Moms do ‘The Big Latch On’

Vancouver Heights — Dozens of nursing moms from the area invited their babies to “latch on” this month in a synchronized breast-feeding event at Vancouver’s Sante Mama baby store. The Aug. 2 and 3 “Big Latch On,” held at the same time across the country, drew 26 mothers and their infants to Sante Mama. The annual event is meant to raise awareness of the health benefits of feeding a baby directly from its mother. The World Health Organization recommends breast-feeding for the first six months after a baby is born, as the colostrum produced by a lactating mother is seen as “the perfect food for the newborn.”