Record attempt aims to get breastfeeding in the open

CLOSE to 100 mothers breastfed their children simultaneously at a Cork shopping centre over the weekend in a bid to create a supportive atmosphere for breastfeeding mothers in this country.

Mothers travelled to Mahon Point Shopping Centre from as far away as Dublin and Galway in order to take part in the 2010 Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge on Saturday morning.

The group of 97 failed to beat the current record of 850 mums simultaneously feeding babies, set in Canada nine years ago.

However, organiser Maria Moulton declared herself ecstatic with the turn-out, posting a note of thanks to participants on her blog.

“We more then surpassed our goals. To put it in perspective, last year in Ireland, around 75,000 babies were born. Of these, 41,250 were latched on after birth; 21,000 were still nursing at four months and 938 were still being exclusively breastfed at six months,” she said.

“To get 97 breastfeeding mothers and their children to simultaneously nurse in a shopping centre in Cork city with 10 days’ notice (a number which is equal to 10% of the babies who are exclusively feeding at six months) is nothing short of amazing.”

Organisers say the event wasn’t about “bottle bashing” or berating non-nursing mothers for the choice they’ve made, but instead about showing the country that nursing is normal.

The record attempt was part of National Breastfeeding Week, which got under way last Friday.

It was organised by Friends of Breastfeeding, a voluntary movement formed last year to advocate breastfeeding.

Meanwhile, a Friends of Breastfeeding exhibition will be situated at Cork University Maternity Hospital this week, while a number of coffee mornings and events will be held throughout the country to mark National (and World) Breastfeeding Week which runs until this Thursday.

Only one-in-two mothers start their babies on breastmilk in this country – giving Ireland the lowest rate of breastfeeding in the world.

Among babies here who are breastfed initially, the majority are switched to formula within the first few months, although experts recommend that breast milk be continued for two years and beyond.

Lack of support and perceived difficulties about feeding in public are seen as two key obstacles to women continuing to breastfeed.

The Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge originated in Canada nine years ago, with 850 babies being fed simultaneously at 26 locations in British Columbia.