Parents Centre – Hawke’s Bay The Baby Café

15 June 2004

Parents Centre – Hawke’s Bay The Baby Café

A brand new ‘Baby Café’ is being set up in Hawke’s Bay next month. It will be the first Baby Café to be established outside of the UK. The Baby Café was initially a British concept created by two lactation consultants who worked with their Local Health Board to form a breastfeeding drop in centre. There are 29 baby cafes in Europe.

“It became apparent in Hawke’s Bay that there was a need to provide increased support to breastfeeding mothers and to help fill this void Parents Centre Hawke’s Bay has worked with the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board, local midwives, Hawke’s Bay Breast Feeding Group to provide a new service for our region,” says Katie Askew, president of Napier Parents Centre.

There are 29 Baby Cafes throughout Britain and Parents Centre Hawke’s Bay is the first international Baby Café.

The Baby Café is a drop in centre for breastfeeding women and their families offering professional help, support and information.

It will be open every Monday and Thursday 11am to 1pm from 1st July 2004 at Parents Centre House 231 Warwick Road Hastings. Anne Perry (background in Midwifery and Childbirth Education) and Mary Orchiston (Hawke’s Bay District Health Board Lactation Consultant) will share the facilitation roles. The official launch celebration will be during World Breast Feeding Week on Monday 2 August 2004.

Hastings Parents Centre president, Bronwyn van Hooijdonk said “Our mission is to be a drop in centre of excellence offering information and help, in a comfortable and relaxed environment, to any mother interested in breastfeeding and those supporting her.”

“The Baby Café is an imaginative and accessible way of delivering health care in the 21st century. It has brand image associations, engendered by the name and visual representations, synonymous with breastfeeding, quality and style,” said Ms Hooijdonk.

The Baby Café provides opportunities for pregnant and breastfeeding mums to meet each other. It offers information and support from staff with specific knowledge and skills in the area of breastfeeding and lactation. It also provides mums with the information needed to make informed choices which are the most appropriate for them, their baby and family and is accessible to all mothers in Hawke’s Bay.

The Baby Café fully supports the 1981 World Health Organisation (WHO) International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and all subsequent World Health Association (WHA) resolutions. It will work with other local stakeholders, health service providers, businesses, community organisations and other interested parties to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

The Baby Café name and logo is an official trade mark to ensure the concepts and ethos of a friendly, relaxed atmosphere with expert help and support for breast feeding mums remain with the name.

The Key Concepts of the Baby Café are -

The Baby Cafe is a place where all pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are welcome. The Baby Cafe is a place of excellence with regard to breastfeeding information, help and support. The Baby Cafe is a place where breastfeeding and the breastfeeding relationship, at whatever stage is valued, respected and protected. Breastfeeding is viewed as the natural way to nourish and nurture a baby or child. The Baby Cafe with its name and visual representation, is considered a brand; synonymous with breastfeeding, excellence, quality, style, and an informal, relaxed atmosphere.

“Our hope is that many more Baby Cafés will be set up around the country, providing help to mothers from all sectors of the community,” said Katie Askew.

ENDS