really good story
Mary
IN THE STATES
One-Stop Shopping Draws Breastfeeding Moms
By Vanessa Geneva Ahern - WeNews correspondent
NEW YORK (WOMENSENEWS)--It is Tuesday afternoon and new
mother Kate
Yadan is in a sour mood. What's wrong?
"Two a.m. emergency C-section Friday night," Yadan harrumphs,
referring to her Caesarian-section operation four days earlier. She
walks around Manhattan's only breastfeeding boutique in aggravated
slow motion with a hospital bracelet still on her wrist. "Why am I
here? Because my breasts are so engorged and my husband didn't
want to
see me in any more pain."
At the Upper Breast Side, Yadan is in a place where personalized
postpartum pampering is part of the transaction. A breast pump can
look like a scary piece of equipment to first-time users. An earlier
customer was close to tears at the sight of milk coming out of her.
"I know what that feels like. You don't think it's going to work. And
if it does work, you think it's going to hurt you," says the store's
spirited owner Felina Rakowski-Gallagher. "My goal immediately after
opening the store was getting moms passed that first pumping time."
Since opening her boutique in January 2000, she has become a
confidante and cheerleader to nursing and expectant mothers all over
the tri-state--New York, New Jersey, Connecticut--area.
Rakowski-Gallagher, a former New York City police officer,
commandeered the store from her dining room table in the early
months.
"It was by appointment only and women had to walk up a flight of
stairs with a stroller and deal with two cats and a young child.
Still, the women kept coming and coming," says Rakowski-Gallagher.
'Mothers' Grapevine' Spread the Word
Thanks to the "mothers' grapevine," word kept spreading and soon the
business started to cramp her living quarters. Her husband was tired
of coming home to half-naked ladies and begged her to look for a
store
front. Finally, in February of last year, she was able to secure a
suite in the lobby of her building on West 71st Street. Once she was
able to conduct business without scheduled appointments, her
business
increased substantially.
The weak economy hasn't hampered nursing bra sales. Rakowski-
Gallagher
and her staff, which includes her mother Ruth Rakowski, and
occasionally her 4-year-old door greeter daughter Samantha, are
constantly answering phones and welcoming walk-in customers. The
store
sells seven brands of nursing bras in every conceivable size, from a
34L to 50K. Although Rakowski-Gallagher guards her business figures,
she did say that she sees "a minimum of 100 pairs of breasts" in her
store per week.
The store isn't exactly part of big retail trend, but according to La
Leche League, there are a few others like it in California, New Mexico
and Illinois. Some women also are going to online breastfeeding shops
blissfulbabes, One Hot Mamma, and Mothers' Best.
Every two weeks, Rakowski-Gallagher's own nursing mentor, Beverly
Solow, offers "latching-on" classes for new moms with nursing
difficulties. The shop also features a comfy couch for weary new and
expectant moms to sink into, a baby scale so mothers can weigh their
babies before and after a feeding, a try-before-you-buy policy on
breast pumps for purchase and rental, starter kits, baby slings and
nursing swimwear.
"What have women done before they had a breastfeeding boutique to
go
to? They went to a pharmacy or a big franchise store and had nobody
to
talk to," says Rakowski-Gallagher. She is grateful for organizations
such as La Leche League based in Schaumburg, Ill., that have long
provided support for nursing moms through a monthly meeting format
and
literature. Rakowski-Gallagher's shop, however, offers an entire new
level of convenience to moms.
"Two generations ago, a woman's extended family would come to the
house after a child was born. In New York City today, it is often just
a woman, her partner and her new child in her home after the birth,"
says Rakowski-Gallagher. "La Leche League refers women to my store
constantly because they know I have pumps and I can teach women
how to
use them. I also have a list of all their nursing support groups."
