Working Moms in China Calling For Lactation Rooms

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　　Working and breastfeeding moms are using this, World Breastfeeding Week, to put out a call for employers to provide private locations at worksites to allow them to pump their breast milk.

 

　　CRI's Liu Min explains.

 

　　Reporter:

 

　　With a countdown shout from the crowd, groups of young mothers started to breastfeed their babies in front of a theater in Guiyang of Southwest China. But two minutes later, the spicy¹ moms just dispersed². They organized this Flash Mob to celebrate the World Breastfeeding Week spanning from August 1st to 7th.

 

　　More than 9 thousand mothers participated in such breastfeeding flash mobs across the world last year.

 

　　This year, Chinese moms in major Chinese cities are joining the campaigns to enhance the awareness³ of breastfeeding.

 

　　Besides that, Chinese women are also calling for more care from the public to provide private places for them to pump or breastfeed. A young mom says she wants to have some privacy when breastfeeding her baby.

 

　　"I hope that more shopping malls can give us a private space to breastfeed our babies. That'd be great if we could have a lactation room in public places such as movie theaters and railway stations. I always feel embarrassed without such a place."

 

　　After maternity⁴ leave, every Chinese mom is facing such a dilemma⁵ whether to continue breastfeeding or not. If they choose to continue, then they need to bring a pamper⁶, find a private place to pump at workplace and bring the milk back home. In China, these women are called the 'moms carrying milk' who are giving their love of 37 Celsius⁷ every day for their babies. Yu Yang is a teacher and a nursing mom.

 

　　"I have to find an empty classroom, but the door can not be locked. Then I have to change to a smaller private place to pump myself. But some students or teachers could come into the room at any time. I am always embarrassed."

 

　　Such embarrassment⁸ and inconvenience have forced some moms to give up breastfeeding after they go back to work. In fact, only one small room with a chair will help them, but no one seems to care enough.

 

　　According to the statistics from the World Health Organization, only 38 percent of the babies younger than six months on average are successfully breastfed on a worldwide basis. The figure in China is only 28 percent.

 

　　American moms are suggesting their government to make it into law for employers to provide lactation rooms. When Chinese working moms can be ensured to have such rights still remain to be seen, and before that, they may call for awareness and care from the public in various ways.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Liu Min.

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