Breastfeeding moms compete in NKY

Local moms gathered in Cold Spring to participate in an international competition to see which site can gather the most babies latched and nursing simultaneously.

Only three mothers showed up to Northern Kentucky's Breastfeeding Challenge on Saturday morning at the Campbell County Extension but organizers were not deterred.

"It's a fun way to celebrate our breastfeeding moms," said Nancy Merk, of the Northern Kentucky Health Department. "And it's a good way to bring awareness to breastfeeding and normalize it."

The event brought mothers together to talk about the triumphs and struggles of breastfeeding. It was organized by the Northern Kentucky Health Department and sponsored by the Northern Kentucky Breastfeeding Coalition.

Alison Montoya, a former reporter with WLWT-TV spoke at the event to share her own concerns as a first-time mom who is breastfeeding.

"We are not here to shame any mothers," Montoya said.

Her daughter, Addison, is three months old and is only being fed breast milk, she said. But she still has concerns, such as worrying about providing enough milk and feeling uncomfortable nursing in public.

"It's frowned upon when women breastfeed in public, which is a shame because we see that women's body parts, women's breasts, are everywhere, " Montoya said. "It's weird that there is a double standard."

Danielle Helton, of Independence, Kentucky, said she doesn't hesitate to breastfeed her son in public.

"I'll feed him anywhere he wants to," she said. She has fed breast milk to her 2-year-old son, Kasen since he was born.

"I know it's the healthiest option because he hasn't been sick once," Helton said.

Kentucky is consistently in the bottom 10 ranking of states with the lowest amount of breastfeeding moms, said Gayle Johnson, a breastfeeding peer counselor with the Northern Kentucky Health Department.

Many mothers struggle with breastfeeding because they were not taught how to do it and don't know where to go for help, Johnson said.

"Breastfeeding has become a lost skill in society because for so long, it wasn't encouraged," she said. "I think events like this portray breastfeeding as something that is supported by the community."

Johnson also hopes that breastfeeding events will improve the public image of breastfeeding professionals. "We are not anti-formula," she said. "We are pro-breastfeeding."

"You're not a bad mom if you choose not to breastfeed," said Merk. "We're all here to parent and do the best we can."