Hundreds of babies to latch on for breastfeeding awareness

Last year 1962 New Zealand women and children participated in the global Big Latch On event. Photo / File

It will be breastfeeding en masse for Hawke's Bay mums as they plan to celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness Week.

On Friday and Saturday, families in Hawke's Bay will gather to feed their children together.

One of La Leche League Hawke's Bay leaders Renata Lander said the Big Latch On provided support and connections for people.

"Often it's really helpful for a new mum to know another breastfeeding mum to ask all those questions," Lander said.

She said Hawke's Bay people appeared to be pretty happy with women breastfeeding in public.

"I've been a breastfeeding supporter for the past five years and I've heard of maybe one bad situation, where someone got asked to move into a changing room," Lander said.

"Otherwise all I've heard is positive comments, grannies, you know, lovely grandmothers saying 'oh, I remember doing that".

"Compared to other countries, you know, you hear stories, but I think in New Zealand it's just what people do and no one really bats an eyelid really."

Big Latch On originated in New Zealand in 2005 and is now a global event.

In 2017 more than 40 000 women and children took part globally.

This year's Hawke's Bay event was organised by Hawke's Bay Breastfeeding Group in partnership with La Leche League, Plunket and Hawke's Bay Parent's Centre.

To participate, families can go to the Plunket Hub in Napier on Friday at 10am, or the EIT Marae in Taradale on Saturday at 10am.

Alternatively women and children can take part online, by positing to social media using #BrelfieNZ.

Big Latch on is part of the 2018 Breastfeeding awareness week, which runs from August 1-7.