Breastfeeding Stations in Metro Manila Shopping Malls: The Pros and Cons

Need to pump some milk but not sure if the mall you're in has a nursing room? Check out our list of breastfeeding stations in the Metro!

Breastfeeding Stations

It’s no secret: Filipinos love to go the mall. And thanks to the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 which requires shopping malls and other public places to provide nursing stations, breastfeeding moms now have a quiet space far from the madding mall crowd to nurse, express milk, and tend to their kids in total peace and comfort. Here’s a rundown of the metro’s key nursing spots.

Alabang Town Center

ALABANG TOWN CENTER

Location: Family Lounge, Upper Ground Level, Cortes delas Palmas (on top of Starbucks)
Facilities: Sink, toilets, couch, family lounge area, cushioned chairs and curtained partitions
Pros: Spacious, cozy, and peaceful.
Cons: Not as accessible when you have a stroller in tow, as the elevator seems about 5kms away from the Lounge.

Image (c) Mel Lozano

Rustan's Alabang

RUSTAN’S ALABANG

Location: Infant’s section, 1st floor Rustan’s Alabang
Facilities: Couch, changing tables, toys, electric outlet, toilet nearby
Pros: Cute, spacious, and cozy, atypical of all Rustan’s nursing rooms
Cons: Really, with Rustan’s nursing rooms, who can complain?

Image (c) Monica Luna

SM Mall of Asia

SM MALL OF ASIA

Location: Mall Clinic, 2nd floor Southside (at the far, far end of it, fronting Cosmic Kids)
Facilities: Changing table, sink, cushioned chairs, small refrigerator, water dispenser
Pros: ... ... ...
Cons: It’s a faaaaar walk to an area that no one frequents. You would think that in a mall as sprawling as SM MOA, there would be another nursing station at the other side of the complex. And like most SM Malls, you have to go through the clinic to get to the breastfeeding room.

Image (c) superpasyal.blogspot.com

Powerplant Mall

POWERPLANT MALL

Location: R2 Archeology Section (near National Bookstore)
Facilites: 2 private nursing cubicles, sink, changing table
Pros: Powerplant Mall finally has a nursing room…
Cons: … and it’s disappointing, considering that Powerplant Mall caters to the upper echelons of society. The room orientation is a bit off – the changing table is inside the nursing cubicle instead of nearer to the sink. Surely well-heeled moms deserve better breastfeeding rooms that are at least bigger than their bathrooms?

Image (c) Tiffany Jade Si Ty

Rustan's Makati

RUSTAN’S MAKATI

Location: Infant’s Section, 3rd floor, Rustan’s Makati
Facilities: Couches, a crib/changing table, sidetables, toys, baby wipes and cotton buds
Pros: Beautifully decorated, it’s a nursing room that Pinnterest dreams are made of.
Cons: No toilet, no sink. So close to perfection, but no cigar.

Image (c) Jenn Grunewald

SM Aura

SM AURA

Location: 4th floor (across Kultura
Facilities: Private nursing room for 2 moms with nursing chairs and electric outlets, lounge where daddies can wait, toilets, change tables, sinks, hot and cold water dispenser.
Pros: Finally, a REAL nursing room in an SM Mall that won’t have you snaking through a clinic. It’s spacious, quiet, and well-appointed too. And the receptionists are very helpful and accommodating. Applause, SM! It’s about time.
Cons: It’s the only one of its kind built by SM. Let this nursing area be the norm, not the exception!

Image (c) ManilaBabyLove

SM Cubao

SM CUBAO

Location: Infant’s section (near Baby Co.)
Facilities: Sink, cushioned seats, electric outlets.
Pros: It’s like an oasis in a desert of nothing (because Araneta Center and Gateway Mall have yet to be baby friendly).
Cons: It’s on the small side and leaves little room for strollers, but it’s comfy enough.

Image (c) Jennifer Baradas Bringas

SM Megamall

SM MEGAMALL

Location: Building A Lower Ground Floor (near the Food Court, enter via the mall’s clinic)
Facilities: sofa, side tables, changing table.
Pros: SM Megamall was the first to put up a breastfeeding station way back in 2006. Fistbump!
Cons: For some reason, whoever designed SM’s malls stuck the breastfeeding stations inside -- and not even adjacent to – the mall’s clinics. So yes, you have to go inside the Megamall clinic to get to the nursing room, which can freak out some finicky moms.

Image (c) Jenny Ong

TriNoma

TRINOMA

Location:Family Lounge, Level 3 (near National Bookstore and Sony Square)
Facilities: Private nursing cubicles, changing table, sink, electric outlets, toilets. Family lounge, WiFi, and a huge play area (free access limited to VIPinoy and Amore Card holders).
Pros: There’s so much room for you, your baby, and all your stuff. It’s also quiet and conducive for quiet time with your little one.
Cons: It’s tucked in the farthest corner of the mall. So if you’re in the middle area, you’ll have to walk a long way just to nurse or express milk.

Image (c) Mary Ann G. Basa

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