LiveSmart: Baby Cafés Provide Support, Community for Breastfeeding Moms
World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7 and it is being celebrated in the Capital Region with the launch of two of the nation’s newest Baby Cafés in Troy and Schenectady.
Funded by grants from St. Peter’s Health Partners (SPHP) Community Health Programs, and in affiliation with nonprofit organization Baby Café USA, the new Baby Cafés in Troy and Schenectady will provide pregnant and breastfeeding mothers a comfortable environment to relax, learn more about breastfeeding, and socialize with other moms.
In Troy, the Baby Café is operated by the Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) and located in the organization’s Community Resource Center at 2328 5th Avenue. Managed by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant employed by SPHP, with assistance from two part-time lactation consultants, the café is open every Wednesday from noon to 2 p.m.
In Schenectady, the Baby Café is operated by Schenectady County Public Health Services and located in the Phyllis Bornt Branch Library and Literacy Center at 948 State Street. The Schenectady Baby Café is staffed by an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant employed by Schenectady County Public Health, and is open every other Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Schenectady Baby Café had its grand opening Tuesday, August 1, and the Troy Baby Café is following suit with an open house set for Friday, August 4, from Noon to 2 p.m. at the CEO Community Resource Center. Pregnant women, breastfeeding moms, partners, and siblings are welcome to visit the Baby Cafés and the open house in Troy.
“We are thrilled to launch these Baby Cafés, which will offer community support for breastfeeding women in Troy and Schenectady, and enable them to breastfeed for longer,” said Erin Sinisgalli, director of SPHP Community Health Programs. “Long-term studies of breastfeeding show it contributes to a lifetime of good health for babies. It also provides many positive health benefits for moms, and gives them some quiet time to relax and bond with their baby.”
For more information on the Troy café, please call (518) 272-6012 ext. 255 or click here. For the Schenectady café, please call (518) 386-2824. Health care providers who wish to volunteer or participate in the Baby Cafés should contact Kristin Lynch at SPHP Community Health Programs at (518) 459-2550.
Baby Café USA is a national network of free breastfeeding drop-ins, combining the expertise of skilled practitioners and mothers to offer invaluable support to parents at all stages of breastfeeding in a professional but non-clinical, café-style environment.
