(Update 4:40 p.m.) – Since this article ran East Hills Shopping Center has updated its plans for the future of the breastfeeding lounge due to public input and issued this statement:

“After several complaints, East Hills Shopping Center has decided to remove both the adult and children’s size toilets from the new breastfeeding lounge. This space will solely be used for the purpose of breastfeeding and not a restroom facility. The photo shown was a preview of the space, which has yet to be finalized. The room will also feature an activity table for children, a diaper changing station and breastfeeding pamphlets. As stated in the article, the final project will be unveiled on Saturday. East Hills Shopping Center would like to specify that we support all breastfeeding mothers.  Due to requests from our customers and employees, we decided to offer a private space for mothers who might be more comfortable in a lockable space away from the public instead of in their cars or in a restroom stall. It is still a mother’s right to breastfeed in public anytime, anywhere. That is why we have hosted the Big Latch in our shopping center for several years. We are hoping this new space is a step in the right direction of normalizing breastfeeding and supporting our local breastfeeding mothers.”

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(11:39 a.m.) – East Hills Shopping Center announces a new feature for breastfeeding moms who work or shop at the St. Joseph location. 

A new breastfeeding lounge will be unveiled at East Hills this weekend as a part of World Breastfeeding Week. 

East Hills Marketing Manager Regan Lyons said they’ve been working with La’Sherrie Tyes at the Department of Health to become a Gold Level Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite. 

“We saw the need and we’d been talking about it for quite awhile,” Lyons said. “I know two of us in the office were breastfeeding mothers for over a year and we saw different employees of our stores needing a place and we had several shoppers asking for it. So that’s why we decided to meet that need.” 

Lyons said the lounge, located near the restrooms by the food court, includes a comfortable bench, an end table, plugs for breast pumps, a diaper changing station and a sink and a toilet. 

East Hills will unveil the new lounge after the St. Joe Latch from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Saturday.