Las Vegas Urban League WIC Gears Up For World Breastfeeding Week Big Latch On Challenge

LAS VEGAS - July 22, 2021 - PRLog -- In honor of this year's World Breastfeeding Week, Nevada Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) counselors are encouraging moms throughout Southern Nevada to sign up for a virtual challenge, The Global Big Latch On, scheduled for Friday, Aug. 6 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. PST.

The challenge is to set The Global Big Latch On the record for most children breast/chestfeeding simultaneously, whether it's at home or gathering in public places, to support breastfeeding.

"Research shows that breastfed babies have fewer colds and ear infections, and a baby's brain and immune system benefits from the nutrients in breast milk," Semaj Bruce, IBCLC Breastfeeding Program Coordinator at WIC, said. "Human milk is always the right temperature and breast/chestfeeding builds a close bond between the mother, father, and infant. Everyone at WIC is encouraging moms throughout the Las Vegas Valley to sign up and join The Global Big Latch On challenge and show the world that Nevada is a leader in helping families provide human milk."

A global count of mothers breastfeeding starts at 10:30 a.m. on Aug. 6. The following are also counted: direct breast/chestfeeding, using a supplemental nursing system, or giving your child breast milk via an alternative method (bottle feeding human milk, using an SNS, nipple shields, or such tools, etc).

As an encouragement, WIC counselors will be giving out toys and nursing items during the event.

During the latch-on, a child's mouth must be on a breast nipple. Mothers feeding twins or triplets or more count two-thirds, even if they are not all breastfeeding at the same time.

Those who desire to participate are accepted via Zoom platform.

"We recognize that everyone's breast/chestfeeding journey looks different," Bruce said. "We want The Global Big Latch On to be as fun and inclusive as possible, while still reaching our aims of positively supporting breast/chestfeeding in public and making it a normal part of day-to-day life."

To help create awareness for the importance of breastfeeding, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has proclaimed the month of August 2021 as Breastfeeding Awareness Month in Nevada.

Please sign up by Aug. 6, 2021, and follow phone instructions to join the event at:

https://biglatchon.org/apps/location-detail/?location_id=4082
For more information, please call the WIC Breastfeeding Team at: 702-981-7585.

The Las Vegas Urban League Women, Infants, and Children Program is a 501c (3) program that is funded by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services Division of Public Health.

For more information, visit the Urban League WIC website at: www.wiclv.org or their two convenient locations: 6480 W. Flamingo Road, Suite B, Las Vegas, phone (702) 227-1573 or 3320 E. Flamingo Road, Suite 50, Las Vegas, phone (702) 476-9561.