Breastfeeding in Public: Sign of a Selfless Mom or Shameless?

in early May, more than 100 nursing mothers participated in a subway station flash mob in Hong Kong to protest against the social stigma attached to breastfeeding in public. At the event organized by the Mamamilk Baby Alliance, a breastfeeding advocacy group, the mothers, who were accompanied by their children, waved pink banners saying “Breastfeeding everywhere!”

the protest came after a united Nations international children’s emergency Fund online survey of breastfeeding mothers in hong Kong found that 40 percent of the interviewees said they have been shamed for breastfeeding in public.

whether or not to breastfeed babies in public is a controversial topic that has triggered many rounds of heated debate around the world.

in late 2015, the image of a mother breastfeeding her baby on a crowded Beijing subway train sparked an online uproar. the photo had been taken by a passenger and posted online. the caption came down on the mother, criticizing her for “shamelessly” exposing her breasts in a public place. however, the post was soon followed by thousands of furious comments, all of them commiserating with the mother.

that uproar came to an end after the website deleted the post and issued an apology two days later. however, the debate over the breastfeeding right has continued.