Being a mom is hard enough without the added stress of having to find a good place to nurse your child while you’re enjoying a day out shopping. We, (as totally experienced teenage girls), went to seven malls to check out and rate their nursing rooms based on the following criteria:

• Accessibility
• Privacy
• Cleanliness
• Comfort

We also took the liberty of looking out for added extras and details that were worthy of bonus points.

Parkview Green FangCaoDi (芳草地):

Accessibility 5/5

When you walk into the mall, one of the first things you see is a sign pointing to the location of the nursing room. Even the directionally challenged would have no problem finding this one!

Privacy 2/5

We literally had to yell “anyone there?” at the top of our lungs so as not to barge in on anyone because there was a curtain instead of a door that could be locked.

Cleanliness 5/5

As pristine as a children’s hospital’s waiting room.

 Comfort 5/5

It’s got everything you can ask for: a comfy chair, a place for your baby to sit, a changing table, and even a shelf to put things on.

Bonus:

The walls are painted, the color scheme is gorgeous, and you have a toy airplane hanging from the ceiling. FangCaoDi has taste. (But apparently not enough taste to have a door that locks.)

Indigo (颐堤港):

Accessibility 4.5/5

There are six nursing rooms in total at Indigo Mall, located in various places except for the first floor. The prevailing superstition is that being on the first floor will magically take away a mother’s need to nurse.

Privacy 5/5

The door has got a working lock, so we can’t ask for much more.

Cleanliness 5/5

Very clean and has zero bad odors, despite being right next to the bathrooms.

Comfort 4/5

There’s a nice padded chair where you can sit and nurse your baby.

Bonus:

There’s a toilet inside the nursing room so the mother can do her business without having to drag her baby into the public bathroom.  However we’re not sure how hygienic this is.

Solana (蓝色港湾):

Accessibility 2.5/5

There are two nursing rooms in the entire mall, and both are in the children’s section. To be fair, a lot of mothers may shop there, but what about the rest of the mall?

Privacy 0/5:

Who decided that putting a nursing room between a giant shop and an elevator bank was a good idea? Also passersby, thanks to the translucent frosted glass walls, will see your silhouette while you’re trying to nurse in privacy. On top of that, the door has no lock, so the only item standing between you and a gross lack of privacy is a measly curtain.

Cleanliness 5/5

Looks brand new – maybe because no one can bring themselves to use them.

Comfort 2.5/5

If you want somewhere more comfortable than a wooden bench to nurse your baby, you’re out of luck.

Bonus:

Sorry, Solana. Not giving you anything here.

You-Town (悠唐):

Accessibility 1/5

The maps tell us that the nursing room is on the third floor, but don’t tell us where on the third floor. We walked around in a large circle before we found it.

Privacy 3/5

There’s a large sliding door you have to put your hand on before it can open. Downside is that the same door also leads to the ayi’s locker room.

Cleanliness 5/5

It’s right beside the cleaner’s locker room, so the assumption is that it is kept very clean, and it was.

Comfort 0/5

Standing room only.

Bonus:

It’s a room?

The Place (世贸天阶)

Accessibility 1/5

There’s only one nursing room in this Mall and it took us going around circles for the a third time before we were able to find it; it’s literally in the middle of nowhere.

Privacy 5/5

This room was awarded full marks; partly because the door locks, partly because nobody can find it. They use frosted glass, but it’s opaque enough to offer privacy. (Take notes, Solana!)

Cleanliness 5/5

Doesn’t look like anybody has been able to find it! Spotless.

Comfort 5/5

Two plush benches, a small corner table, a changing station, basically everything you can ask for.

Bonus:

Adorable kid-friendly stickers on the walls! Very cute.

Joy City (朝阳大悦城):

Accessibility 2/5

We had a lot of initial difficulty with finding the nursing rooms. Thankfully, we were able to ask the information help desk. But we also had to ask the information help desk.