"There has been an absolute explosion in the number of breastfeeding
products on the market. At the same time, the quality has improved
dramatically. Nursing mothers no longer have to contend with poor
quality, poorly fitting, uncomfortable nursing clothing or breast
pumps that bear a closer resemblance to the family vacuum cleaner
than
anything you'd find in a hospital setting. It's a great time to be a
nursing mom," says Ann Douglas, author of "The Mother of All Baby
Books."
Owner Had Her Own Nursing Struggle
After giving birth to her daughter in 1998, Rakowski-Gallagher
struggled with cracked and sore nipples and a low milk supply. When
her daughter was 3 weeks old, she called her girlfriend Dawn, who had
successfully nursed three children, for help.
"I told her that I was ready to give up," says Rakowski-Gallagher.
Dawn brought in a Medela Lactina Select, a hospital grade breast
pump,
in from Long Island and showed her how to use it. Later that day, she
attended a new mother's support group at a local synagogue led by
Arlene Eisenberg, the late author of "What to Expect When You're
Expecting."
At the support group, a woman referred her to lactation consultant
Beverly Solow. "I called up Beverly, who came to my home the next
day," recalled Rakowski-Gallagher. "Before we got off the phone she
said 'just pump on your worst side every few hours until I get
there.'" The pumping relieved a lot of the pain and increased her milk
supply. Her baby started falling asleep satisfied at her breast.
The relieved mom continued attending a nursing support group where
one
day she overheard a transplanted Salt Lake City mom brag about her
hometown's breastfeeding boutique called The Lactation Station. It
was
an epiphany for Rakowski-Gallagher. In short order she was on a flight
to Scottsdale, Ariz., with 7-month-old Samantha to attend an annual
conference for lactation consultants sponsored by the International
Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, a nonprofit corporation that
has developed a voluntary certification program for lactation
consultants. There she met the owners of The Lactation Station and
invited herself to hang around their shop for a week. After absorbing
what she could of the business, she knew she wanted to replicate
something like it in New York.
Vital Accessories for Working Moms
The buzzer rings and welcomes in a tall freckle-faced woman wearing
a
black business suit. She is back at work at Morgan Stanley, the New
York financial services company, after a few months of maternity
leave. Scanning the walls that are covered with hard-to-find nursing
accessories, the new mom bursts out, "I wish I had known about you
earlier!"
"I can't buy that kind of publicity!" says Rakowski-Gallagher with an
infectious laugh. The customer is looking for The Easy Expression
Bustier, one of the boutique's best-selling items. It resembles a
sturdy white tube top with two holes in the front for suction cups and
is popular among working mothers because it minimizes the amount of
disrobing required to pump. The customer's office at Morgan Stanley
has two lactation rooms equipped with a hospital-grade breast pump
for
working moms.
Corporate policy on lactation rooms is an issue that
Rakowski-Gallagher is passionate about. She urges nursing mothers to
demand a lactation room, "so that you don't have to pump on a toilet
stall." She was heartened by a law firm that recently ordered a pump
for their employees.
She wishes more companies would make life easier for nursing moms
who
return to work. "There should be enough support from your family,
friends and from your businesses, that you should continue
breastfeeding for as long as you and your baby want," says
Rakowski-Gallagher.
Vanessa Geneva Ahern is a writer who lives in New York City. You
can
visit her online at http://www.girlgumption.com
For more information:
The Upper Breast Side: -
http://www.upperbreastside.com.futuresite.register.com/
The Lactation Station: - http://www.lactationstation.com/
tit 4 tat: - http://www.tit4tat.net/
Annette Filecci
Filuss, Inc.
Ph: 305.567.9304
Fx: 305.648.1897
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
One-Stop Shopping Draws Breastfeeding Moms
By Vanessa Geneva Ahern - WeNews correspondent
NEW YORK (WOMENSENEWS)--It is Tuesday afternoon and new
mother Kate
Yadan is in a sour mood. What's wrong?
