Please enable JavaScript



Link Embed Copy and paste this HTML code into your webpage to embed.

FERNDALE (KIEM) – When heading out to big events, a big concern for new mothers is where can they breastfeed their babies?

At the Humboldt County Fair, a privacy tent is set up for mothers so that they can have a safe and private space to feed their kids. For many mothers, breastfeeding, especially in large crowds or big events, can be a challenge.

“It’s a little awkward to sit on a park bench or try to hide behind something to breastfeed without being looked at or feel like you’re being judged,” said Brookings resident Avigail Adomitis.

That’s because breasts have often been sexualized.

“It seems a little more acceptable to wear something a little more revealing and not to get judged as opposed to using them for food,” said Avigail.

There is often a negative stigma for women who breastfeed in public. But it’s the mission of The Breastfeeding Task Force to help women feel comfortable and give them support.

“One of our really strong goals is to normalize breastfeeding so that women do feel comfortable,” said Elena Mack, a member of the Breastfeeding Task Force of Humboldt County.

The Humboldt County Fair offers a space for women to comfortably breastfeed their babies in private.

“Not everyone thinks about the mom and child, or the parents and child,” said Humboldt County Fair Business Administrator Thomas Nicholson Stratton. “It’s really neat to be able to offer them a space because it’s not often thought of.”

But changes start with conversation.

“I think the more we talk about it and the more exposure it has, the more normal it will become again,” said Mack.

The Breastfeeding Task Force of Humboldt County will also be setting up a private tent for mothers at the North Country Fair at the Arcata Plaza.