Mothers around country trying to set breastfeeding record

Irish women will today take part in an international attempt to set a global breastfeeding record. At 10am mothers around the country will breastfeed their babies and their actions will count towards a worldwide bid to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

In May more than 20,000 women in the Philippines set the first Guinness world record for simultaneous breastfeeding in multiple sites. Today's attempt aims to increase that number by encouraging women around the world to nurse continuously for one minute at 10am local time, according to Kate Byrne of Attachment Parenting EU, who have been organising the event in Ireland.

"The idea is to break the record and not to pit one nation against the other, but to establish the record through international co-operation," she told The Irish Times. To qualify for the attempt 25 or more women must take part in each of at least 10 locations around the country, and sites have been organised in Dublin, Cork, Kildare, Galway and the southeast.

Today's event will also help raise awareness of breastfeeding in Ireland, according to national breastfeeding co-ordinator Maureen Fallon. "It's important to increase the visibility of breastfeeding, especially in a culture where it hasn't been the norm for some time."

"Supporting breastfeeding involves demystifying it at all levels and in all areas of life. It's normal and natural and we have to reinstate it as a normal and natural part of reproduction."