Jason A. Smith | The Valdosta Daily TimesJulie Garman brought her 1-year-old, Henry, to participate in the The Big Latch On Saturday. 

VALDOSTA — As an act of solidarity, 17 women publicly breast fed their children at Drexel Park as a part of the Big Latch On Saturday.

The Big Latch On is a worldwide event where women attempt to break the world record for the largest number of women breastfeeding at the time and to raise awareness about breast feeding, said Lori Broadaway with Valdosta Pregnancy and Child Birth Connection and Dosta Doula Care.

The world record was set in 2016 with 17,992 women breastfeeding, said Andrea Hartley with Valdosta Pregnancy and Child Birth Connection and the local Doula Care and Essentials for Birth.

The purpose, aside from breaking the record, is to give support and resources to mothers and to make “women feel like it’s OK to breast feed in public. It’s important for women to know the laws in their states regarding breastfeeding in public,” Broadaway said.

Utah and Idaho recently passed legislation to legalize public breastfeeding making it legal in all 50 states, according to news reports.

“It’s funny to me that it has to be legal, like it was illegal before to nurse your baby in public,” Broadaway said.

Logan Viveiros and her 8-month-old, Grace, participated in the event, and originally began breast feeding as a way to save money.

“When I first found out I was pregnant, I wanted to breastfeed because it was free,” she said. “It never really occurred to me that I would have such a strong bond because of it. I just kind of fell in love with it, and I think it’s important for other women to feel encouraged and empowered to do what their bodies were made to do.”

Viveiros is a stay-at-home mom, so feeding in public without a cover isn’t a common occurrence for her.

“It was more or less just another day,” she said. “Sometimes I cover … but I feel like if she’s hungry, just feed her.”

Julie Garman said the event is important to her because there is not enough awareness and acceptance of breastfeeding.

“I feel like a lot of women do not have the support they need,” she said. “Personally, breastfeeding has meant a lot to me. My birth experience didn’t go as I planned. Breastfeeding was kind of something that I grasped on to.”

Breastfeeding her 1-year-old child, Henry, Garman has struggled with clogged ducts and other issues but has stayed strong in her pursuit to breastfeed.

“We’ve pushed through and we’ve been almost exclusively breastfeeding for almost 13 months now,” she said.

Hartley recommended for women looking for support in breastfeeding to find the La Leche League of Valdosta and The Big Latch On of Valdosta Georgia on Facebook. 

Jason Smith is a reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times. He can be contacted at 229-244-3400 ext.1257.