Flash mob | Breastfeeding increasingly popular

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A group of local breastfeeding moms and advocates are determined to keep up their annual flash mob campaign, with the purpose of continuously promoting society’s acceptance of breastfeeding in public – a “natural act” that is still commonly regarded as offensive to the eye.
Having organized the yearly flash mob for the third time yesterday at the Iao Hon Market Garden, the association has noticed increasing popularity in breastfeeding among local nursing moms, but also an exacerbated shortage of nursing facilities in public and private premises, as well as in workplaces.
Ms Lam joined the flash mob with her two infants and husband. She recognized a massive response to the event this year, as the participants grew from a dozen to 44 nursing moms, and totaled over 100 with their children and family members.
The increasing awareness of breastfeeding can be attributed to the Health Bureau’s increased efforts in promotion, explained the association’s vice-chairlady, Virginia Tam.
“The bureau now holds peer support sessions every weekend, a doubled frequency than in the past. When I gave lectures at the sessions as a program ambassador, I was surprised to see sometimes the seats are all packed. There’re expectant moms telling me they came to the sessions because ‘breastfeeding is trending now,’” she said with a laugh.
However, many nursing moms still had no choice but to give up breastfeeding after retuning to work from the 56-day statutory maternity leave.
“According to the Health Bureau’s latest data in 2013, the breastfeeding rate among mothers with new-born babies was over 85 percent, but after four months the rate would drop to merely 22 percent,” said Ms Lam, adding that exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for infants up to six months of age and continued along with complementary food up to two years of age, according to the World Health Organization.
“Moms are forced to give up, because workplaces are often lacking a nursing room, and sometimes when nursing moms need to express breast milk during working hours, their colleagues might not be supportive or think they are loafing on the job,” she explained.
Ms Tam also pointed out that breastfeeding moms are often being driven away when trying to breastfeed their babies in public, such as in hotels, restaurants, shopping malls and other public spaces. “But having to breastfeed in the toilets is just very unhygienic,” she said.
Local scholar Ms Agnes Lam also echoed the concerns over local society’s lack of acceptance and support towards breastfeeding.
“We need legislation to ensure moms’ right to breastfeed their babies in public, so that no one will be allowed to drive them away when breastfeeding from any public places,” she said.