Latching on catches on big

Amy Stevenson with son Theo (5 months) and daughter Isla (4), of Kew. Photos by Christine O'Connor.
Amy Stevenson with son Theo (5 months) and daughter Isla (4), of Kew. Photos by Christine O'Connor.
Emma Collins and daughters Phoenix (4 months) and Juliette (2), of Company Bay, at the Big Latch...
Emma Collins and daughters Phoenix (4 months) and Juliette (2), of Company Bay, at the Big Latch On in the Meridian.
Breast-feeding mothers at the Big Latch On.
Breast-feeding mothers at the Big Latch On.

A chance to network with other mothers and the added bonus of free coffee and muffins attracted about 50 mothers and their babies to the Big Latch On at the Meridian Mall on Friday.

The event was a globally co-ordinated breast-feeding initiative where mothers from around the world breast-fed their children at the same time in a range of different settings.

Southern DHB health promotion adviser Christine Quested said it was wonderful to see so many women come along.

''It gives other women the confidence to come out and breast-feed in public,'' she said.

''It's a way of meeting other women who are doing the same thing [and] they can pick up information and learn about it as well.''

This year's theme was ''Breast-feeding and Work: Let's Make It Work'', which emphasised the ''importance of protecting, promoting and supporting breast-feeding in the workplace''.

''We know that although breast-feeding is natural, life and careers can often make it more difficult so it is important that employers and mothers know how to access support,'' Dunedin Breast-feeding Network Group member Sophie Carty said.

There were plenty of health benefits associated with breast-feeding, mother Amy Stevenson said.

''This is the third child that I've breast-fed.

''They don't seem to get sick as often,'' she said.

Other Big Latch On events were also held in Queenstown, Wanaka, Alexandra, Oamaru and Balclutha.

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