Mothers who are breastfeeding their babies are being invited along to a local event which is part of a global day to raise awareness of the benefits but also the need for support for mums who choose to breastfeed.
Between 1 – 7 August each year the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action organises World Breastfeeding Week. The week is now celebrated in 120 countries and marks the signing of the WHO/UNICEF document Innocenti Declaration, which lists the benefits of breastfeeding, plus global goals.
To mark the occasion on Friday 4th August and Saturday 5th August 2017 at 10.30am thousands of breastfeeding women and their children across the world will gather in their own communities to take part in the Global Big Latch On, a synchronised breastfeeding event in multiple locations.
The local Big Latch On will take place at The Healthy Start Baby Café, Seagulls Children’s Centre, Magdalen Way, Gorleston, NR31 7BP, next Saturday, 5 August, from 10am for the 10.30am start.
Kay Horn, Infant feeding Coordinator and midwife at the James Paget University Hospital, said; “We work with mothers to help and encourage them to breast-feed although we are conscious it has to be a decision for each individual. There are health benefits for both mum and baby and therefore we aim to explain and advise, but support from other mums can also be important. The Big Latch On gives you the opportunity to talk with other women and join in this global event and we’d like to invite anyone who is breastfeeding to come along.”
Since the first Big Latch On in New Zealand in 2005 the event has taken off and the goal in 2017 is to break the global record of 17,852 breastfeeding women attending.
The Global Big Latch On is informed by the principles of community development, providing the opportunity for breastfeeding women to get together in their local communities, host their own events, and identify opportunities for on-going support.
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life to optimise benefits for mothers and babies.
For more information see: www.biglatchon.org or contact Curita Reilly, Midwife/Baby café facilitator on 01493 660090.
Further details can also be found on our website - www.jpaget.nhs.uk/departments-services/departments-services-a-z/maternity-services/breastfeeding/ .