Walking back to downtown Wellington from a mums’ group meeting, I had missed my bus home by five minutes and had to wait 40 minutes to board the next bus.

The 5.20pm service happened to coincide with peak hour traffic, which happened to coincide with my baby’s next feed. Truth be told, peak hour makes me peckish too.

The bus was packed but I found a seat and when my baby started crying I didn’t think twice about breastfeeding her there and then. I hoped I hadn’t violated a New Zealand traffic law; technically-speaking, there is NO EATING ALLOWED ON THE BUS. None of the passengers even batted an eyelid; a middle-aged woman smiled at me a knowing grin.

“Thank you driver,” I said as I alighted near my Thorndon home, if only he knew his slow coach had saved my bursting bust.

Four months earlier my English-born midwife had visited us at home to check we made it through the first week of parenthood.

“Congratulations,” she said, “You’ve survived the first week, now you and your baby can join the Wellington cafe circuit.”

With more cafes per capita in the Kiwi capital than New York City, my baby would be out of nappies before we got around all of them. We probably got to hang out – pardon the pun – in 40 per cent of the city’s eateries; never once did I get any negative feedback on breastfeeding in public. I recall a lovely couple offered to hold my newborn so I could feed my own face with a knife and fork. The only time breastfeeding rated a mention out on the street was a blackboard sign at Caffe L’affare that cheekily stated: Breastfeeding welcome, corkage $2! (I skipped town in debt.)

Wellington City Council also offered a brilliant program, Gallery Babes, where mums and babies were invited to the city art gallery once a month to enjoy a bite to eat and a bit of art on the side.

An entertaining guide took groups through one or two exhibitions with the mums encouraged to feed their babies – boobs or bottles – on the padded, leather benches dotted around the gallery while considering the artworks in front of them. Later we enjoyed morning tea with a stunning harbour view; I felt invigorated and valued in my new role as a stay-at-home-mum. Perhaps Albury’s newest art gallery – with the perfect name for the job –  might consider hosting MAMA groups.

Wodonga cafe proprietor Trevor Broadbent has made the best of a bad situation when a mum was asked to cover up while breastfeeding on his premises in October. It was claimed some patrons had complained.

Having apologised to Lavington mum Sacha Knobel over the incident, Mr Broadbent is now organising a forum for Border businesses to familiarise themselves with breastfeeding laws.

I never had any negative experience while breastfeeding our youngest daughter in public on the Border yet this has not been the case for all mums.

Social media went into a feeding frenzy on this issue on October 27; some half-wits calling on new mums to toughen up, others saying they’re fed up with the conversation.

Clearly this is a conversation that has not run its course until every mum who chooses to can comfortably breastfeed in public without fear of shame or ridicule.

Perhaps then we will bridge the gap with our neighbours over the ditch and become leaders at looking after our own.

I hope the Border won’t miss the bus on this timely opportunity.