SHELBY COUNTY, TN – The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) is offering free breastfeeding assistance to Shelby County mothers and their families at a new “Baby Café” at its Sycamore View location, 1826 Sycamore View Road.
The ribbon was cut on the new Baby Cafe at 1826 Sycamore View Road on November 22, 2022. It is the first ever facility in Shelby County to provide drop-in access to breastfeeding professionals, including a Licensed Registered Dietitian (RD), a Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC), and a Certified Lactation Consultant (CLC)/Peer Counselor. The Shelby County Baby Café also provides other services (i.e., fatherhood initiatives, nutrition, recipes) to benefit the infant and the entire family support system.
Baby Cafés are free, informal breastfeeding support groups that offer free professional lactation counseling and assistance to families who need it, using a model pioneered by a national breastfeeding advocacy organization, Baby Café USA. The Public Health staff are trained around the theme of partnering with the family to understand specific value, as it relates to child development.
The Baby Café will offer breastfeeding advice, support, assistance, and referrals at no cost to any pregnant or breastfeeding mother residing in Shelby County. The Shelby County Baby Café will be available to pregnant and nursing mothers each Tuesday and Thursday, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Monday, Wednesday and Friday by appointment beginning on Thursday, December 1, 2022. Call 901-831-3690 to make an appointment. Virtual assistance is also available.
SCHD’s Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Program has long championed breastfeeding for mothers who are able to breastfeed. Pediatricians and child development experts agree that breastfeeding is a healthy, affordable, and natural way to feed infants that promotes the health of both mother and infant. SCHD’s WIC Program employs 13 Certified Lactation Consultants, five Breastfeeding Peer Counselors, and a Breastfeeding Coordinator who provide assistance, support and referrals to WIC clients who need it. Learn more about WIC services.
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