Kochi: A church in Kochi has arranged a separate room for mothers to breastfeed their infants while attending Mass.
The Little Flower Church in Elamkulam has made the provision to help mothers watch the services from the breast feeding room, which is above the church hall.
Church officials say that mothers have been finding it increasingly difficult to come to the church with a crying baby and breastfeed their babies, especially under the camera eyes of the Closed Circuit TVs.
Parish priest Father Paul Karedan says the new arrangements save mothers from scouting for a place to breastfeed their infants. The 300-sqft room, situated in the balcony and called the cry room in foreign countries, has been designed to make infants and the mothers be at peace in the church, the priest explained.
The air-conditioned room has a cradle, playing facilities such as swing, slide, rocking horse and chairs, reported The Times of India.
The room is soundproof and even if the children cry inside the room, it will not disturb those attending the Mass in the church.
“The concept is common in foreign countries but it is new to Kerala,” Father Kareden said.
He also claimed the room shows the Church’s respect for women and their needs. “Children feel uncomfortable in the public gathering and start crying. This will obviously disturb others in the crowd.”
The priest said many women had complained about their difficulty to breastfeed infants while attending services.
Bishop Sebastian Adayantharath blessed the room on December 23.
The room is divided by a thick glass wall through which mothers can watch the services. The church, which is under Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, sees around 600 devotees for the Mass every day.