The Department of Health will collaborate with a maternity organisation next month to celebrate the importance of breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding Awareness Week, held in tandem with the Bermuda National Breastfeeding Committee, will offer lessons and connections for new mothers looking for a sense of community.

Kim Wilson, the Minister of Health, said creating a supportive environment through education and safe spaces helped mothers feel “confident and empowered”.

She added: “Breastfeeding provides lifelong health benefits for infants and mothers.

“This week encourages our community to learn, support and celebrate the diverse breastfeeding journeys of families across Bermuda.”

The week will kick off with a screening of the documentary The Milky Way at Bermuda College’s Athene Lecture Theatre on August 4.

The film explores mothers from around the world and their experiences and outlooks towards breastfeeding.

On August 5, the group will hold a private class, The Art of Hand Expressing, conducted by Feven Binega-Northcott of Harmony Birth Services.

The class will be held at Treehouse Bermuda on Trott Road, off Church Street, at 5pm. Registration is required and can be done through the Government website.

Later, healthcare professionals and mothers will share their experiences during a panel discussion titled Breastfeeding: One Size Does Not Fit All.

Panellists will include paediatrician Kristen Woodward, Bermuda Hospitals Board clinical manager Nicole Harvey, registered nurse Fiona Dill and three mothers, and will be moderated by Allison Flood.

The talk will take place in the college’s Athene Lecture Theatre from 5.30pm.

Breastfeeding Awareness Week will close with a community event — Rooted in Support — which will host a used breast pump donation drive, free movement classes, vendors and activities for families.

The community day will take place on August 8 between 9am and 11.30am in Victoria Park, Hamilton.

For more information, visit the government website.