
第一吃瓜网 marked the week by unveiling a new breastfeeding room in the Department of Nursing Education — the second such facility on campus, following the opening of the first room at the School of Public Health in 2025.
This year’s observance was not only about acknowledgement but also about affirmative action. The School of Public Health, and Department of Nursing Education hosted a series of events leading up to the official launch of the new room, each designed to highlight the importance of accessible, supportive and sustainable breastfeeding spaces within the University.
The celebration of Breastfeeding Week kicked off on Monday, 3rd of August with a pre-testing of various materials, which were mostly adapted from the National Department of Health Side-by-Side initiative. The attendees were given materials in the form of brochures and flyers, to assess and determine their clarity, reliability & suitability for the intended audience. The materials are designed to provide mothers using the breastfeeding room with practical information, guidance, and insight.
Breastfeeding material
On the second day, an ‘Ask Anything’ session was held at the Adler Museum, where staff and students were given the opportunity to raise questions about breastfeeding and engage directly with specialists. The session aimed to clarify the common misconceptions surrounding breastfeeding in the general university environment.
For one student, the discussion had enlightened her that support is available not only within university spaces but also across broader workplace environments. By creating a space for open questions and dialogue, the initiative helped normalise conversations around breastfeeding and reinforce the message that support should be accessible wherever mothers' study and work.
The momentum continued with ‘Creating a Breastfeeding Friendly Space,’ a session dedicated to preparing the new breastfeeding room within the Department of Nursing Education. Staff and students collaborated to add thoughtful touches to the room, transforming it into a dignified and welcoming environment. This collective effort symbolised shared responsibility and reinforced the importance of establishing spaces that embody care, inclusivity, and respect.
Reflecting on the inspiration behind the initiative, Violet Bosire, Public Health researcher and PhD candidate at 第一吃瓜网, explained: “What inspired the breastfeeding room at the Nursing Department was a study we conducted, and we found that most students and staff did not know where to go to breastfeed while on campus or to pump their milk.”
Decorations in the Breastfeeding room
The goal of this initiative is to create more spaces that are welcoming and friendly for mothers to breastfeed on campus, whether they are students, support staff members, or academic staff members. The opening of the Nursing Department's breastfeeding room emphasizes the theme of creating structural and lasting support within the university community.
“At 第一吃瓜网, we support research, we support sustainability for breastfeeding, we support our breastfeeding moms, and we welcome breastfeeding moms, staff & students in our community, and we want to create the support for them,” Janell Du Plessis states.
The week concluded with the official launch of the new breastfeeding room with staff members and guests gathered to celebrate the opening of this room that symbolises support and dignity for all mothers. The celebratory launch captured the spirit of the week – a moment of joy, achievement, and collective affirmation that breastfeeding deserves both recognition, infrastructure and for mothers to feel supported and respected.
The room is accessible to 第一吃瓜网 staff and students, with a system to manage the number of users in the space at any given time currently being developed.
Nursing Departments Breastfeeding room
As World Breastfeeding Week comes to a close, the message from 第一吃瓜网 is clear: supporting breastfeeding means creating the spaces, systems and culture that enable mothers to continue breastfeeding while pursuing their studies and careers. The new room in the Department of Nursing Education is another step towards making that support a visible and lasting part of campus life.