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Family Wellness Suites

Family Wellness Suites are safe, welcoming, and supportive spaces for family members to receive services, health education, and connections to infant and maternal health community resources.

The suites center education and partner with parents, their families, and their clinical and social care providers to address system failures that contribute to maternal and infant health inequities.

Eligibility

Educational programming is open to people who are pregnant or planning to conceive, postpartum clients, and their loved ones.

The resources described below are only available to NYC residents who meet and complete program requirements, while supplies last. Contact a Family Wellness Suite to learn more.

Locations and Contact Information

Family Wellness Suites are located at our Neighborhood Health Action Centers:

Events

You can see the schedule for our ongoing programming and special events on Eventbrite.

Workshops and Programs

Educational Workshops

Educational workshops help you learn how to improve your health. Each suite regularly runs educational session on the topics listed below:

  • Postpartum Mental Health
  • Birth Control Options
  • Lactation 101
  • Healthy Relationships
  • Hypertension and Gestational Diabetes Overview
  • Nutrition 101
  • Safer Sex and Sexually Transmitted Infections
  • What Is a Doula?
  • Reproductive Concerns: PCOS, Fibroids, and Endometriosis
  • Maternal and Infant Safety Session: covers an overview of pregnancy rights and postpartum warning signs, instruction on infant safe sleep, and car seat safety.

Stress Reduction Activities

Activities aim to promote overall physical and mental health and well-being:

  • Walking Group: A peer walking group called Stroller and Stroll where we earn our steps while connecting about parenthood and children.
  • Guided Meditation and Aromatherapy Session: A one-hour guided meditation session with aromatherapy.
  • Perinatal Yoga Session: A one-hour yoga session a week, when contract active.
  • Perinatal Massage Session: Limited one-hour perinatal massages. Note that slots fill quicky — contact the suites at the email above if you are interested.

Parenting Skills Education

This specialty programming aims to support healthy pregnancy, childbirth, newborn, and parenting skills. Each suite hosts a closed peer group series of classes for clients to learn about improving parenting skills and the parent-child relationship.

  • These sessions are limited to a small number of people on a first-come, first served basis.
  • Cohorts are run twice a year at each suite. Contact your closest suite for availability.

Lactation Support

Each suite offers the support of a certified lactation counselor (CLC) who can schedule lactation counseling clinics and breastfeeding support. We also run a peer-support group session, Milk and Mingle, on a weekly basis where nursing parents can connect about the joys and challenges of nursing.

Additional Program Supports

  • Referrals: The suite can refer to doulas, mental and behavioral health providers, and certain other programs that provide perinatal and reproductive health support. These may include New Family Home Visiting, Nurse Family Partnership, Sexual Health Clinics , and other local programs.
  • Material Resources: The suite offers access to material resources such as infant car seats, pack and play cribs, passive breastfeeding pumps, breastmilk bags, diapers, health bucks, MetroCards, gift cards and other items.
    • Note: Resource items are only available while supplies last to NYC residents who meet and complete programming requirements. Contact the suite to learn more about these requirements.

Birth Equity Advisory Board

In New York City:

  • Black babies are three times as likely to die before the age of 1 when compared to White babies.
  • Black women are four times as likely to die of a pregnancy-associated death and six times more likely to die of a pregnancy-related death compared to White women.

The Family Wellness Suites are working to improve these maternal and infant health outcomes in NYC. The Family Wellness Suites will convene monthly stakeholder meetings for those involved in birth equity programming in New York City. Meetings will be scheduled for once a quarter per suite.

The following birth equity stakeholders are welcome to consider joining our advisory board: doulas, lactation consultants, clinical/hospital providers, social workers and other behavioral health specialists, faith-based organizations, pregnant or expecting individuals and their partners or family members, community-based organizations, and others with a deep interest in improving maternal and infant health outcomes for those most negatively impacted. If you are interested in joining our advisory board and being invited to the next month’s meeting, you may fill out the interest form.

More Information