'Creepy': Mum asks women to leave nursing rooms at malls after finding them watching videos inside
A mother said she had to ask strangers to leave nursing rooms at two shopping malls after finding them sitting inside watching videos while she was trying to change and feed her baby.
Stomper Anonymous, who is a mother to a five-month-old boy, said she encountered two separate incidents within the span of two weeks.
The first incident occurred at Aperia Mall on Feb 24 at about 11.27am.
She said she found a woman sitting in the nursing room watching videos loudly.
"My baby doesn't look much like me, despite definitely being mine, and I wonder if she assumed I was a helper and she could just ignore me, which is no way to treat another human being anyway," the Stomper said.
"The lady just ignored me for the longest time before I showed her the sign on the wall."
In a video shared with Stomp, the Stomper is heard telling the woman: "You're not meant to be here. This is a quiet place for nursing mums."
The woman appears to shake her hand in a gesture suggesting she does not understand.
The Stomper continues saying while pointing to a sign just outside the room: "I understand you're not meant to be here. It's for mums. I can go tell management. It's for nursing mothers."
The woman subsequently walks out of the nursing room and looks at the sign before leaving.
In response to a Stomp query, a spokesperson for Aperia Mall said: "We thank the shopper for bringing this matter to our attention. Our nursing rooms are intended to provide mothers and caregivers with a private and comfortable space to nurse and care for their infants.
"We would like to remind all shoppers to be mindful and respectful of the intended use of these facilities, so that families who require them may access them."
The second incident occurred at Great World on March 5 at about 12.50pm.
The Stomper said she again found a woman inside the nursing room watching videos loudly.
"When I asked her to leave as I was uncomfortable changing my son in front of a complete stranger who is not there legitimately as a parent changing or nursing their child, she was very resistant," she said.
"This lady was much worse and argued with me at length and went back and sat down in the nursing room, as you can see in the video. She only left when I told her I refused to change my son in front of her."
In a video of the incident, the Stomper is heard telling the woman: "I really don't think this is allowed.
"This is a protected space for mums nursing, and it clearly says this is just for nursing mums. Even my husband wouldn't be allowed here."
While the Stomper is speaking, the other woman appears to ignore her and walks to an armchair, where she sits down and rummages through her bag without responding.
The Stomper said she reported both incidents to mall security.
In response to a Stomp query, Great World said its nursing rooms are intended for parents and caregivers who require a space to attend to their children.
A spokesperson for the mall said etiquette signs are placed at the entrance of each nursing room to remind visitors the facility is reserved for parents or caregivers and their children. A contact number is also displayed for shoppers to reach the mall's customer service team if assistance is needed.
The spokesperson added that upon receiving feedback from the Stomper, the mall initiated a review with its security and customer service teams and has reached out to her to follow up on her concerns.
The mall is also reportedly in the process of refreshing the signage within each nursing room cubicle.
"While notices are already in place indicating that these areas are intended only for nursing mothers and children, the updated signs will be larger and clearer to further remind shoppers of the appropriate use of the space," the spokesperson said.
"We encourage shoppers to be gracious and considerate while visiting the mall, so that spaces such as the nursing rooms remain comfortable and accessible for parents and caregivers."
The Stomper said the presence of strangers in nursing rooms disrupts feeding and diaper-changing routines.
"It's creepy to have a random person who has no business being there watching as you change your baby," she said.
"If this had been a man, it would've caused an instant uproar, yet somehow these women feel entitled to these protected spaces and it's not questioned."
The Stomper also claimed she had previously encountered older women entering nursing rooms at other locations, including VivoCity and Ikea, to use the hot water tap despite not having children with them.
"It's nice having nursing rooms, but if no one is ensuring these are protected spaces for parents and children, there is no point as people misuse them unapologetically," she said.
She hopes more awareness can be raised about respecting the intended use of such facilities.
"I would like for people to know they can't just use the nursing rooms like this," she said. "This is probably one of the reasons why the total fertility rate is so low, because it's so difficult to find protected spaces for babies outside the home in Singapore which impacts the social life of parents."
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