WASHINGTON 鈥� They say it takes a village to raise a child, but in a city like D.C., new moms don鈥檛 always have extended family close by to lend a hand and share advice during an infant鈥檚 first few months of life.
That鈥檚 where the comes in.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e so prepared to give birth and you read all of this stuff about giving birth, and then you go home with this two- or three-day-old baby and you鈥檙e like, 鈥極h my God, what do I do now?鈥欌�� said Gina Caruso, the center鈥檚 deputy director.
鈥淪o we sort of help bridge that gap in our health care system.鈥�
In the center鈥檚 brand-new location at 19th and K streets NW, parents can access free breast-feeding and pumping classes led by lactation consultants.
There are also private rooms for women who need to pop in off the streets and nurse or pump, or for women who don鈥檛 have access to a lactation room. (Caruso mentions it鈥檚 a popular service for moms who are in town for a conference or business meeting.)
However, the most popular draw is the center鈥檚 weekly support group for moms with babies up to 4 months old.
鈥淎 lot of moms come in to meet other moms and have that community, because we don鈥檛 have that community, generally, built into our society,鈥� said Caruso, who estimates that each of the two Tuesday groups attracts 30 adults, plus their infants.
鈥淎nd then they鈥檒l go out to lunch afterward or hang out at a park. It鈥檚 a really nice environment.鈥�
In recent years, Caruso says the breast-feeding center has seen a dramatic increase in the number of women seeking its services. It quickly outgrew its previous space on K Street, where it had been since 2003, and moved around the corner to a bigger location on 19th Street.
Caruso says the uptick in clients has a lot to do with the Affordable Care Act, which insurance companies to cover breast pumps and lactation services. Over the years, D.C. has also seen an increase in breast-feeding rates, especially for mothers who nurse past six months.
鈥淭hey have been going up, which is great, but there鈥檚 still a lot of work to be done,鈥� said Caruso, who added that one of the main challenges women face when it comes to maintaining breast-feeding is balancing it with returning to the workforce.
鈥淎nd so we try to prepare them for that transition, for how to return to work and keep up the nursing relationship, how to pump at work, how to schedule it 鈥� all the logistics to try to make their lives as easy as possible.鈥�
Other classes and private consultations are also offered at the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington. The center accepts insurance and negotiates reduced rates for those who can鈥檛 afford to pay.
The Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington鈥檚 new location is located at 1020 19th St. NW, suite 150. Its hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; and Sunday by appointment.
