It’s time our society rethought the rules on breastfeeding

A new mother I know had no option but to look for the nearest washroom to breastfeed her son after he started crying in the middle of a shopping mall. Once inside the toilet, several women stared at her while she nursed her baby.

Many women feel uncomfortable in public situations when breastfeeding. Because of the conservative nature of the society, breastfeeding is rarely seen in public places, such as shopping malls and restaurants, and those who do, usually cover up to avoid being stared at.

But despite that, these women are not left alone. As The National reported at the weekend, even though there is no law preventing women from nursing in public, women are often shunned by strangers, may be asked to relocate and are forced to breastfeed in unpleasant environments, like public toilets. One woman told the paper that despite using a nursing cover, she was asked to stop breastfeeding while dining at a local Chinese restaurant in Dubai.

This is an issue affecting all mothers. Discomfort about public breastfeeding could be a significant barrier and, in extreme cases, could prevent women from leaving the house.

Some mothers will resort to formula milk to avoid nursing in public, especially in the case of newborns who tend to get hungry more often than older babies.

New mothers need support. The more mothers are seen breastfeeding the more others would be encouraged to take the practice. Noura Al Khoori, a volunteer with La Leche League, an international breastfeeding support group with an active branch in Abu Dhabi, told me that public breastfeeding should be totally normal.

“Mothers can cover up and do it anywhere, even at a restaurant table or sitting in the middle of the park. This has an awareness advantage because by her nursing ‘out there’, the mother is normalising breastfeeding to everyone.”

For those who don’t feel comfortable nursing in public, popular public places, such as restaurants and shopping malls, would do well to provide spaces to breastfeed.

Society must understand that breastfeeding is a very natural part of being a mother and of having a baby and that it’s normal that babies don’t have a system for timing their meal times. When a baby shows signs that it is hungry, a mother stops and responds immediately by nursing.

Every segment of UAE society has its own opinion on breastfeeding. The Emirati culture, for instance, respects and honours breastfeeding as long as it's done in a discreet way. The benefits of breastfeeding were even recognised by the Federal National Council, when it proposed a clause, as part of their new Child Rights Law, requiring new mothers to breastfeed their babies for two full years.

While we can’t force mothers to breastfeed, we can encourage them to do so by making our communities more breastfeeding friendly.

For that to happen, we need to establish minimum criteria for achieving and maintaining breastfeeding friendly status in public places, particularly shopping malls and restaurants.

Big shopping centres in Dubai already have these facilities and that, according to the women I know, attracts mothers to visit and spend some time in these malls. For other public places to follow, perhaps a new rule is needed to require them to have breastfeeding facilities.

Mothers need all the support of their family, community and society at large to feel comfortable breastfeeding without any obstacle. Whether they want a private room or to breastfeed while covered up in public, they should have the option.

On Twitter: @AyeshaAlmazroui