Korean Job Discussion Forums

[dunmore]

I'll be arriving in Korea in a couple of weeks. I'm just wondering what the etiquette is regarding breast feeding in public. I'm very discrete of course, but would like to know what the norms are. Is it OK to feed whenever and whereever?

[laogaiguk]

[hojucandy]

he's right about korea. korean women don't breast feed in public.

i would not say it is not accepted in all english speaking countries. it's perfectly ok to do so in australia ^^

[laogaiguk]

[jaganath69]

When I was new to Korea, I was fortunate to have some Aussie friends here, a couple with a newborn. The baby was a troublesome tot who would only shut up through repeated comfort feedings. They showed me around Seoul one day and the wee one was constantly on the tit. I thought it might be a bit weird for the locals, but my friend had no hesitation to whip it out and let her infant suckle. The natives didn't seem to mind either. That being said, I am yet to witness a Korean woman doing it in my three years here.

[tzechuk]

I breastfeed wherever, whenever.



It's interesting that you are getting answers from all the guys.

So here's an answer from a woman who has done it for a long time.

Look, breastfeeding isn't a norm, period. It's getting more popular but it still isn't that popular.

Letty is 21 months old and I still breastfeed her and we do it whenever she wants. No I don't have a fetish but weaning is difficult and time consuming - so I want her to be a little older and understands more before I totally wean her off. IN any case, the WHO suggests you breastfeed until the child is 24 months old.

The operative word here, by and large, is to be discreet. Korea is quite a good place for breastfeeding, to be honest, because all major department stores and supermarkets have a baby room, where you can just go and feed in privacy.

In the event that there are no baby rooms, like in a blinking restaurant, I still feed Letty, but we do do it with as little fuss as possible.

May be I am thick-skinned, but I'd rather feed my child wherever it is required than have her screaming at the top of her lungs for hunger or comfort.

[Banana Bender]

I have seen Korean women breast feeding a few times and that was in a small town as well.

The women were very discreet and had a jacket over their shoulder so it wasn't really noticeable.

BB

[red dog]

My former boss's wife (they were both Korean) used to feed her eight-month-old son at the institute, in the reception area. It was no big deal and she didn't seem to be hiding from the public.

[periwinkle]

I had a Korean friend that breastfed her son while we were having lunch in a restaurant. It was a quiet restaurant, but I have a feeling if it was busy and crowded, she would've done the same.

[Corporal]

to whoever wants you to go to a washroom. Why don't you go eat your lunch in the washroom so that you won't get stared at in the food court then?

No Korean mother is going to try to argue that formula is better than breastmilk. Usually they FF because it's more convenient and because there's still the stigma that breastfeeding is something that mainly lower-class people, farmers, people in Africa etc. do. But my friend does both--formula feeds and breastfeeds, usually the former in public and the latter at home. That's just her personal decision though. There are nurseries/feeding rooms now in places like Walmart and Emart where you can go and BF in private.

Of course you'll get stared at. We get stared at for doing absolutely nothing in public, too.

[anae]

I breastfed in public in both Canada and Korea and had zero problems. My Korean SILs all breastfed as well.

When my in-laws visited Canada, they saw no reason I shouldn't stop right in the middle of a dept. store and feed my daughter. They thought going all the way to a nursing room was a waste of time.

My complaint about Korea was a lack of change tables in public places rather than about any nursing issues.

[JeJuJitsu]

[periwinkle]

[anae]

Gee, you even found change tables? I always had my trusty mat, but I often had to put it on the wet, filthy floor of a restaurant or store washroom. Yuck.

[periwinkle]