BREASTIVAL is back and celebrating a decade of encouragement and support for breastfeeding.
The award-winning family-friendly breastfeeding festival takes place this Saturday, August 1, at Drumglass Park (Cranmore Park), in south Belfast, from 12 pm to 4 pm.
It welcomes pregnant women, parents, babies and young children, wider family members, health professionals, friends and supporters.
Entry is free, but tickets are required, and can be booked via Eventbrite here.
On her own breastfeeding experience Louth woman and event cofounder Dr Jennifer Hanratty said: “I loved it. It was hard, and a challenge.
“Most of us here won’t have seen a baby being breastfed or for some women they have never even held a baby.
“It is something you have to learn, and that learning comes through support groups that are available, within the health service and communities, and other women. It’s not easy but it is definitely worth it.”
Breastival aims to help normalise and celebrate breastfeeding, and create a welcoming space for all families, regardless of how they choose to feed their babies.
Jennifer said parenting is “joyous and challenging” so having the festival gives women space to connect and share their experiences.
The ‘Big Latch On’ takes place at 12.30pm on Saturday, which is a “shared show of visibility and support”.
IN GOOD COMPANY: Dr Jennifer Hanratty, right, co-founder of Breastival with Adele Paton, Breastfeeding Champion
There will also be a parent’s market, food vendors, baby reflexology, a baby disco, a rhyme session with North Belfast Sure Start, circus skills and messy play for children, a picnic space, and a community tent hosting charities, peer support groups, government organisations and the milk bank.
A new breastfeeding action plan was announced by the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt at Stormont earlier this month.
It highlights and supports increased breastfeeding rates as good for babies’ and mothers health.
Jennifer said: “The narrative used to be just tell women to do it, that it is really beneficial for mother and babies.
“It feeds the babies microbiome, it is the foundation of your immune system.
“It also has benefits for mums in terms of reducing their risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and it also has benefits in the closeness and developing relationship between mum and baby.
“All of that is true, but just telling women to do it is not a productive way to improve things because we know there are a lots of barriers that can get in the way.
“Breastival is one way to reduce those barriers in terms of changing the narrative in our culture. Breastfeeding is just a normal part of everyday life.”
For more about Breastival, which is supported by Belfast City Council and the Public Health Agency, visit https://breastival.co.uk/
