Men as breast masseurs causes stir in Shanghai

A household services company has stirred up a big debate among residents in China's Shanghai city as it's training men in offering breast massage service to nursing mothers to 'boost' their milk secretion.

The company's training course is of 10-18 days. And, the breast massage service is available at 300 yuan ($46) to 500 yuan ($77) an hour.

Xia Jun, chief executive officer of the household service company, says he has spent past three months taking classes to receive official training as a breast massage tutor, Shanghai Daily reported.

Xia, who claims to have been issued a certificate from the China Employment Training Technical Instruction Centre, said he would now train his employees - both men and women - to massage nursing mothers' breasts in a "scientific way".

He said he would help his employees get official qualifications from the centre as professional breast masseurs and masseuses.

Doctors at major hospitals in the city, however, said the service is not necessary.

Young mothers can boost their milk supply themselves simply by breast feeding their babies at certain frequency, said a doctor surnamed Hou with Shanghai's popular Maternity and Children's Health Hospital.

Meanwhile, many agitated residents said they didn't think new moms, or their husbands, would allow a strange man to massage their breasts when they can hire a woman.

"It's unbelievable. What kind of husband would allow another man to massage his wife's breasts," said a resident Xu Boshi, aged 24. "I'd rather study the skills and do it myself."