About

The Big Latch On is an event which involves women gathering together at registered venues to breastfeed and to offer peer support to the other breastfeeding women in their community.  Family, whānau, friends and breastfeeding supporters from the community also attend the events to support and promote breastfeeding. Individuals and community groups volunteer to organise and host Big Latch On venues across the country.The Big Latch On was started by Women’s Health Action in 2005.  The event is now a worldwide peer support, community development event aiming to strengthen national and global support for breastfeeding, to improve the health of children around the world.The Big Latch On takes place annually over two days during World Breastfeeding Week (1st – 7th August).  For those women who cannot make it to a Big Latch On event in their local community, there is an option to participate online, through the ‘I latched on’ breastfeeding selfie initiative. Click here to read more about ‘Selfie’s’

Aims of the Big Latch On:

• Support for communities to identify and grow opportunities to provide ongoing breastfeeding support and promotion.
• Raise awareness of breastfeeding support and knowledge available in communities.
• Help communities positively support breastfeeding in public places.
• Make breastfeeding a normal part of the day-to-day life at a local community level.
• Increase support for women who breastfeed – women are supported by their partners, family and the breastfeeding knowledge that is embedded in their communities.
• Communities have the resources to advocate for coordinated appropriate and accessible breastfeeding support services.

The Big Latch On is a highly successful, targeted community development initiative that raises awareness of the benefits ofbreastfeeding, encourages the formation of support networks between breastfeeding women, and aims to normalize breastfeeding as a part of daily life.

Global Big Latch On

The Big Latch On was introduced to Portland, Oregon, in 2010 by Joanne Edwards, Small Beginnings Group as a celebration for World Breastfeeding Week. In 2011, Joanne worked with Annie Brown and members of La Leche League USA to grow the Big Latch On across the USA.In an effort to further strengthen the Big Latch On’s mission to protect, promote and support breastfeeding women and in recognition of increasing global participation in the Big Latch On, Women’s Health Action and the Big Latch On Global Coordinator Joanne Edwards of Small Beginnings Group, joined forces in 2012. You can find out more about the Global Big Latch On by visiting http://biglatchon.org