They also argue that breastfeeding needs to be a much more accepted part of community life to help change attitudes towards the practice.

Last week’s outcry about the woman who was asked to leave the Bendigo Marketplace because she was breastfeeding is not an isolated incident.

All too often, we hear about women who are asked to feed their baby out of sight.

Not all women are confident as new mothers, and being told that breastfeeding should not be seen in public may create discomfort that can prevent them from feeling at ease breastfeeding outside the home.

Babies need to feed frequently and mothers need to be out and about – so breastfeeding in public is part of community life.

We all want the best for our babies and most Australian women breastfeed – at least initially.

However, prudish attitudes can threaten breastfeeding and the health of our children.

Ninety-six per cent of Australian women start breastfeeding, but many don’t continue for as long as they originally intend.

By six months of age only about 60 per cent of our babies are continuing to receive any breast milk and less than 15 per cent are exclusively breastfeeding.

Some women give up breastfeeding because of feelings of anxiety or shame about breastfeeding in public.

“I feel too embarrassed to breastfeed in public,” a new mother in Kangaroo Flat told us recently.

Babies do not feed at predictable times and few mothers are able to (or want to) stay at home for every feed.

Family use of a baby change/feeding room is not always practical, and mothers with more than one child need to be able to keep an eye on older children while breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding in public spaces is reasonable, legally supported and should be unremarkable.

When breastfeeding is not seen as a socially acceptable activity and hidden away in special rooms out of the public eye it becomes invisible.

Society is deprived of valuable lessons about normal infant behaviour.

Although we have laws to say that women and children have the right to breastfeed anywhere, anytime, we need more community support for mothers to feel comfortable breastfeeding in public.

Children need to grow up seeing babies being breastfed, so let’s work out ways to make this happen.

Soon after young Zaydd had his breastfeed so rudely interrupted, the management of the Marketplace announced an apology, and their undertaking to ‘take steps’ to improve.

Can other shopping centres embrace the opportunity to publicly state their family friendly, breastfeeding friendly stance?

Can the Marketplace set up a breastfeeding-friendly corner?

Not a room out of sight, but somewhere pleasant and open.

Bendigo is a child friendly city.

Let’s welcome our smallest children by supporting their mothers to provide the best start to life.