There is no doubt catching up with other mothers over a cup of coffee can be a lifesaver in the months following the arrival of a baby.
Now a new chain of coffee shops in the UK is providing a safe haven for new mums to do just that.
The Milk Lounge, opened last year, is a breastfeeding cafe. It was opened by owner Charlotte Purdie, who had felt so uncomfortable breastfeeding her newborn son in her local coffee shops, that two years on, decided to open her own. She now has two stores, complete with pram parks.
"I became a mum in March 2015 and have had my difficulties finding a clean, comfortable space to feed and change my little boy, I'm sure most parents can relate," she wrote on her website.
There are breastfeeding educators on hand to help with attachment issues and provide peer support for any parents needing a friendly face.
The cafes aim to encourage all parents to relax in a judgement-free space and while they're set-up to make breastfeeders comfortable, bottle-feeders are more than welcome. In fact, Charlotte refers to her business as "infant feeding cafes".
The coffee shops house feeding rooms, with easily accessible power points for expressing mums, water jugs, a fan, a CD player with headphones, a wait service for parents who are feeding their children and a play area for siblings. There's even space for parents to put together a meal of fresh purees and control everything from ingredients to the temperature.
Parents are also catered for, with vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free food available.
Also located in the same building is a room for group classes, such as breastfeeding education, baby massage, baby ballet and post-natal yoga classes. While there's also a heap of toddler friendly activities scattered throughout the spaces. Each café also has its own sensory room.
The family friendly cafes are offering so much more than just coffee, they're providing parents with a much-needed space to unwind in a friendly space, rather than experiencing that all too common feeling of prying, judgmental eyes. And finally, that constant worry your children will destroy the coffee shop or the nervousness of breastfeeding in public is a thing of past.
These coffee shops would be much welcomed in Australia as well. The only thing I'd add is a drive-through so you wouldn't have to unbuckle your kids or get out of your pyjamas.