BREASTIVAL'S ‘Big Latch On’ event brought hundreds of breastfeeding mothers to Ormeau Park at the weekend.

Over 500 people attended the event in both Belfast and Derry, with over 100 infants breastfed at the same time across both locations.

The award-winning Breastival had a range of events organised as part of World Breastfeeding Week, with Saturday’s event being the only in-person activity.

Mothers from across the north were invited to attend and feed their children in the public park in an attempt to reduce the stigma and help normalise breastfeeding.

The Breastival team of volunteers competed between the two locations to create the biggest gathering of women and breastfed infants and children.

The day’s events included a range of fun activities for babies, toddlers and young children. 

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Tina Black, launched the event in Ormeau Park.

“It’s wonderful to see so many mums and families coming together and supporting each other in the campaign to normalise breastfeeding, and especially breastfeeding in public.

“We know it’s still something that can be seen as a bit taboo when actually it’s the most natural thing in the world, so this campaign is about breaking down those barriers and making women feel supported, confident and empowered to be able to breastfeed in public without the stigma or fear of judgement.”

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Breastival seeks to support and empower women and families who choose to breastfeed.

The in-person celebration marked the end of a week of webinars and virtual events, all of which are available to watch on Breastival’s YouTube channel. 

Breastival’s Coordinator, Catherine Muldoon has said: “The ‘Big Latch On’ is always a fantastic celebration of breastfeeding and we were thrilled to be back hosting it in person this year. It was wonderful to see so many mothers and families attend the event in Belfast and in Derry/Londonderry and build connections with other mothers at a similar stage of their feeding journey. 

“We know that many women might feel nervous about breastfeeding in public and that is why events like this are so important for breastfeeding mums and society as a whole, to reinforce the message that breastfeeding is normal and valuable, and the efforts women put into feeding their babies deserves to be celebrated.”

The founder of the Breastival event, Jennifer Hanratty, spoke of the success of Saturday’s event and its importance in continuing to connect with and support women.

“The Big Latch On allows mothers to feel empowered in their choices, to access support, feed their babies and interact with one another in a fun, relaxed environment," she said. 

“The atmosphere at our in-person day was joyful. To see so many mothers and families together feeding their babies, toddlers and young children was so special, particularly for those women who had babies when Covid precautions were in place in maternity settings and in-person support in the community was reduced. Seeing the confidence women gained just being around each other highlights why events like Breastival are so important in continuing to connect women to support and celebrating their achievements on their feeding journey.”