"Two a.m. emergency C-section Friday night," Yadan harrumphs,
referring to her Caesarian-section operation four days earlier. She
walks around Manhattan's only breastfeeding boutique in aggravated
slow motion with a hospital bracelet still on her wrist. "Why am I
here? Because my breasts are so engorged and my husband didn't
want to
see me in any more pain."
At the Upper Breast Side, Yadan is in a place where personalized
postpartum pampering is part of the transaction. A breast pump can
look like a scary piece of equipment to first-time users. An earlier
customer was close to tears at the sight of milk coming out of her.
"I know what that feels like. You don't think it's going to work. And
if it does work, you think it's going to hurt you," says the store's
spirited owner Felina Rakowski-Gallagher. "My goal immediately after
opening the store was getting moms passed that first pumping time."
Since opening her boutique in January 2000, she has become a
confidante and cheerleader to nursing and expectant mothers all over
the tri-state--New York, New Jersey, Connecticut--area.
Rakowski-Gallagher, a former New York City police officer,
commandeered the store from her dining room table in the early
months.
"It was by appointment only and women had to walk up a flight of
stairs with a stroller and deal with two cats and a young child.
Still, the women kept coming and coming," says Rakowski-Gallagher.
'Mothers' Grapevine' Spread the Word
Thanks to the "mothers' grapevine," word kept spreading and soon the
business started to cramp her living quarters. Her husband was tired
of coming home to half-naked ladies and begged her to look for a
store
front. Finally, in February of last year, she was able to secure a
suite in the lobby of her building on West 71st Street. Once she was
able to conduct business without scheduled appointments, her
business
increased substantially.
The weak economy hasn't hampered nursing bra sales. Rakowski-
Gallagher
and her staff, which includes her mother Ruth Rakowski, and
occasionally her 4-year-old door greeter daughter Samantha, are
constantly answering phones and welcoming walk-in customers. The
store
sells seven brands of nursing bras in every conceivable size, from a
34L to 50K. Although Rakowski-Gallagher guards her business figures,
she did say that she sees "a minimum of 100 pairs of breasts" in her
store per week.
The store isn't exactly part of big retail trend, but according to La
Leche League, there are a few others like it in California, New Mexico
and Illinois. Some women also are going to online breastfeeding shops
blissfulbabes, One Hot Mamma, and Mothers' Best.
Every two weeks, Rakowski-Gallagher's own nursing mentor, Beverly
Solow, offers "latching-on" classes for new moms with nursing
difficulties. The shop also features a comfy couch for weary new and
expectant moms to sink into, a baby scale so mothers can weigh their
babies before and after a feeding, a try-before-you-buy policy on
breast pumps for purchase and rental, starter kits, baby slings and
nursing swimwear.
"What have women done before they had a breastfeeding boutique to
go
to? They went to a pharmacy or a big franchise store and had nobody
to
talk to," says Rakowski-Gallagher. She is grateful for organizations
such as La Leche League based in Schaumburg, Ill., that have long
provided support for nursing moms through a monthly meeting format
and
literature. Rakowski-Gallagher's shop, however, offers an entire new
level of convenience to moms.
"Two generations ago, a woman's extended family would come to the
house after a child was born. In New York City today, it is often just
a woman, her partner and her new child in her home after the birth,"
says Rakowski-Gallagher. "La Leche League refers women to my store
constantly because they know I have pumps and I can teach women
how to
use them. I also have a list of all their nursing support groups."
"There has been an absolute explosion in the number of breastfeeding
products on the market. At the same time, the quality has improved
dramatically. Nursing mothers no longer have to contend with poor
quality, poorly fitting, uncomfortable nursing clothing or breast
pumps that bear a closer resemblance to the family vacuum cleaner
than
anything you'd find in a hospital setting. It's a great time to be a
nursing mom," says Ann Douglas, author of "The Mother of All Baby
Books."
