16th July 2013
The ‘Big Latch On’ is on target to break another record
Women’s Health Action has coordinated the Big Latch On throughout Aotearoa New Zealand since 2005 with funding provided
by the Ministry of Health. Recently the Big Latch On went global and Aotearoa New Zealand is now joined by 21 other
participating countries, including the United States, United Kingdom and Australia. The Big Latch On is a partnership
between health organisations, community groups and groups of friends who host a Big Latch On and women come together at
registered venues to breastfeed at the same time.
This year the Big Latch On takes place in World Breastfeeding Week (occurs in the first week of August each year) on
Friday 2nd August 2013 at 10.30am at local venues throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
‘We are still over two weeks away to the Big Latch On and over one thousand women are planning to attend, we are on the
way to breaking the record’, says Women’s Health Action Director Julie Radford-Poupard.
This year the World Breastfeeding Week theme is peer support, which recognises that successful breastfeeding requires
support from family, friends and the community. Research shows that appropriate community, peer support and family links
are critical for breastfeeding women and have a positive influence on breastfeeding rates and duration.
‘The Big Latch On is a great community event, it’s a lot of fun, you get to meet other women and previous participants
tell us they made new friends and liked supporting each other, there is still plenty of time to join a Big Latch On or
register a venue. Go to www.biglatchon.org.nz or phone 09 520 5295’ says Julie Radford-Poupard.
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