MIDDLEBURG – The Clay County Department of Health hopes to create awareness to breastfeeding and its importance on future generations with its Big Latch On event in August.

The first week of August is celebrated internationally as World Breastfeeding Week, and for the second year in a row, the DOH will bring that global celebration to the county on Saturday, Aug. 3, at 10:30 a.m. at the St. Vincent’s Primary Care clinic. Breastfeeding mothers will latch their children at the same time to raise the global count for the day.

“We will do an official count of the latched children, breastfeeding mothers and people hosting and supporting the event,” DOH Health Educator Erica Wingo said. “The numbers will be sent to the organization and be part of the global count.”

Last year, there were more than 25,000 women breastfeeding in 28 countries and a total of 60,000 people participating in the event, including mothers and children. Wingo said the global participation serves to show breastfeeding mothers and soon-to-be-moms that there are others out there who support them.

While the Big Latch On has been happening worldwide for 10 years, it didn’t make it to Clay County until last year.

“In 2018, I was searching online for ideas to do an event in Clay County regarding breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week,” Wingo said. “I am the health educator for the area and wanted to celebrate the week with something fun for the community. I collaborated with my coworkers and was connected with Ellen Haynes, a lactation specialist form the Ascension St. Vincent’s and we put the first annual event together in a few weeks.”

Wingo said the mission of the event is to protect, promote and provide a safe space for women who breastfeed to gain peer support.

“We want to make breastfeeding normal in our society that is seen as natural and good for our children and their future,” Wingo said.

Many of the DOH’s events are funded by partnerships with local businesses but the event is funded by a partnership with Ascension St. Vincent’s that allows the DOH to offer the program at no charge. Participants can expect vendors there to provide educational materials about child safety, safe sleep and poison control, Wingo said. There also will be a raffle for a breastfeeding support device.

Interested mothers can register on the day of the event at 10 a.m. at 1670 St. Vincent’s Way in Middleburg.

“The Big Latch On provides a safe space for moms, new and experienced, to ask questions and get support from other women in the same stage of life,” Wingo said. “This event brings more awareness to the importance of breastfeeding such as the cost – it’s free – and the health benefits later in life as the child grows into adulthood.

“Breastfeeding is a natural process and federal law states that a woman can breastfeed anytime, anywhere. We are trying to create a community that supports that.”