ORMC Registered Nurse Kristin Walicki, left, and Michelle Feguson, a
child life specialist, both participated in the Latch On event
TOWN OF WALLKILL – Fourteen new moms participated Friday in National Latch On Day, a day to promote breastfeeding. It was part of an international effort to raise the awareness of the benefits of nursing a child, with August designated as National Breastfeeding Month,.
At Orange Regional Medical Center in the Town of Wallkill, 14 mothers participated, nursing 15 babies.
Deborah Vermilyea, RN, manager of lactation services women and children at the hospital, said no nourishment is better for an infant than mother’s milk.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months,” Vermilyea said. “The mother’s milk is the perfect food for the baby and if they are still enjoying it, continue into the first year or longer and some of our moms, their babies are over a year old that are here today and some are nursing their second baby or tandem nursing both.”
The Latch On events are continuing Saturday as well with hopes of breaking
a world record for the number of moms breastfeeding simultaneously.
