Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) invites expecting mothers, new mothers, and breastfeeding allies to join the WIC staff on Friday, August 4, 2017 from 10 – 11 a.m. to participate in the Global Big Latch On, an event dedicated to celebrating and encouraging mothers to breastfeed around the world.

The event is sponsored by the CDPH Women, Infant & Children Supplemental Nutrition (WIC) program. Residents interested in participating in the event can visit the Marietta Public Health Center WIC Office at 1738 County Services Parkway, or call the Marietta WIC front office at 770-514-2389 for more information.

Marietta Public Health Center, WIC Office
Building B – Classroom A
1738 County Services Parkway
Marietta, Georgia 30008

“Breastfeeding is the most natural and nutritious way to feed and nurture children,” said Laurie Ross, Director of Family Health Management at Cobb & Douglas Public Health. “We hope that this event will help educate new moms about the benefits of breastfeeding, dispel myths, and bring greater acceptance for breastfeeding in public. We encourage supporters and new moms to come together on this day to share their experiences with breastfeeding, and of course – to nourish their children together.”

The first Big Latch On took place in Aotearoa New Zealand in 2005, it was introduced to Portland, Oregon in 2010 by Small Beginnings Group LLC and has since taken off globally.

This year our goal is to break the current Global Big Latch On records of:

  • 17,992 Children breastfeeding during the count time period
  • 17,852 Breastfeeding women attending
  • 48,628 Total Attendance

The long-term vision is that one day a Global Big Latch On event will be held within walking distance of every family in the world.

About Global Big Latch On
The Global Big Latch On is informed by the principles of community development, providing the opportunity for breastfeeding women to get together in their local communities, host their own events, and identify opportunities for on-going support.

Breastfeeding contributes to the normal growth and development of babies/children, and babies/children who are not breastfed are at increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality, adult obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer (both mom and baby.) The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby’s life to optimize these benefits, continuing to breastfeed for 2 years and as long thereafter as is mutually desired by a woman and her child.