Is breastfeeding in public vulgar or a necessity?

Zhang Qiaoyi, 27, lives in Houston, Texas, the US. Her boy has just passed his 100th day. " It is very common in the US for a mother to breastfeed her child in a public area such as restaurant, park or coffee shop. Mothers are always wearing a nursing cover, which is a apron-like cloth. No one will stare at you and will avoid you politely so mothers can feel relaxed and natural. Most of the big shopping malls have a nursing room but not all of them. I usually nurse my kid in my car, or bottle-feed him with prepared breast milk. The fitting room of the woman's clothing store is my other option since it is spacious and the sales clerks are friendly. "

Wei Yuan has been living in Singapore for four years and her baby is about to be born in two months. "Singapore is a breastfeeding-friendly country. People are very pro-breastfeeding and they show their respect and supports to breastfeeding mothers. From time to time, I came across mothers who were with their nursing covers breastfeeding their babies in public, restaurants, cafes or parks. No one would give them the shaming look. "

"Nursing rooms are easily accessible in most public places, for example, shopping malls, exhibition centers, museums, and even some open areas such as national parks or amusement parks. I would feel surprised if a nursing room is difficult to find in most of these places," Wei says, "Although it is a public facility, the nursing room is designed to protect family privacy. An electronic sign shows vacant/occupied right outside each nursing room. You will hardly find a messy nursing room as people in Singapore usually clean up the room after use. "

Breastfeeding is the best food for the infants. According to The World Health Organization, babies under 6 months should be breastfeeding exclusively, and they are suggested to be breastfed until 2 years old or more with other supplementary food.

Song Dan, an ICBLC (International Board of Lactation Consultant) examiner, says it is too difficult to count the total number of nursing rooms in China now, but it does have a big gap and a huge need.

"The top three nursing places are a back seat, a restaurant's corner and a ladies' room," Song says.