It's just a bit of tit – get over it! Today, April 14, thousands of mum's around the world will breastfeed their babies at the same time for the Big Latch On – an international event held every year.

'We latch breast feeding babies on the breast and see how many babies we can have latched on at the same time,” says community lactation consultant Alex Deas.

The norm

Bay of Plenty mums will come together at Rangiora Health Hub, Fraser Cove Shopping Centre, to raise breast feeding awareness in our community.

'The biggest drive for it really is to make public breastfeeding the norm so if we let people see breastfeeding and make it normal, the more our youth will see it as just an everyday thing – that it's a baby feeding,” says Alex.

'It's nothing sexual or gross so it's about moving societal norms and there's really amazing mums that get together and the collaboration is just a really lovely energy.”

Alex says there is more work to be done in the breastfeeding awareness space.

'When you go overseas in the United States the expectation is that you go somewhere private to feed, whereas women should just be able to breastfeed their baby in a public place and it doesn't feel uncomfortable. I think New Zealand has come a long way and it's becoming a social norm that it's not something that should be hidden away in private or a public toilet.”

Benefits for bubs

So what are the benefits of breastfeeding? Alex says she could talk about them all day.

'In terms of wellbeing for babies it reduces allergies, some childhood cancers, it means babies are less likely to end up in hospital with respiratory or an ear infection. They've also done studies now that you're less inclined to need braces later in life if you breastfeed because of the jaw development.”

Alex is also part of an organisation called Māmā Maia, which provides mums with breastfeeding support.

'We promote no barriers so is this for women that need support weaning, or bottle feeding – we would definitely provide support for that because there are mums that choose either not to breastfeed or they have worked really hard and it hasn't turned out the way they felt it would, so it's really important to us that those mums feel really included as well.”

Bay of Plenty mums will meet for the Big Latch On at Rangiora Health Hub, Fraser Cove Shopping Centre, from 10am Friday, April 14.