Aug 5, 20183 min read

Global Big Latch On 2018 {Downtown Pensacola}

The Global Big Latch On 2018 was a great event indeed! Yesterday, we had the pleasure of spending some time with breastfeeding mommas and families from the community (and some visitors from afar). These mommas participated in a worldwide breastfeeding event.

Hosted by Belly to Cradle, LLC and The Silver Storyteller, this event featured local businesses (see the list below) centered around the family, birth, wellness, and the early years. We were fortunate to have this awesome event at Live! Juice Bar & More in downtown Pensacola. A big thanks for allowing us (and our breastfeeding momma friends) to take over for a few hours! Also, it should be noted that Amber and the gals at BTC put this amazing event together from the ground up. Being new here, I was just along for the ride, but they were the masterminds behind the scenes!

At precisely 10:30am (central time), mommas all over the globe nursed their babies. Why do we do this you might ask? Well, we join together to celebrate nursing mothers and families to encourage, offer peer support, and to normalize breastfeeding in our community.

We spent the day with nursing pairs, a tandem nursing momma and her babes, brand new babies and toddlers. Older siblings, grandmothers, partners, and friends joined the celebration. It is events like this where you truly feel the love and support that is so absolutely necessary during this precious season. That is especially true when nursing does not come easy. It is especially true when roadblocks and barriers exist preventing mothers from getting the support they need. It is especially true when all a momma needs is a little boost knowing that others are in the same boat as they are.

There was so much love. A tangible feeling of sisterhood and pride. Did I mention that it was a great morning. Did I mention that I LOVED spending time with all of these beautiful souls. I got to snuggle babies, learn about people, share my experiences with my former nurslings. It. Was. Awesome, and I look forward to doing it all again next year!

I met one family from Nashville that decided to stop in on their way to their vacation (Destin) to be part of the Latch On. How cool is that? I got to share stories with a momma who struggled fiercely in the early months of nursing, but who was on her 19th month of her journey with her babe. One momma was successfully nursing her two year old and three year old, and another was nursing her sixth little nugget.

This was our first event with Story (the Airstream), and while we learned a lot as the preparations and event went on, it was a GREAT success! We had the Storyteller in the alley beside the building, with a breastfeeding Photo Booth set up for complimentary breastfeeding photos. I am so pleased not only with how the images turned out, but also the personalized time I got to spend with each family and nursing pair. It truly was an amazing experience!

I have to put in a big shout out to the amazing Brittney Quinn (one of our amazing Doulas at Belly to Cradle) for being my assistant extraordinaire! You were invaluable! <3