Breastfeeding Moms Invited to Join 'Big Latch On' Event at St. Luke's

Attention: Breastfeeding Moms. In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, you are cordially invited to participate in our “Big Latch On” event Friday, Aug. 2, at the St. Luke’s Baby & Me Support Center, at 1425 8th Avenue, Suite 1 in Bethlehem.

At 10:30 a.m., women and their babies will participate in a synchronized breastfeeding event. “Thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world will gather in their respective communities to take part in the Global Big Latch On to raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and the need for global support,” said Heidi Koch, RN, CPN, IBCLC, lactation consultant at St. Luke’s Baby & Me Support Center.

More than 120 countries participate in World Breast Feeding Week, August 1-7, while close to 30 countries hold Latch On synchronized events.

The first Big Latch On took place in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in 2005. It was introduced to Portland, Oregon, in 2010 by Small Beginnings Group LLC and has since taken off globally. This will be St. Luke’s first time hosting the event, although the Baby & Me Support center has participated in other local Big Latch On events in the past.

The Latch On event at St. Luke’s will include light refreshments and games for siblings and breastfeeding babies old enough to participate.

Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. Participants are asked to arrive by 10 a.m. when the festivities begin. The latch on will begin promptly at 10:30 a.m. The event is indoors so it will be held rain or shine.

Space is limited, so registration is necessary. To register, visit https://go.activecalendar.com/sluhn/event/big-latch-on-breastfeeding-event/

St. Luke’s Baby & Me Support Center

St. Luke’s Baby & Me Support Center provides mothers, fathers, support persons and family members with a variety of services commonly needed before, during and after pregnancy in one convenient location. St. Luke’s Baby & Me Support Center delivers personalized and compassionate care that includes: classes, support groups, lactation support services, post-partum emotional wellness services, activities/exercise, and onsite play.

For more information or questions, contact us at 484-526-BABY(2229).

About St. Luke’s

Founded in 1872, St. Luke’s University Health Network (SLUHN) is a fully integrated, regional, non-profit network of more than 15,000 employees providing services at 10 hospitals and 300 outpatient sites.  With annual net revenue greater than $2 billion, the Network’s service area includes 10 counties: Lehigh, Northampton, Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Montgomery, Monroe and Schuylkill counties in Pennsylvania and Warren and Hunterdon counties in New Jersey.  Dedicated to advancing medical education, St. Luke’s is the preeminent teaching hospital in central-eastern Pennsylvania.  In partnership with Temple University, St. Luke’s created the Lehigh Valley’s first and only regional medical school campus.  It also operates the nation’s longest continuously operating School of Nursing, established in 1884, and 28 fully accredited graduate medical educational programs with 226 residents and fellows.  St. Luke’s is the only Lehigh Valley-based health care system with Medicare’s five- and four-star ratings (the highest) for quality, efficiency and patient satisfaction.  St. Luke’s is both a Leapfrog Group and Healthgrades Top Hospital and a Newsweek World’s Best Hospital.  In 2019, three of IBM Watson Health’s 100 Top Hospitals were St. Luke’s hospitals.  St. Luke’s University Hospital has earned the 100 Top Major Teaching Hospital designation from IBM Watson Health seven times total and five years in a row. St. Luke’s has also been cited by IBM Watson Health as a 50 Top Cardiovascular Program.  Utilizing the Epic electronic medical record (EMR) system for both inpatient and outpatient services, the Network is a multi-year recipient of the Most Wired award recognizing the breadth of the SLUHN’s information technology applications such as telehealth, online scheduling and online pricing information.  St. Luke’s is also recognized as one of the state’s lowest cost providers.