By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Saturday, August 2nd, the third edition of Hora do Mamaço, an event celebrating the importance of breastfeeding, saw mothers in cities across Brazil come together in groups to publicly breastfeed their children. In Rio de Janeiro a group of breastfeeding mothers met in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas for the event.
Organized by Aleitamento Materno Solidário (AMS – Brasil), the Hora do Mamaço first began in 2012 and has taken place each year during World Breastfeeding Week.
“Since we saw several cases where mothers were prohibited [from breastfeeding in public], we are trying to make an effort every year on World Breastfeeding Week, to bring to light the importance of the activity in the hopes that society supports the very act of breastfeeding,” Simone de Carvalho, a representative for the AMS in São Paulo told Agência Brasil.
“The idea of Hora do Mamaço is similar to the idea of Earth Hour,” Carvalho added. “Mothers meet on the same day and same time, to breastfeed babies in public places or tourist sites, to express the movement.”
Approximately one hundred mothers participated in the São Paulo event held between 8AM and 1PM on Saturday, according to Carvalho. Groups of mothers also met in cities including Santos in São Paulo state, Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná, and the cities of Itajaí, Florianópolis and Blumenau in the Southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, among others.
The smaller group of mothers in Rio, meet at Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas at 10AM near Av. Borger de Mediros. Coordinated by Chris Nicklas of Amamentar é, the Rio event was a success, according to the social network accounts of the meeting by those in attendance.