Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week at events this weekend

The Big Latch On aims to break the record for the most women breastfeeding at the same time. Local events are in Durham, Morrisville and Fayetteville.

Posted 7:04 p.m. Aug 3, 2011 — Updated 12:51 a.m. Aug 4, 2011

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

World Breastfeeding Week is this week and there are at least three events in this part of North Carolina to mark the celebration.

The Big Latch On aims to break the record for the most women breastfeeding at the same time. The most recent record, set in October 2010, recorded 9,826 nursing mothers at 325 sites in 16 countries, according to the event's website. On Saturday, at each Big Latch On event, witnesses will count all the mothers who have latched their babies on for one minute at 10:30 a.m.

In this part of North Carolina, there are official events in Durham, Morrisville and Fayetteville.

Here's where you'll find them:

A Little Walk and The Big Latch On starts at 9 a.m. Saturday in Durham. Gather at Duke's East Campus across from Whole Foods on Broad Street for a walk on the East Campus path. Meet again at 10 a.m. to register and for refreshments. The official nursing starts at 10:30 a.m.
A Maternity Fair and Big Latch on is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Cliffdale Recreation Center, 6404 Cliffdale Rd., in Fayetteville. You'll find information for pregnant women provided by a variety of groups. There will be free gift bags for moms while supplies last.
And the Diapering Doula in Morrisville, which I've featured, is encouraging moms to come over and "get their latch on." Get there by 10 a.m. Saturday for the official nursing session at 10:30 a.m.

For more information and contact information for each of the events, click here (and scroll down until you get to the North Carolina event listings).

I'm a big supporter of breastfeeding, but I also know (from personal experience) that it can be very difficult for some moms. If you're nursing and need help or are pregnant and thinking about nursing and have questions, there are a lot of groups out there that want to help you. Check our breastfeeding resources page for all the details.

And click here to read more about the benefits of breastfeeding according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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