Privacy 2/5

The only place where a nursing mom can get any semblance of privacy is by walking through a space which was likely intended to be for mothers to relax, but ended up being used as a general leisure space considering the man napping on the couch. Even then, all that stands between them and the public is a flimsy curtain (Solana and FangCaoDi strike again).

Cleanliness 2.5/5

While the general area appeared to be clean (though smelling vaguely of cigarettes), there was a used tissue on the table that would presumably be used to support the breast pump. Not the best atmosphere.

Comfort 3/5

I mean, there was a chair and a table, and a full-length mirror so that you can make eye contact with yourself while you nurse, if that’s your thing.

Bonus:

Looked kind of like a changing room. Reminded me of better times.

Sanlitun Taikoo Li (太古里):

Accessibility 0/5

Someone had to show us where the nursing room is, but there were no signs of it until after we walked into the bathroom corridor. I guess you can try your luck at every bathroom in Taikoo Li before you find it.

Privacy 5/5

It had a working lock, which is more than could be said for some others (we’re looking at you, Solana, Joy City, and FangCaoDi!)

Cleanliness 4/5

Honestly, not horrible, but the cigarette smell is a huge turn-off.

Comfort 5/5

There’s a couch to lie down on, a sink, a changing station, and a baby seat (which I’ve now dubbed the Baby Chamber).

Bonus:

The ambient sink lighting made me feel like I was about to lock eyes with my soulmate at some speakeasy in the 1920s.

Photos: Ally Huang, Abby Chung, Rylie Xiong

World Breastfeeding Week is almost upon us (August 1-7), and I came across some memories I wrote down when my daughter was 11 months old. I want to share my story with new mothers and mothers-to-be. I ended up nursing my daughter till she was three years old, and she self-weened as we moved to Beijing last year. I breastfed through two long nursing strikes, bloody nipples, many engorged breasts, and severe postnatal depression. To say that I miss nursing her is a understatement; in spite of all the troubles I faced when she was a newborn, I loved nursing her. This is my story, and if you wish to share yours please contact me, paulinevanhasselt@truerunmedia.com

We started our nursing journey on April 25 2013, at the Royal London Hospital. I had an elective cesarean as my baby was breech, and around lunchtime I had Laila on my breast. She latched on perfectly, but that was the first time and the last time for a while. The rest of the day is a blur, I was in so much pain. I felt super anxious about feeding Laila, as she was crying and I had no idea what to do. One of the midwives told us that if she didn’t feed properly she would get ill.

This made us naturally very scared. We had no idea how breastfeeding worked, and anything I had read during my pregnancy I magically forgot as soon as they pulled the baby out. In the middle of the night when we called for help, we decided that we would give her some formula. I was surprised how fast the nurses came over to assist me with this. The nurse fed her an enormous amount of formula, and of course Laila vomited it all up.

Trying to latch on!

When we went home Laila was a little jaundiced, but they told us that lots of feeding and daylight would help. I was in a complete state of panic; I had never felt like this before. There was the instinct to nourish this little human, but I was doing something wrong. At this point my nipples were bleeding and every time I put her on my breast it hurt so much I wanted to scream.

I hated breastfeeding at this point, and I promised myself that when Laila turned six months I would stop. We called the local breastfeeding support, and they send a lady to help us. She was so nice, and she explained to me the workings of breastfeeding and how to get Laila to latch on. We all agreed to give my nipples some rest so they could heal. Meanwhile I could express and feed her from a spoon. It was so hard to go against my instinct and not feed her myself. We sat in bed during the night expressing and then spoon feeding Laila.

First Latch Ever!

I have to give my husband credit for all the work. If it was not for him I would have given up. He cleaned, he cooked, he helped me to get Laila to latch on, he helped me hand express milk, he changed her every nappy, he burped her for hours and he took her every single time she cried. I had no idea what I was doing; I thought a natural instinct would kick in, but all the hormones were on a roller coaster in my body. Then Laila cried more and more, and the midwife told us she was colicky. I stopped drinking and eating dairy products, and this helped her and changed her into a happy baby.

