Baby room usage

[miao]

I'd like to hear other people's opinions on this issue.

We spent last Sunday in Ocean Terminal in TST. As those of you who've been there may know, the baby room outside of Toys R Us is always busy on weekends/holidays. It's a room with a changing table, bottle warmer and a bench for breastfeeding. And it's the only one in the entire mall.

We used the baby room twice on Sunday to change my toddler. The first time we wanted to use it, there was a lady breastfeeding her baby in there. She did not lock the door and her friend was standing beside the door telling us she's breastfeeding there so I could go in but not my husband. That's of course very reasonable and we did so with no problem at all.

At the second time we needed to use the baby room to change nappy, we found a long line waiting outside and the door was locked. Others waiting told us a lady had been breastfeeding in there for half an hour. When someone knocked the door to see if they can let other mothers in to change nappies or warm milk, the husband opened the door and told the line of people to wait a bit longer.

I myself used to breastfeed in those baby rooms in the malls. Ideally the breastfeeding area is separated from the changing table/bottle warmer, etc., like on the 9th floor of Time Square, so that other people can change nappies/warm bottles without disturbing the breastfeeding mother. I'm also aware that some babies don't nurse very well (like mine) and the mother (like myself) very much wants a quiet environment for the feeding. That being said, I still find it a bit unconsiderate for someone to lock a busy baby room for half an hour when other babies outside may be crying for a change or a warm bottle.

What do you think?

 

[Shenzhennifer]

I agree. It`s not a bathroom, where I sometimes go (disabled ones as they often have a changing table) to breastfeed if there isn`t a nursing room. It`s extremely inconsiderate of someone to lock the door and take so long to feed.

 

[0ze_Kid]

There is a bench in the female toilet up the other end that I went to to change nappies.

Also I often find the disabled toilets have the change tables. If you can get into them. They often are used by non-disabled people!

I can understand the need to feed baby and it taking a long time. I remember when mine were newborn and taking a long time I didn't go to places such as the mall as I didn't want to get trapped!~

 

[reei]

i remember once at ifc. i was changing diaper, i just got in. then one lady came with her baby . she waited for a while then start pestering me to hurry up when her baby starts crying. i was just changing diaper in normal pace.. not singing.. and taking my own sweet time..
i didn't like it.. but i guess like all mums, when your babies start crying.. you just feel so , so uncomfortable..

 

[Shenzhennifer]

Haha! It happened to me today, the same thing! But this was at Maritime Plaza in Tsing Yi. A family of 4 was occupying the nursing room, door locked. When they FINALLY came out, I said something to them. Their answer was they `wanted privacy` and I wouldn`t understand because it`s a `different culture`, I`m not like them. Apparently western women don`t mind if anyone sees them breastfeeding, but local Chinese women mind. I didn`t realise
Anyway, it left me a real sour taste in my mouth, that exchange. I hope the milk my baby eagerly devoured after the wait didn`t taste as sour.

 

[carang]

hmmmm... how private could it be with 4 people in there???LOL!

i feel for you ladies, although i never encountered problems. i was one of those crazy ladies that didn't really care if other people had a problem with my bf in public. i figured it was just that... THEIR problem.

 

[Shenzhennifer]

It would help if there were some seats in the malls. There`s nowhere to even sit down and do it. Plus nowadays my baby is too distracted to latch on if there is too much action and doesn`t like to be covered up anymore. So it`s nice to be someplace a bit more private lest I show too many of my little bits!

 

[carang]

like i said, i understand completely.

back when my son was that little, i was in maritime square, and he ws getting VERY hungry. i found a hard, no-backed bench up on the 2nd or 3rd floor and plunked myself down right there. VERY uncomfortable, but by that point i wasn't prepared to trek all over looking for someplace better.

now, at least there is a pacific coffee or is it starbucks with comfy chairs. i'm past the stage of needing them now though...so sad...

 

[Koan]

I'm also one of those crazy western women who doesn't mind if the whole world sees my boobies, but I don't think it's inconsiderate of the mother to lock the door and nurse her baby in the baby room. She has every right to take all the time her baby needs. How do you hurry up a baby anyway?

If she were in there doing her makeup (like two snotty teenage girls were in the IFC baby room once, while the cleaner kept banging on the door asking them to hurry up so I could go in with my kid) I'd think it were rude. Hmf.

 

[miao]

Koan, thanks for your imput. Just to clarify -- I wasn't suggesting that the mother should rush her baby; as you said she had every right to take as long as she needed. All I was saying was that when other people knocked the door she (in fact her husband, who answered the door) should probably let other mothers go in to change nappies or warm bottles at the same time. Or, there may be other mothers who needed to breastfeed, too, since the bench in the baby room is long and can to be used by more than one person (I've seen two mothers breastfeeding there at the same time).

Not ideal for her, I know. But since it is so crowded in Hong Kong and baby rooms are such a scarcity everywhere, I just thought people should probably be more considerate for others' need. For the record, when I use baby rooms to breastfeed or change I never lock the door so that others can use it at the same time (unless the room is too small to take another user).