ABA List of venues

Australian Breastfeeding Association
List of ACT Venues

When I was researching places that had the required facilities, I found the ABA list a start, although it doesn't give any detail. I have taken a screen shot and included it below: 

I may review some of the shopping locations, however there are usually multiple in each mall and I feel those posts would be rather boring. I have started looking at Belconnen Mall so I'll see how that goes- it is rather impressive. 

Two Before Ten - Aranda

http://www.twobeforeten.com.au/

The Aranda Shops 68 Bandjalong Cres Aranda

Also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Quick Reference:

PARKING
Parking is alongside the building; you turn in to the driveway on the property. There are not a huge number of spaces; however there are enough not to have to walk at all.

The area is undergoing renovations and promises to be a very eclectic space; so I assume more parking will appear in time.

STROLLER ACCESS
Two before ten has inside and outside tables so it is quite easy to select a spot that accommodates your wheels. I saw families sitting outside with their strollers and dogs (on leashes) quite comfortably. We sat inside and were not crammed at all with our pram beside the table.

HIGH CHAIRS
To be fair, the café is still very new so I didn’t want to bug the staff too much- I will update this section as I find out more. Oh no! Another visit is required!

PRIVATE FEEDING AREA
Ditto!


BOTTLE PREP SUPPORT
Here is a section I can rave about! I asked a staff member for some warm water to heat a bottle- what followed was a chain of helpful people all working together to meet my request.

The waiter asked the barrister and he produced a jug of water from the coffee machine. It was so hot I was sure it would melt the bottle! I cooled it with drinking water so ended up with clumsy warm water glasses everywhere, which the waiter kindly took away as he passed each time- all with a smile.

I may have been the first person to request bottle prep support, and if I was even more credit to them. They were flat-out but made my request seem almost too easy.




CHANGING AREA
We visited Two before ten before the blog idea had struck me. I’ll happily return to the café and sample their coffee again. Update to come!

PLAY AREA
Jamison Plaza (see previous blog entry) has a wicked cool playground. It is very close by.

Me & Mrs. Jones- Kingston

 http://www.mmjones.com.au/

26 Giles St.Kingston

Also on Facebook & Instagram.

PARKING
Me and Mrs. Jones is located on the corner of the block, as such there are multiple parking options close by. There are paid parking spots on both of the streets that form the corner and more further afield if you are willing to walk for a few minutes. Basically, no dramas with parking.

STROLLER ACCESS
The restaurant itself is beautifully fitted out and the tables are well spaced.  Upon arrival we ask the staff to seat us with the pram in mind and they have always been happy to do this. We have been outside for a little more space, as well as inside in strategic locations chosen by the staff.  

HIGH CHAIR SOCIETY
I have to be honest, I didn’t ask about high chairs- my apologies!
UPDATE- high chairs are not available.

PRIVATE FEEDING AREA
There is a lovely chair in the disabled bathroom (small room separate to the general toilets) that can be used for feeding. A staff member directed me to the chair and room when I asked about nappy changing facilities.

BOTTLE PREP
Me and Mrs. Jones has a full kitchen and whiz bang coffee machine, so there should be no problem with bottle prep support! Judging by how friendly the staff have been during all of our visits, I didn’t specifically ask.

CHANGING AREA
Here is the only thing missing. If there was a fold out nappy change table, this café would be the best set up so far.





PLAY AREAS
Not applicable due to location, however here are two listed as being close by:

Norgrove Park
Parks & Reserves
Eyre Street, Kingston, ACT 2604

Sandalwood Street Playground
Parks & Reserves
Sandalwood Street, Kingston, ACT 2604

OTHER
I have found the music inside a bit loud on occasion (yes, I’m old), and while using the feeding chair it was quite loud due to the size of the space.

The staff are always very friendly and willing to help or offer suggestions. We really enjoy this cafe so visit fairly often and I am always impressed.

from their website.

Jamison Plaza and Ricardo's

 & 

                             http://jamisonplaza.com.au/                     http://ricardoscafe.com/

PARKING

Ample free parking around the plaza. The car park is busiest near the main entry but there are always spots further from the door if you are willing to walk. 

There are no ‘Parents with prams’ spaces, but there are parks very close to the outdoor section of Ricardo’s and the playground. 

STROLLER ACCESS

Stroller access inside Ricardo’s varies depending on how busy the café is. During a very busy time a stroller may be a challenge to maneuver inside, however the outside area is more flexible and spacious.  I have seen strollers comfortably inside the café as well, I feel it depends on the capacity.