Around six weeks in I was getting the hang of breastfeeding. I sat for days and days in my nursing chair just feeding Laila for hours and hours. She stayed on my breast day and night. I was so tired but I continued to feed her on demand till six months, when we started to give her solids. However I did not stop breastfeeding her like I had promised myself. I nursed on, whenever and wherever – nursing in public was somewhat weird, but we got used to it and never had a negative experience.

There where times when I truly hated breastfeeding, but now I am happy and proud I did not give up. I felt that I failed at a “normal” pregnancy and a “real” labor, and it made feel less of a mother. But I saw how she gained weight, how I comforted her and how I gave her energy. It made me realize I am all the mother she needs.

Photos: courtesy of Pauline van Hasselt

Beijing on the surface doesn’t seem very kid-friendly, especially when you consider how few public playgrounds there are. But keep scratching that surface and you’ll discover that it’s not so unfriendly, either. Malls specifically have added breastfeeding rooms to accomodate us hardworking mamas.

So we’ve compiled a list to aid you on those days you just wanna shop and bring your little sweetheart along:

1. Parkview Green Fangcaodi has two nursing facilities, one on the ground floor and the other on B2. It is located at 9 Dongdaqiao Lu, LG 2, Chaoyang District (朝阳区 东大桥路9号). They are open daily from 10am-10pm and can be reached at 6500-5511.

2. Indigo Mall’s (颐堤港) nursing rooms can be found next to the toilets on every floor except on the ground floor. It is located at 18 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District (朝阳区 酒仙桥路18). They are open daily from 10am-10pm. For more information, they can be reached at 8426-0898.

3. Solana (蓝色港湾)’s nursing room is located on Level M. It is located at 6 Chaoyang Gongyuan Lu, Chaoyang District (朝阳公园路6号蓝色港湾国际商区). It is open daily from 10am-10pm, and can be reached at 5905-6565/68.

4. Galleria Mall’s nursing room is located on its second floor, to the right of the Uniqlo retail store. It has a comfortable seat, a diaper changing area and a socket for those who would like to charge their phones while tending to baby’s hungry tummy. It is located at 5 Shuguangxili Lu (northeast of Sanyuanqiao Bridge right outside Sanyuanqiao subway stop Exit B), Chaoyang District (朝阳区 曙光西里路5号（三元桥东北角，地铁10号线三元桥站B出口）. It is open from 10am-9.30pm on Mondays through Thursdays, at 10am-10pm on Fridays and Saturdays and from 10am-9.30pm on Sundays.
5758-1977

5. Molly Fantasy-goers will be happy to know that the Capital Mall in Taiyanggong also has its own nursing room practically next door! It is located on the third floor next to the toilet, but is very well-kept. It also has its own couch and a diaper changing area. Capital Mall is located at #12 Taiyanggong Middle Road Chaoyang District (北京市朝阳区太阳宫中路12号凯德MALL) and can be reached at 010-84150776.

6.Shin-Kong Place (新光天地) also has one on the 5th floor. It is located at 87 Jianguo Lu (beside China Central Place) Chaoyang District (朝阳区建国路87号 (华贸中心旁边). It is open daily from 10am-10pm and can be contacted at 6530 5888.

7. For those going shopping in Wangfujing, there’s a nursing room on the 5th floor Beijing APM (新东安商场（王府井APM)), b1 next to Starbucks. Beijing APM is located at 138 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District (东城区 王府井大街138号) and is open daily from 10am-10pm. For more information ring them up at 5817 6688.

8. Xin Ao Shopping Center (北京新奥购物中心)’s nursing room is located on Level B2 next to a barber shop called Li Fa (理发店). The mall is located at N0. 9 Hujing East Road and can be reached at 010-84371122 or 84371133.