Owner Had Her Own Nursing Struggle
After giving birth to her daughter in 1998, Rakowski-Gallagher
struggled with cracked and sore nipples and a low milk supply. When
her daughter was 3 weeks old, she called her girlfriend Dawn, who had
successfully nursed three children, for help.
"I told her that I was ready to give up," says Rakowski-Gallagher.
Dawn brought in a Medela Lactina Select, a hospital grade breast
pump,
in from Long Island and showed her how to use it. Later that day, she
attended a new mother's support group at a local synagogue led by
Arlene Eisenberg, the late author of "What to Expect When You're
Expecting."
At the support group, a woman referred her to lactation consultant
Beverly Solow. "I called up Beverly, who came to my home the next
day," recalled Rakowski-Gallagher. "Before we got off the phone she
said 'just pump on your worst side every few hours until I get
there.'" The pumping relieved a lot of the pain and increased her milk
supply. Her baby started falling asleep satisfied at her breast.
The relieved mom continued attending a nursing support group where
one
day she overheard a transplanted Salt Lake City mom brag about her
hometown's breastfeeding boutique called The Lactation Station. It
was
an epiphany for Rakowski-Gallagher. In short order she was on a flight
to Scottsdale, Ariz., with 7-month-old Samantha to attend an annual
conference for lactation consultants sponsored by the International
Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, a nonprofit corporation that
has developed a voluntary certification program for lactation
consultants. There she met the owners of The Lactation Station and
invited herself to hang around their shop for a week. After absorbing
what she could of the business, she knew she wanted to replicate
something like it in New York.
Vital Accessories for Working Moms
The buzzer rings and welcomes in a tall freckle-faced woman wearing
a
black business suit. She is back at work at Morgan Stanley, the New
York financial services company, after a few months of maternity
leave. Scanning the walls that are covered with hard-to-find nursing
accessories, the new mom bursts out, "I wish I had known about you
earlier!"
"I can't buy that kind of publicity!" says Rakowski-Gallagher with an
infectious laugh. The customer is looking for The Easy Expression
Bustier, one of the boutique's best-selling items. It resembles a
sturdy white tube top with two holes in the front for suction cups and
is popular among working mothers because it minimizes the amount of
disrobing required to pump. The customer's office at Morgan Stanley
has two lactation rooms equipped with a hospital-grade breast pump
for
working moms.
Corporate policy on lactation rooms is an issue that
Rakowski-Gallagher is passionate about. She urges nursing mothers to
demand a lactation room, "so that you don't have to pump on a toilet
stall." She was heartened by a law firm that recently ordered a pump
for their employees.
She wishes more companies would make life easier for nursing moms
who
return to work. "There should be enough support from your family,
friends and from your businesses, that you should continue
breastfeeding for as long as you and your baby want," says
Rakowski-Gallagher.
Vanessa Geneva Ahern is a writer who lives in New York City. You
can
visit her online at http://www.girlgumption.com
For more information:
The Upper Breast Side: -
http://www.upperbreastside.com.futuresite.register.com/
The Lactation Station: - http://www.lactationstation.com/
tit 4 tat: - http://www.tit4tat.net/
Annette Filecci
Filuss, Inc.
Ph: 305.567.9304
Fx: 305.648.1897
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
jmcseals SEALS
What a great article! Thanks for sharing! This really caught my eye:
**Her husband was tired of coming home to half-naked ladies and begged her
to look for a
store front.***
ROFLMBFBO!!! I had to read that a thousand times to make sure I was't going
blind! My husband would QUIT work if a slew of half naked women were in MY
house everday! LOL!!
Jennifer, calling hubby about starting a new business! <wink, wink>
_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
**Her husband was tired of coming home to half-naked ladies and begged her
to look for a
store front.***
ROFLMBFBO!!! I had to read that a thousand times to make sure I was't going
blind! My husband would QUIT work if a slew of half naked women were in MY
house everday! LOL!!
Jennifer, calling hubby about starting a new business! <wink, wink>
_________________________________________________________________
Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]