WHEREAS, enhancing maternal health is a fundamental value of Governor Youngkin’s “Healthy Moms, Healthy Families, and Healthy Communities” initiative and is of utmost importance to the happiness, vitality, and livelihood of our Commonwealth’s families and communities; and

CONSIDÉRANT qu' une alimentation optimale est d'une importance vitale au cours des premiers mois et des premières années de la vie et qu'elle a un impact sur la santé tout au long de la vie ; et

CONSIDÉRANT que le lait maternel est physiologiquement adapté à la maturation du système digestif des nourrissons, garantissant une croissance et un développement corrects et contribuant à la prévention d'une série de maladies aiguës et chroniques ; et

WHEREAS, breastfeeding is a natural, renewable food that is environmentally safe, produced and delivered without pollution or packaging waste, and is a sustainable infant feeding choice that strengthens community resiliency; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding strengthens the emotional and physical bond between mother and child and provides women with health benefits such as recovering more quickly from childbirth, reduced risk of ovarian, uterine, and breast cancer, as well as osteoporosis and high blood pressure; and

WHEREAS, breast milk transmits key antibodies that prevent severe infections and promote effective immune modulation, inflammation regulation, and tissue development; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding lowers the risk of postpartum depression and high blood pressure, which is prevalent among women following delivery; and

WHEREAS, breastfeeding is a public health focus area because the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hopes to increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed at one year of age to 54%; and

WHEREAS, 73% of mothers return to full-time employment within 6 months of giving birth, so workplace lactation accommodation is necessary and critical to meeting this goal; and

CONSIDÉRANT que le lait pasteurisé de donneuses ( ) peut constituer un traitement salvateur pour les nourrissons médicalement fragiles et une transition nutritionnelle vers l'allaitement maternel exclusif, et que les mères de Virginie ont généreusement fait don de leur lait maternel aux personnes dans le besoin ; et

WHEREAS, food security and safe infant feeding is a priority to support healthy moms, families, and communities, and the Virginia Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program provides nutrition education, breastfeeding promotion and support, and supplemental nutritious foods; and

WHEREAS, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action declared August 1-7, 2025, as World Breastfeeding Week, and the 2025 theme is “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems;” and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Department of Health strives to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in a joint effort with hospital systems and community partners; and, to keep breastfeeding high on the public health agenda to improve the health and well-being of our communities;

C'est pourquoi, moi, Glenn Youngkin, , je reconnais par la présente le mois d' août 2025 comme le Mois de la sensibilisation à l'allaitement maternel dans le COMMONWEALTH DE VIRGINIE, et j'attire l'attention de tous nos concitoyens sur cette célébration.