9. The sassy Shuangan Department Store (双安商场) also has a nursing room on the 5th floor. When I called the customer service they couldn’t tell me where exactly the location was, except that it was in the southeast area. The mall is located at #38 East Street, North Third Ring Road, Haidian District (北京市海淀区北三环西路38号) and can be reached at 4001865588.

10. Another mall for you Haidian-ers is the Dreamport Mall (北五环的华润五彩城) which has a nursing room on every floor except for the first. It is located at #68 Qinghe Middle Street, Haidian District (海淀区清河中街68号) and for more inquiries they can be reached at 01066006666.

Mall information all from our sister site, The Beijinger and the all great Baidu.

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is this week, from August 1-7, with this year’s theme centered on informing the public on how infant and young child feeding (IYCF) impacts sustainable development goals (SDG). World Breastfeeding Week, founded 22 years ago by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), aims to engage and collaborate with influencers to support, promote, and protect breastfeeding. WBW is recognized in 175 countries worldwide and is endorsed by UNICEF, World Health Organization (WHO), and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The Global Big Latch On event was first held in 2005, local to New Zealand, and didn’t globalize until 2010 when it was introducted in Portland, Oregon. The worldwide breastfeeding event is entirely hosted by volunteers and aims to bring together breastfeeding mothers, family, friends, and supporters together for support and awareness.

The Global Big Latch On provides support to local communities for providing awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding and promoting it in local communities. They help communities spread positive support for public breastfeeding, and emphasize how breastfeeding is a normal part of every day living at a community level.

Last year, twenty eight countries participated in The Global Big Latch On with over fifteen thousand breastfeeding participants!

This year, you can also participate in Beijing on Friday, August 6 at 10:00 am at:

Beijing United Family Rehabilitation Hospital, 1 Yaojiayuan Bei’er Road, Chaoyang District. 和睦家康复医院蒙古包. (appleme@163.com, 或微信applelovekids)

To read this information in Chinese (published by the La Leche League), click here.

Oasis International Hospital is hosting a similar event, OASIS Breastfeeding Awareness Event, over two days, Friday August 5 and Saturday August 6 from 10am-4pm:

Participants will receive a breastfeeding certificate, a free pelvic and abdominal examination, and a breastfeeding gift bag. In addition, if you allow the photographers from Face Memo to photograph your intimate breastfeeding moment to share at Oasis, you’ll receive five free digital copies of the photos.

Free to attend. RSVP required. To register, email Ashley.Gaul@oasishealth.cn.

Oasis International Hospital, NO.9 Jiuxianqiao North Road, Chaoyang District. 朝阳区酒仙桥北路9号.

Photos: WBW, The Global Big Latch On

China is, in general, not a country that has thought much about accessibility. It’s coming slowly, but this impacts young families as well. Doorways without ramps and subways without elevators make parents think twice about travelling the city with a stroller. But, there is one place that Beijing has thought about babies: fancy public bathrooms.

China’s major public spaces like airports and train stations, hospitals and large malls, often have nursing rooms right next to the restrooms. Here, a young mother can slip inside and find a large plush chair and a cotton curtain that she can pull across to breastfeed discreetly. Most of these nursing rooms also have a diaper changing station and running water, as well. They can also be locked from the inside.

In single use bathrooms, the fold-up baby chair on the wall is one of my favourite features. More than three years ago now when my daughter was not yet a year old, I used these chairs regularly. They were perfect for enabling me to use the facilities without having to sit or lay my infant on the (likely dirty) floor or on a dangerous (and often wet) bathroom countertop.

My daughter always loved to be able to dangle from the wall and watch me. She still loves it now. Even at age four, she asks to be put into the fold-up chair when we find ourselves in a bathroom like this. I don’t mind. She’s too big, of course, but I relish the few minutes that she’s out of trouble because she’s trapped in one place. That is, of course, until she whines to get out!

Photos: Courtesy of Ember Swift