BRATTLEBORO — In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, the Brattleboro community and local businesses will be celebrating breastfeeding during the first week of August. This year the theme is “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together.”
The Vermont Department of Health encourages breastfeeding, and supports nursing mothers through educational programs and initiatives. The department's Local Health Office in Brattleboro works with new moms one-on-one in its WIC clinics and through breastfeeding classes, and helps local businesses become Breastfeeding Friendly Employers.
Other community supports for breastfeeding include nurses and lactation consultants at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital's Birthing Center, and home visiting Maternal Child Health nurses through Children's Integrated Services and the Nurse Family Partnership.
Here's what Brattleboro has planned for World Breastfeeding Week:
• Gallery Walk Cabana - Located on Main Street in front of Vermont Artisan Designs during Gallery Walk (Aug. 4): Demonstrates the space and materials needed for a breastfeeding/pumping area at work. This is part of Vermont's Breastfeeding Friendly Employer's project.
• Gallery Walk Photography and Slide Show - Located at the Latchis Gallery on Main Street during Gallery Walk (Aug. 4): Local photographer Zachary Stephens, together with his wife, Michelle, will share images from their photographic project, Nursing Is Normal. The images show breastfeeding mothers and their children in various local settings. Information about local breastfeeding resources will also be available.
• The Big Latch On - On Saturday, Aug. 5, from 9 to 11 a.m., at Living Memorial Park Playground's Gazebo. Nursing mothers and their infants will gather to join breastfeeders worldwide in support of breastfeeding. There will be a count taken at 10:30 a.m. In 2016, there were 17,992 “latched on” children during this event worldwide! More at biglatchon.org.
• Displays - The community celebrates breastfeeding with a number of displays in locations throughout Brattleboro.
• Social Media - The Brattleboro Local Health Office Facebook page will be sharing positive photos of breastfeeding women. These images are designed to show that breastfeeding is a normal and healthy part of the lives of women and infants. They ask that people “Look for these, like, comment, and share!”