The travails of breastfeeding in public; stories of dingy bathrooms and lewd stares

At the outset of this month, the world celebrated 'Breast-feeding week'. Throughout the world, this week is observed to spread awareness about the importance of breast-feeding and how essential it is for babies. In this circumstance, it is imperative that we take a look at the facilities available for women to provide this necessary nutrition to their children in Kerala.

Breast is best, says the World Health Organization (WHO) which recommends breastfeeding infants for a minimum of two years of age. As per the WHO guidelines, babies should be offered breast milk within the first hour of birth (golden hour) and they should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life. This means  in normal conditions no other food or liquids, including water must be offered.

WHO  also states that children should be breastfed on demand- meaning as many times as the child wants. From the baby's sixth month onwards, it is safe to introduce other complementary food items while continuing to breastfeed. This not only provides the child with the necessary nutrition but also helps with building immunity. 

As per the Maternity Benefit Act 1961, most establishments in Kerala offer between 3-6 months of maternity leave to mothers. The 2017 amendment to this act added the requirement that establishments with more than 50 female employees should have creches and breastfeeding facilities available. Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Kerala, Smt. Veena George responded to Mathrubhumi regarding the projects implemented and underway regarding this essential need.

 'After the exclusive breastfeeding period, continuing breastfeed for up to two years of age is necessary for the growth, wellbeing and immunity of the children. To promote this, it is essential to have feeding centers in public places. The Women's and Child Development department and the Health Department are carrying out various activities for this purpose. As a part of Shishusauhrida/Balsauhrida Kerala scheme, instructions have been given to set up breast-feeding centers in all local self-government bodies. With the cooperation of various departments, breast-feeding centers have been installed at major railway stations, bus stands, hospitals, government-private organizations and business establishments. Apart from this, child care centers and feeding rooms have been established in government institutions to encourage breastfeeding. Steps are being taken to spread these to more institutions'', the Minister said.

But despite the tall claims by the state government, going out with babies is a challenge for mothers who have to plan hours in advance, preparing for all eventualities. Angel Joy, an Angamaly native opined, 'We hardly find a cozy spot in a public space that is clean and safe from stares. That's why many moms rely on formula feed while traveling.'

Formula feed is prevalent but does not offer the nutrition breastmilk does. It also needs to be prepared safely to avoid illness. Although there are innovations like feeding covers, etc. available in the market, babies whose brains are yet to be ingrained with ideas of propriety,  loudly and unabashedly refuse to be 'covered'.

Shyama, a mother from Idukki said, 'Motherhood is a responsibility and breast milk is the life source for a baby. It is a child's right but we often cannot give this in time and it creates so much tension for us and discomfort for the child.' There are very few public breastfeeding pods available in Kerala and these are often limited to the top-tier cities. With the exception of hospitals and some big malls, such pods cannot be spotted in any public spaces. Even in malls, these rooms are usually attached to public restrooms that are in no way an ideal space to feed a child.

Betty, a young mother from Kottayam says, 'I had gone out shopping for my baby's baptism function when my baby was 6 months old. While in a textile shop, my baby demanded to be fed and I had no other choice but to use the single, non-ventilated, very tiny changing room for feeding him. I felt guilty for making other customers wait for me to step out of the changing room. I wondered what women do under such circumstances. These clothing stores are so busy and you cannot expect the privacy of feeding without avoiding stares.'

Certain big conglomerates do have breastfeeding rooms in their jewelry and clothing outlets but these are often poorly maintained.

Meera (name changed) said, 'I have fed my child in a dark storeroom filled with dust and cardboard boxes. I actually sat down in the shop and began to feed my child covering myself with a dupatta but the store staff asked me to go to the store room.'

With an intention to support and empower feeding mothers, a peer-support group called Breastfeeding Support for Indian Mothers (BSIM) was founded and it continues to handhold women through this challenging period via a Facebook group that has over 1,50,000 plus members from across India.  Adhunika Prakash, founder of BSIM speaking to Mathrubhumi said, 'I feel mothers should breastfeed everywhere and not look for anyone's approval. New mothers (until they get comfortable with breastfeeding in public) could benefit from breastfeeding pods. However, technically speaking, these pods are usually either locked or poorly maintained.'

As per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-21), there are still a few indicators of breastfeeding that Kerala needs to improve on despite being a state with an excellent health index. 'Only 48.1% of children get breast milk during the first hour of birth. Only 63.7% are exclusively breastfed.

In a state like Kerala that exalts the ideals of motherhood, young mothers are faced with the challenge of covering themselves up in the face of lewd stares and unwanted attention as they attempt to engage in the most natural act of human life. The taboo around breastfeeding in public is real and this is why there needs to be proper infrastructural development in terms of breastfeeding/baby care pods in public areas.