The first Baby Cafe location in New Jersey opens Thursday, aiming to offer breastfeeding parents a free and welcoming environment to gather for support, education and connection.
Baby Cafe is a nonprofit organization with programs across 26 states that work to "reduce health disparities nationwide and help mothers realize their breastfeeding goals." The newest cafe, named Cooper-Camden Baby Cafe, is within the Riletta L. Cream Ferry Avenue Library at 852 Ferry Ave. in Camden. It will be open every Thursday from noon-2 p.m. for drop-in services.
The Cooper-Camden Baby Cafe — an initiative of Cooper Medical School of Rowan University — will provide free, one-on-one feeding support for mothers led by Sindy Ferreira, the co-founder of the Camden location and a lead lactation consultant at Main Line Health. Medical residents and students will also assist at the location through service learning programs. Other features of the cafe will include peer support from other breastfeeding moms, comfortable seating for feeding and changing babies, and access to breastfeeding resources. Bilingual services will be available.
"The CCBC is a collaborative effort to improve maternal and child health and reduce breastfeeding disparities," Ferreira said in a release in October. "All breastfeeding families in Camden County as well as the surrounding areas are welcome to attend."
Breastfeeding is considered the best source of nutrition for most infants, according to Cooper Medical School. It offers many advantages for both the baby — reducing the risk of developing conditions like asthma and diabetes — and the mother — aiding in postpartum recovery and lowering the risk of developing certain cancers, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. But moms may often face discouraging physical barriers, like getting the baby to latch, or mental hindrances, such as embarrassment when breastfeeding (particularly in public) or lack of knowledge about how to do it, according to Drexel University College of Medicine. There are also inequities in breastfeeding. For example, 75% of Black infants are ever breastfed, which is below the national average of 84%, the CDC reported.
"This initiative will not only increase breastfeeding rates locally, but also educate future healthcare providers on the critical benefits of breastfeeding for both babies and mothers," Guy Hewlett, assistant dean for diversity and community affairs at Cooper Medical School, said in a release.
There are no Baby Cafe locations in Philadelphia, although there is one Pennsylvania location in Williamsport, Lycoming County. The city of Philadelphia does offer free breastfeeding services, though, including the Philly Loves Families program — which provides one-on-one lactation support for parents. Other breastfeeding resources throughout the Philly area include a lactation nurse support line, prenatal breastfeeding classes and support groups.