The annual Breastfeeding Challenge, like many other events this year, went online.
The Kelowna Breastfeeding Café and KCR Community Resources came together to host the event at 11 a.m. on Saturday, when women were invited to breastfeed to celebrate national breastfeeding week.
In years past, women gathered with their babies outside but, due to the coronavirus pandemic, organizers had to shift gears. The event aims at normalizing breastfeeding in public but it also supports new moms and babies as they get the hang of breastfeeding.
“I really want this year to emphasize and celebrate moms that are breastfeeding,” said Chantal Kazar, Breastfeeding Café co-founder. “It’s good for everyone, it’s good for the economy, it’s good for the environment, it’s good for our health and it’s good for mom’s health.”
The cofounders encourage moms to breastfeed exclusively for six months, then introduce solid foods to complement breastfeeding for two years or as long as they would like.
“Around 97 per cent of women initiate breastfeeding and we know from what women tell us that they are not receiving consistent information or even the correct information and it’s really leading to women not reaching their breastfeeding goals,” said Lisa Ford, Breastfeeding Café co-founder.
Organizers are also asking moms to keep the challenge going by taking a breastfeeding selfie with the #breastfeedingchallenge tag to be counted as participating.