BUFFALO, N.Y. — A new café is opening in Buffalo, but it's not for coffee and baked goods, this café is for newborn babies and their parents. It's set up by the Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network, and the Baby Café is celebrating its grand opening on Thursday during National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
A few months ago when a national baby formula shortage hit its peak, experts here in Buffalo saw a spike in people interested in breastfeeding.
Baby Café USA is a national program that provides education about breastfeeding. This new location will be the seventh here in Western New York. They offer free and informal support groups that talk about breastfeeding.
Sherrell McLean with the Buffalo Prenatal Perinatal Network says they have seen a high influx of people interested in breastfeeding this past month.
McLean says she sees a lot of people who don't choose this option because they simply don't have the right information. And that's the goal of their new Baby Café, to offer support and education.
"We are hands on - we ask permission obviously. We show videos, we have displays, the clients are really comfortable," McLean said.
"We have our private rooms so if there is a client that is having issues, they take the trained CLCs [Trained and Certified Lactation Counselors] - there are three of us here - and then we work with them. It's not an easy process, it takes a lot of time, a lot of determination, a lot of people miss that mental health part about it because it's so difficult."
Mclean went on to say that's why they are there, to support parents and offer guidance.
Even though some Baby Café's are virtual, the new café is in-person at 625 Delaware Ave., Suite 410, Buffalo. For more information about Baby Café's, or to find a site near you, click here.