SINGAPORE, May 29 — Housewife and mother of three Cheryl Lee has become an advocate for breastfeeding in public.

She made the news in March, when a photo of the 25-year-old breastfeeding her daughter on an MRT train was posted online. It quickly went viral, and raised the issue of whether one should breastfeed so openly.

Lee, who was recently a finalist in the Mrs Singapore pageant, wants to encourage other women feel comfortable with breastfeeding, in whatever manner they choose. This, she said, will help break any stigmas regarding breastfeeding in public.

“Women who are comfortable breastfeeding in public should do so, as it will give others who are on the fence the confidence to do the same,” said Lee, whose three children are aged two to seven. “The more women breastfeed in public, the easier it gets for others.”

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She added: “Women should just do what they’re comfortable with. If they feel comfortable under a (nursing) cover, then do it under a cover. If they feel they need to go somewhere more private, like a nursing room, then do so.”

When she had breastfed on the train in the March incident, she herself had not used a cover. But she said this has been her habit for years, as her younger children were not comfortable with covers, and would kick them off.

Since the incident, she has continued breastfeeding in public without a cover, and not attracted negative comments.

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Good news for mothers — anecdotally, breastfeeding in public in Singapore is more prevalent now. Mythili Pandi, president of the Breastfeeding Mothers’ Support Group (BMSG), feels that this is so as women feel less inhibited.

“If a baby needs to be fed, it needs to be fed, no matter where the mother is,” she said. “We’ve had feedback from women who had negative reactions while they breastfed in public, but it’s mostly cases of people staring at them.”

Do we need laws?

Mythili, 36, a doctor in general practice who has three children aged two to seven, has breastfed her kids in public without any issues. In fact, she spoke about an incident when a woman went up to her and said: “Thank you for making a stand”.

She believes that even though there are many nursing rooms in public places, there are not enough of them, and more facilities are required.

“Mothers need privacy when expressing milk, but mothers who have a baby with them can get them to latch on whenever they want,” said Mythili.

“So, if a mother needs to breastfeed, she should be able to do it anywhere, with or without a cover. Children are curious and want to see what’s around them and using a cover can be uncomfortable for them too.”

Mythili suggested laws around breastfeeding be introduced in the future so that people cannot complain when they see women doing it.

“It’s a natural thing and these women are looking after the next generation, so we should have laws protecting breastfeeding mothers,” she said.

Sylvia Ong, 36, who works in the public service sector, breastfed her three boys, now aged four to eight.

She first did it in public when her firstborn was three days old, while having lunch with her husband at a fast-food outlet. Because she had not heard of a breastfeeding bib, all she had was a muslin napkin cloth to cover her modesty.

She slowly gained confidence to breastfeed on the go, and her first nursing bib — which she discovered only after her second baby was born — empowered her to breastfeed anywhere. She has breastfed in a sarong sling while riding on the MRT, in church, having a meal and when out window shopping.

The cover issue

Ong has faced criticism from her own family, however.

She shared: “Whenever I pulled up my T-shirt to breastfeed my baby in my parents’ living room, my mum kept asking me to cover up. As a traditional woman, she felt embarrassed that I wasn’t ashamed of breastfeeding in public.”

Ong does feel that a cover is necessary.

There is nothing shameful about breastfeeding, she said.

“The public should not stare or glare, but neither should mums breastfeed without a bib on … It is a matter of self-respect. Babies can get used to and grow to like suckling under the bib. It provides a private space and a calming spot for them.”

Sonia Cheng, 34, a marketing manager, agreed.

“It’s not because it’s sexy or crude and should be ‘hidden’, but because it’s an intimate moment between a mother and child, and nobody else needs to be privy to it, unless you’re a friend or family member,” she said.

Sherwin Chua, 38, a lecturer, said that people have no reason to be gawking at mothers who breastfeed in public.

“There was a time when most women were housewives and it was easier for them,” he said. “Now that most mothers are working and busier, it makes it tougher to breastfeed in private. If they have to do it in public because their children are hungry, why are people making a fuss over it?” — TODAY