A Mother and Son’s Break from Shopping at Tiago: Beijing Proves to Be a Breastfeeding-Friendly City

There are loads of occasions where mothers feel ashamed of how they feed their child, breast or bottle. I remember going to a brunch when my daughter was only a few weeks old and I had brought pumped milk as I felt nervous to breastfeed in public. It turned out the pumped milk was not enough and she was still hungry. I left the table to feed her in another area of the restaurant. Why? I have no idea, but most likely because I was a new mother and not feeling confident enough to feed my child in public. This is fairly common for new mothers going out on the town with their infant for the first time.

I met up with Michelle Lori and her six-month-old son Jason Gabriel. Lori tells me how being added to the La Leche League WeChat group made her very confident in breastfeeding her son, whenever and wherever she wanted. She explains “I find China to be a great place to breastfeed, the people are very accommodating and truly make me comfortable.” We stop for a quick dessert at Tiago in Indigo Mall, where the environment is comfy and there’s even a small play area for kids. Lori agrees “Indigo Mall and Tiago is child friendly with nice staff and clean changing rooms for babies.”

Lori hails from Zimbabwe and has lived in China for over 8 years. She owns an events planning and management company, so you can bet she knows a thing or two about delicious food. She ordered a panna cotta dessert and fruit punch, satisfying all of her sweet cravings.

The Tiago menu impressed us with its culinary delights featuring an array of Italian fare for both lunch and dinner. Lori is one of many moms who agree that this is a perfect spot to take care of her baby while nurturing herself at the same time.