BCUSA Updates
Baby Cafés and the Covid-19 virus
Baby Cafés are offering IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL BABY CAFÉ MEETINGS depending on their local COVID-19 restrictions.
Individual Baby Cafés will follow the local Communicable Disease guidelines of their sponsoring organizations regarding group gatherings, therefore as regulations allow, some Baby Cafés are meeting in person.
Please check individual listings on the top and bottom of this page (Find a Baby Café button), or with local Community and Facebook listings to connect to a VIRTUAL Baby Café.
NOTE: If a participant (including infants and children), staff member, or volunteer has any symptoms of illness, has been in contact with anyone COVID +, or has traveled in the past 10 days, please do not attend any Baby Café in person that may be open.
CDC Guidelines for Isolation
BE WELL and STAY SAFE
**COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Outreach Materials from Mass Department of Public Health:
Vaccines and Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Children and Youth
Individual Baby Cafés will follow the local Communicable Disease guidelines of their sponsoring organizations regarding group gatherings, therefore as regulations allow, some Baby Cafés are meeting in person.
Please check individual listings on the top and bottom of this page (Find a Baby Café button), or with local Community and Facebook listings to connect to a VIRTUAL Baby Café.
NOTE: If a participant (including infants and children), staff member, or volunteer has any symptoms of illness, has been in contact with anyone COVID +, or has traveled in the past 10 days, please do not attend any Baby Café in person that may be open.
CDC Guidelines for Isolation
BE WELL and STAY SAFE
**COVID-19 Vaccine Education and Outreach Materials from Mass Department of Public Health:
Vaccines and Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Children and Youth
Baby Café Breastfeeding Counselor Graduates
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Farah Antoine-MayberryI'm Farah Antoine-Mayberry! I graduated from Howard University with a degree in occupational therapy. I have always loved children and any education related to birth. As an OT, I've had the pleasure of working with babies and families in the NICU among various settings.
My husband and I have 5 children and when our youngest was 9 months old, I was asked by a representative of the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates (COBA) to become a Baby Cafe Breastfeeding Counselor (BCBC) for a local Baby Cafe in Oklahoma City. I had the support of my colleague/co-facilitator who is now a dear friend as I continued to gain skills as a certified lactation counselor and eventually as a doula, midwife's assistant, and IBCLC. My favorite part of becoming a BCBC besides meeting new families was creating a safe space for parents to connect with each other while navigating postpartum in a country that doesn't normalize birth, breastfeeding, as well as proper financial, physical, and emotional postpartum support. Personally, I chose to breastfeed my children to take advantage of it being free! (We started off with twins so "free" was an excellent price). We were blessed to have fairly uneventful breastfeeding experiences, however as a BCBC, I realized that birthing families deserve and need so much more prenatal and postpartum lactation support than they currently get. I wanted to become an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Counselor (IBCLC) to expand my scope of practice and reach more of my birthing community. Becoming an IBCLC has been a welcomed achievement and I am excited to contribute to the continued development of more lactation professionals through future community endeavors. |
In the News
Baby Café USA Offers Free Support to Parents During US Infant Formula Shortage
Baby Café USA, a nationwide non-profit network of licensed support groups, offers free assistance and education to parents facing challenges providing breastmilk to their infants, whether exclusively or as partial nutrition with formula. In recognition of the current infant formula supply chain issues, Baby Café USA stands ready to assist affected families, especially those most vulnerable due to health disparities.
According to Lucia Jenkins, Baby Café USA’s founder and Executive Director, “Every baby deserves appropriate nutrition and responsive parenting. The Baby Café model provides a consistently excellent level of care with free, informal, weekly support groups. Each café is embedded in its community and maintains strong ties to other healthcare and social service resources to ensure a successful outcome. For parents, it’s easy, it’s supportive, it’s healthy, and it helps create a strong village.”
It is imperative that families have access to knowledgeable healthcare professionals who are able to assist families to safely prepare and utilize formula when necessary, and also provide adequate support to increase mothers’ milk production. Baby Cafés are staffed by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLC®), and other trained lactation care providers who offer assistance with all facets of human lactation, complementary feeding of solid foods and also weaning. Baby Cafés are free, and open to all pregnant and currently breastfeeding and/or pumping parents, including those who are supplementing with infant formula.
There are no eligibility requirements (such as health insurance or U.S. citizenship) to attend a Baby Café, and sessions are offered virtually or in public venues. Baby Cafés are currently operating in 30 states and can be easily located on the Baby Café USA website.
Baby Café USA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to offer an evidence-based, proven model of lactation and infant feeding care. Baby Café USA provides care to tens of thousands of families each year and is a proven example of community-driven healthcare, focusing on improving the health of families. Some cafes are also certified to collect pumped milk donations for local breastmilk banks.
Parents in need of support and information about infant feeding, including safely preparing and using infant formula, can find their local Baby Café here: https://www.babycafeusa.org/findababycafe.html
According to Lucia Jenkins, Baby Café USA’s founder and Executive Director, “Every baby deserves appropriate nutrition and responsive parenting. The Baby Café model provides a consistently excellent level of care with free, informal, weekly support groups. Each café is embedded in its community and maintains strong ties to other healthcare and social service resources to ensure a successful outcome. For parents, it’s easy, it’s supportive, it’s healthy, and it helps create a strong village.”
It is imperative that families have access to knowledgeable healthcare professionals who are able to assist families to safely prepare and utilize formula when necessary, and also provide adequate support to increase mothers’ milk production. Baby Cafés are staffed by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLC®), and other trained lactation care providers who offer assistance with all facets of human lactation, complementary feeding of solid foods and also weaning. Baby Cafés are free, and open to all pregnant and currently breastfeeding and/or pumping parents, including those who are supplementing with infant formula.
There are no eligibility requirements (such as health insurance or U.S. citizenship) to attend a Baby Café, and sessions are offered virtually or in public venues. Baby Cafés are currently operating in 30 states and can be easily located on the Baby Café USA website.
Baby Café USA is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 to offer an evidence-based, proven model of lactation and infant feeding care. Baby Café USA provides care to tens of thousands of families each year and is a proven example of community-driven healthcare, focusing on improving the health of families. Some cafes are also certified to collect pumped milk donations for local breastmilk banks.
Parents in need of support and information about infant feeding, including safely preparing and using infant formula, can find their local Baby Café here: https://www.babycafeusa.org/findababycafe.html
MelroseWakefield Healthcare Baby Café Empowers Milk Recipient to Become Milk Donor
MelroseWakefield Healthcare Baby Café grand opening. Lisa tells her story of receiving milk at MelroseWakefield Hospital, then going on to donate milk twice, with the support of the Baby Café. READ MORE
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FROM BREASTFEEDING MEDICINE JOURNAL: Examining the Baby Café Model and Mothers' Breastfeeding Duration, Meeting of Goals, and Exclusivity
Accessible community lactation support impacts a woman's breastfeeding success by offering timely intervention and solutions, thereby allowing mothers to achieve breastfeeding goals and improve overall breastfeeding rates... READ MORE
5 Reasons to Give or Get Support at Baby Café USANot every breastfeeding mother wants or needs an in-person visit along with the pressure of showing up at the appointed time... READ MORE
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Baby Cafés are free, drop-in, informal breastfeeding support groups offering ongoing professional lactation care and intervention. Most are open for 2 hours at least once a week. Some communities have more than one, meeting different days of the week.
Baby Café USA is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization supporting the development of licensed U.S. Baby Cafés. Registered Non-profit No. 80-0787743 |
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