Hi,

Sometime ago there was some discussion about using the name Baby Cafe for Breastfeeding support groups. The group from the UK who started this run it as a charitable trust and I thought it would be helpful to hear their perspective on this.  This is what they had to say:

"The existence of the branded 'Baby Café' model does not stop anyone else from setting up breastfeeding support groups. Far from it. The trademarked 'Baby Café' name, logo and model of support is intended to provide a consistent set of services under a brand name. In exactly the same way, anyone can set up a pizza restaurant but only those which have signed up to the franchise can call themselves Pizza Express (also fairly common words). Yes, the Baby Café Charitable Trust takes a dim view of people setting up groups and calling them Baby Café's because mums attending them will be expecting a certain standard and may not get it. For example, at a Baby Café drop-in refreshments should be free and there must be a health professional available at all times. These things are not essential to every breastfeeding group, just to Baby Café ones. The charity sets guidelines and conditions of practice to ensure that all licensed Baby Café drop-ins are of a similar standard. The Baby Café charity does not claim, nor ever will claim, to have a monopoly on breastfeeding support groups. They just insist, and are backed up by trademark law, that no-one uses the name Baby Café to describe one unless they hold a licence from the charity. There are huge benefits to drop-ins in being part of a large network (there are 125 Baby Café drop-ins ).
More information about the Trust:

The Baby Cafe Charitable Trust is a not for profit organisation purely dedicated to supporting breastfeeding mothers. A successful model has been devised which offers guidelines to health professionals and serves many purposes:

1. Breastfeeding mothers are protected by the high standards expected in a Baby Cafe drop-in.
2. By engaging and supporting the health professionals that facilitate Baby cafe drop-ins, professional advice remains high and focused on evidence based breastfeeding practices.
3. Breastfeeding support in the UK is fragmented. Baby Cafe drop-ins offer a branded easily recognisable service.
4. Breastfeeding mothers from all walks of life access Baby Cafe drop-ins and feel comfortable doing so because they are run by health professionals on neutral ground and do not discriminate on educational/social/economic grounds ie, they are inclusive.
5. The voluntary sector play a crucial role in helping to support mothers attending Baby Cafe drop-ins and bring a wealth of breastfeeding information, expertise and peer support.
6. Our vision is that eventually every mother who wishes to breastfeed will be able to do so within a local Baby Cafe drop-in that is fully funded and recognised by health authorities as an integral community service.
To find out more about the organisation visit www.thebabycafe.org "

The model works very well, in January we started the first Baby Cafe in South Africa and it has been very well received and it is wonderful to see Moms dropping in and being able to  help and support them with breastfeeding.

Penny 
IBCLC

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