Breastfeeding mothers find 'safe spaces' on Montreal's Route du Lait

A Montreal federation of breastfeeding support groups has a plan to put an end to the all-too-common experience of breastfeeding mothers who've been subjected to dirty looks or asked to leave a retail establishment to feed their baby elsewhere.

Nourri-Source Montreal has created the Route du Lait — a network of businesses such as coffee shops, pharmacies, bookstores and toy stores. 

The participating retail outlets will put a sticker in their window to let women know they are welcome to breastfeed inside, without any obligation to buy something.

"If a mother goes in a store with the sticker in the window, they know the owner has been briefed, the employees know about breastfeeding and are OK with it," said Geneviève Coulombe, Route du Lait's project manager.

"If they have older babies or fussy babies, they know they'll be accepted with no judgment."

A need for 'safe spaces'

Coulombe has been working on developing the project over the past three years, approaching businesses and educating their staff on a mother's right to breastfeed.

She said there's a need for these "safe spaces" because some mothers are not comfortable breastfeeding in front of strangers.

So far, the Route du Lait is in five neighbourhoods around Montreal — downtown, Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the Plateau Mont-Royal, Verdun and on the West Island. It is launching in Rosemont on Oct. 3.

The Route du Lait is expanding and any interested businesses can contact its organizers via their Facebook page.