Hong Kong mum angry at nurses scolding her for breastfeeding ... in a hospital
Discrimination against feeding mothers is still common, and even happened in a hospital trying to achieve Baby Friendly Hospital accreditation; mother uses incident to initiate dialogue about change
It was a disheartening response from a facility seeking international accreditation as a Baby Friendly Hospital.
Sitting in a waiting room in Queen Elizabeth Hospital earlier this month, Amanda O’Halloran decided to breastfeed her baby son before their turn came for a consultation. But she soon found herself the target of nurses’ censure.
“I have been absolutely blasted by three nurses for breastfeeding and told I am upsetting other patients and that there have been complaints,” she swiftly wrote in a post to Hong Kong Moms, a Facebook community, on May 5.
“They have asked me to walk to another floor/building to use the breastfeeding room. I have refused to move. Explained I am almost at the front of the line to be seen and my baby is asleep and I’m not waking him to move.”
A teacher and mother of two, she added: “I’m very experienced at being discreet and there is hardly even a slither of boob showing. First time in ages I’ve experienced such hostility – now got a group of eight nurses staring at me and shaking their heads wondering what their next move should be.
“I’m angry, embarrassed and upset.”