Hundreds of breastfeeding mums throughout New Zealand got together on Saturday to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.
At 53 locations throughout the country, 671 babies latched on to create a New Zealand record for the most women breastfeeding simultaneously. The existing national record is 654. The record is unofficial at this stage but organiser Chris Gower-Rudman is confident at this stage.
The event also served to create more awareness of the importance of breastfeeding.
"What a lovely way to start to get that bonding and nurturing happening between the mother and baby," said one mum.
Meanwhile, the Council of Trade Unions says there needs to be legislative change to guarantee the right of women to breastfeed at work.
Union secretary, Carol Beaumont, says World Breastfeeding Week is a reminder to employers that providing a supportive environment around breastfeeding is important to many staff.
"Provisions enabling mothers to breast feed at work are important for family-friendly workplaces," says Beaumont.
"Some employers have come on board with breastfeeding breaks and facilities. Many are taking too long to realise though that to retain workers they need to provide a supportive working environment - and for some women this is access to breaks and space for breastfeeding."
Beaumont says research carried out in Auckland businesses in 2003 indicated that while businesses believe they are breastfeeding friendly there is limited communication about it, and this lack of communication can be interpreted as lack of support and an unwillingness to accommodate breastfeeding at work.
Beaumont says the CTU wants legislative changes to ensure people
have no uncertainty about their right to breastfeed at
work.
