Baby Café USA
  • About Us
    • Who is BCUSA?
    • Baby Café Locations
    • Director and Board
    • Staff
    • State Coordinators
    • Advisory Group
    • Baby Café USA History
  • For Parents
    • Find a Baby Café
    • Parent Registration Form
    • Parent Session Attendance Form
    • Mothers Charter
    • FAQs for Parents
    • Breastfeeding Help
    • Donating Milk
  • Opening a New Café
    • FAQs for Professionals
    • Funding Possibilities
    • Staffing Guidelines
  • User Portal
    • For Facilitators
    • BCBC Mentor Program
    • For Administrators
    • Baby Café Current Reports
    • Baby Café History Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteers
    • BCBC Mentor Program
    • Donate
  • Contact
  • About Us
    • Who is BCUSA?
    • Baby Café Locations
    • Director and Board
    • Staff
    • State Coordinators
    • Advisory Group
    • Baby Café USA History
  • For Parents
    • Find a Baby Café
    • Parent Registration Form
    • Parent Session Attendance Form
    • Mothers Charter
    • FAQs for Parents
    • Breastfeeding Help
    • Donating Milk
  • Opening a New Café
    • FAQs for Professionals
    • Funding Possibilities
    • Staffing Guidelines
  • User Portal
    • For Facilitators
    • BCBC Mentor Program
    • For Administrators
    • Baby Café Current Reports
    • Baby Café History Reports
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteers
    • BCBC Mentor Program
    • Donate
  • Contact

WHAT IS A BABY CAFÉ?

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. ​ ​

What Mom's Say...

"Good place to meet other moms with similar problems"
"Somewhere to breastfeed with other moms to talk to"
"Can talk to people and still breastfeed baby without feeling embarrassed"
"Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Friendly volunteers who were very considerate to children and babies"
"Friendly, non-intimidating advice"
"Reassurance...Very, very reassuring and helpful"
"Very friendly, useful advice from very informed people"
"Thank you so much for your  help when I was struggling to feed my third child. The Baby Café is a quite extraordinary oasis of calm, patience and superb advice - not to mention refreshments, and help with positioning. I really didn't think I was going to be able to breastfeed successfully this time and it is now going fine."
FIND A BABY CAFE

Mothers' Charter

When visiting a Baby Café you can expect...

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  • ​A relaxed, informal, safe, child-friendly, non-medical environment.
  • A place where your breastfeeding relationship, at whatever stage, is valued, respected and protected.
  • To meet other breastfeeding moms.
  • To receive up-to-date information about breastfeeding, from staff knowledgeable and skilled in helping women breastfeed.
  • To be helped in a way that equips you to continue breastfeeding when you leave the Baby Café.
    • This means qualified staff may directly assist you with positioning and latch or may work with a ‘hands off’ approach as needed. Feel free to specify if you prefer a “hands-off” approach.
  • That all information, suggestions, books, leaflets, videos, demonstration aids, posters available will:
    • Be balanced and informative.
    • Help you in making informed decisions.
    • Support and protect breastfeeding and the breastfeeding relationship.
    • To be supported in the decisions you make.
  • That staff will maintain records and communicate with your permission in a confidential manner with other local health professionals and Baby Café USA if appropriate.
  • To be responsible for your children at all times.
  • That your feedback about the program will be welcomed and taken seriously.
  • To see a License Certificate displayed, showing that the Baby Café is registered with the BCUSA non-profit organization.

FAQs for Parents

Who can attend a Baby Café? 
​ Anyone who is: 
  • Breastfeeding or chestfeeding 
  • Pregnant and interested in breastfeeding 
  • Working and pumping 
  • Exclusively pumping and bottle-feeding 
  • Wanting to wean 
  • Students needing lactation counseling education 
  • Male partners are welcome at some Baby Cafés, or at specific meetings
    • See details for each café
​ Do I need to sign up? 
​ No, all Baby Cafés are drop-in, and open to the public. No appointment is necessary.
​ Is there a membership fee? 
​ No. Baby Cafés are all free to the public and do not market or sell anything.
​ Do I bring my baby? 
​ Yes! And you are welcome to breastfeed while you are there.
​ What does a Baby Café provide? 
  • Assessments and evidence-based group support from professionally-trained staff 
  • Digital scales for assessing weights and milk transfer 
  • Suggestions for solutions to lactation issues 
  • Opportunities to ask questions, share experiences and make friends 
  • Refreshments, comfortable seating, and open-forum discussions 
  • Some offer play areas for accompanying toddlers 
​ Where are Baby Cafés? 
In welcoming community-based donated spaces such as Hospital, Churches, Libraries, Milk Banks, YMCAs, Parent/child meeting areas, WIC Offices, Pediatrician/OB offices, and Chiropractor offices.
Do Baby Cafes promote or dictate certain beliefs? ​
No. Baby Cafés never promote a certain religious, political, or parenting belief. They are structured as an open-forum discussion, guided by evidence-based practice. Their purpose is to help parents reach their own breastfeeding and/or chestfeeding goals.
Who pays for the Baby Café? ​
They are funded by local sponsoring organizations such as Hospitals or WIC programs, and often use grant money for community health initiatives.
Are Baby Cafés associated with any other organization? ​
Individual Cafés may be sponsored by non-profit organizations. Baby Café USA is a free-standing organization and receives no funding or backing from any other organization, business, or political party.
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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

Need Help?

Find a Baby Café
Breastfeeding Help
Mom Registration
Mom Attendance 
Opening a New Café
User Login
Contact Us