In Salt Lake City, a local breastfeeding group celebrated World Breastfeeding Week with their sixth annual Breastfeeding Cafe celebration. This year's theme was "Mothers see, mothers do! In person, in pictures, and online too!" In other words, a big celebration about how seeing mothers breastfeed, babywear, and mother in public helps promote normalcy and acceptance, and also to provide information and resources to moms who stop by, or even just a place to make new friends.

In addition to participating in the Big Latch On (total count: 45!), they also choreographed a huge flash mob, all consisting of babywearing moms, dads, and even little girls 'wearing' their dolls.

They all met at the Main Library in SLC on Saturday to shake their booties:

The point of making it about babywearing was to help educate women about how babywearing and breastfeeding can easily go hand-in-hand, though of course, you don't have to breastfeed to babywear, or vice versa.

Having your baby close to you shows reductions in amount of crying, and also allows you to see hunger cues before the baby cries (which is the last and a late cue). It's important to feed a baby before they cry because when they're worked up, it can actually be harder to get them latched on, especially if you're struggling. The closeness, of course, is beneficial for ANY parent or caregiver and the baby. The special benefit for nursing moms is that skin-on-skin can help up her milk supply, but it also allows her to nurse more frequently as nature intended, without feeling "tied down."

Many of my friends have perfected nursing while babywearing and walking, something I never got quite right. For many, it wasn't obvious they were nursing at all, and for all of them, it made life so much easier!

The flash mob received donations from NAP, Inc. of Sleepy Wraps and Boba carriers, which obviously can be worn while moving around quite a lot! Don't you love the little girls wearing their dolls? Awww!

They're going to have a second week of celebrations, including a display of over 100 pieces of art depicting mothers breastfeeding their children. Most are in the form of photos, some are in the form of paintings, along with an art class, a photography class, information on nutrition, oral health and breastfeeding, board certified lactation consultants, bilingual WIC peer counselors, and just a place for moms to go to meet up, hang out, and have fun. What a great way to celebrate!

Go moms! (And dads and kids!) Do you love flash mobs with a purpose?

 

Images via Mike Wiist