Big Latch On event goes virtual from Dannevirke

Samantha Christison (standing, left) and Cherry-Anne Lee at the Big Latch On in 2019. The cafe is now called Sugar and Salt.

An event to promote World Breastfeeding week is going to be virtual this year.

The Big Latch On will be on August 6 and 7 and women are invited to sign up for virtual meetings.

Each participant is meant to latch on at a specified time.

Dannevirke midwife and lactation consultant Cherry-Anne Lee said while previously the event could be run face-to-face, the virtual one has been done because of Covid.

"We're obviously low risk for Covid and we don't have restrictions but because the Big Latch On is a global event, we are held to the fact that it still needs to be virtual this year."

She said that meant any mum could join from anywhere in the world on the day and sign in for what would essentially be an online Zoom meeting.

"If they can't attend that they can upload a selfie of themselves feeding or just with their baby and they can hash tag and put it onto social media."

Lee said it was a little tricky for her because it was harder in a rural area and people preferred to do it face-to-face.

She said it was still a positive thing, even if the Big Latch On was virtual.

"Globally from the World Health Organisation, we know that breastfeeding is so important.

"It's good for everyone; good for mum and good for baby."

Lee said there had been a global push to encourage breastfeeding.

She believed the latch on event had been started to try and normalise and encourage breastfeeding for the health and safety of mums and babies.

"Obviously the bigger picture is to try and reduce healthcare costs on every society and country ... because we know that long term, babies that are breastfed tend to have better outcomes."

Lee also emphasised there were still cases where women couldn't breastfeed and there was nothing wrong with that.

There were some mums who felt judged for bottle feeding.

It was one reason she offered a milk cafe once a month where mums, and even dads, could come along and socialise with other parents whether the baby was breastfed or bottle fed.

"I hold my milk cafe in a cafe to try and help bridge a little bit of that gap so people don't feel judged and they're supported."

Lee said even grandparents could come along to the cafe.

"It's a lovely little way to normalise breast feeding and bottle feeding.

"My goal is to normalise however this looks for you, whatever it is for you.

"It's not right or wrong, it's what works for you and your baby and at the end of the day we want to be really flexible because no one fits inside a box."

Information on the Virtual Big Latch On 2021 is at Women's Health.