La Leche League (LLL) was founded to give information and encouragement and support, primarily through personal help, for all parents who want to nurse their babies. While complementing the care of physicians and other health-care professionals, LLL recognizes the unique importance of an experienced parent helping another to meet the needs of their children, and to nurture and feed through nursing.
LLL believes that breastfeeding, with its many physiological and psychological advantages, is what is biologically designed for baby and is the ideal way to initiate a parent-child relationship. The loving help and support of the whole family enables the nursing parent to focus on infant care so that together the baby develops close relationships which strengthen the family and thus the whole fabric of society.
LLL further believes that parenting through breastfeeding or chestfeeding deepens a nursing parent’s understanding and acceptance of the responsibilities and rewards of their special role in the family. As a person grows into parenthood they grow as a human being, and every other role they may fill in their lifetime is enriched by the insights and humanity gained from those experiences.
LLL’s purpose is distinct. This singleness of purpose does not prevent interaction with other organizations with compatible purposes, but La Leche League will carefully guard against partnering itself with additional causes, however worthwhile those causes may be. La Leche League recognizes and respects the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes, and refuses to affiliate financially with violators of that code.
La Leche League USA helps parents, families, and communities to breastfeed, chestfeed, and human milk feed their babies through parent-to-parent support. LLL USA encourages, informs, educates, supports, and promotes the use of human milk and the intimate relationship and development that comes from nursing a child for as long as mutually desired.
La Leche League USA (LLL USA) is committed to diversity and inclusion. La Leche League Leaders support all breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and human milk feeding families, inclusive of their race, ethnicity, immigration status, national origin, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, family structure, primary language, ability, or socio-economic status. LLL USA fosters diversity among its Leaders so as to incorporate a wide variety of perspectives and responsible decision-making.