The plaza in general is stroller friendly.

HIGH CHAIRS

High chairs are available on request for use in Ricardo's café.

FEEDING AREA/BOTTLE PREP

There are no private feeding areas in the plaza, however it is possible to select a more private space outside Riacrdo’s. I have recently tried this and it worked very well, the sunshine was beautiful. 

I did not request bottle prep assistance at Ricardo’s or Coffee Guru, however Ricardo's has a full kitchen and both establishments have coffee machines, so I don’t envision a problem with this kind of support.

CHANGING AREA

The changing area is near the toilets beside the Newsagent at the end of the plaza. A small room is designated for people with a disability and parents. It has a pull down change station, sink, toilet and appropriate bins.

The room is not always immaculate, but it has the basics.

PLAYGROUND

I’m not going to be shy about this- the playground is awesome. The whole area is visible from tables in the outdoor section of Ricardo’s. There are also benches around the playground and Ricardo’s and Coffee Guru do take-away, if you wish to be closer to the action.

The area is wood chipped and boasts some very interesting equipment such as a round-a-bout, a climbing wall, swings, talking tubes, a climbing pyramid… I may have made up some of the names for the items but the names reflect their appearance and function of the structure. 

Photos pending!!!

OTHER INTERESTING FACILITIES

For a full list of stores in Jamison Plaza go to the website- "All you need is at Jamison Plaza!"

There are Trash and Treasure Markets held in the carpark on certain weekends, I will look in to the specific times and update this once I am sure. 

Optimum Pharmacy Plus is also in the plaza and has a MACH nurse working there every Thursday. She is happy to weigh (clothes on) and measure babies and record the information in your blue book, she also keeps a record in the store. 

The Allergy Centre has a wide variety of health foods and related products and knowledge. The reason they feature here is that they stock brewer’s yeast, which is an ingredient in lactation cookies.  

MacDonald’s Kids Wear is a children’s clothing store that seems to specialise in school uniforms and formal wear (for Baptisms etc.) but they also have a lovely range of baby and children’s clothes, toys and shoes.  They stock ‘Baby Paws’ shoes, which are made of soft leather in different colours, styles and sizes. The shoes are excellent for new walkers.

Stroller access in MacDonald’s depends on your stroller, mine struggles a little with the slim aisles.

There is an Australia Post tucked in behind the plaza, out the back doors past the pharmacy and down the ramp. It is across from the discount shop.

Commonwealth Bank is located at the front of the plaza, and there are multiple different ATM’s inside. 

The map below is directly from the Plaza website. 

Costco - Canberra

PARKING:

There is plenty of parking out the front and in the car parks attached to surrounding shopping areas. 

No ‘parents with strollers’ spaces.

STROLLER ACCESS:

The aisles are incredibly wide in the retail section. Driving a trolley and a stroller at the same time would be close to impossible; either enlist a helper or opt for a baby carrier.

The cafeteria area has picnic bench styled seating which may be slightly difficult to navigate through during busier times, however there is ample space if you pick a table on the side.

CHANGING AREA:

There are two! The ladies bathroom and the disabled toilet/small room have pull down nappy change stations.

OTHER INFO:

Walking distance to other facilities. On one side is a complex with Trade Secret and a discount chemist; the other side has a large shopping complex that houses Big W, Toys R Us, Woolworths and others. There are public toilets within this complex.

You need to be a member to shop at Costco, but not to use their food and bathroom facilities.

Below is information directly from the COSTCO website.

For other information follow @Costco on twitter

Babyccino- Introduction

Hiya!

My name is Ashlee and I have recently become a first time Mum.

I am not a shy person as a general rule, not many High School teachers are really, so imagine my surprise when the idea of feeding my son in public riddled me with anxiety. I knew I would be fine amongst friends and other understanding mothers, but I was concerned about the public in general.

I researched online to find places that had appropriate amenities but only found minimal information that wasn't very detailed.

When our son was 6 weeks old we had a very important wedding to attend and I was very concerned. I phoned the ABA hotline to ask about storing expressed breastmilk (to give bub at the reception) and the counsellor suggested I call the venue and ask about breast feeding space, just in case.

The information from those two calls created the spark that inspired Babyccino- the blog.


I hope to visit many different places in Canberra and the surrounds and report back on the baby and child related facilities present. I will write something, attempt a few pics of an area of it is appropriate and compile a report card as a quick reference.

Here is the legend:

Follow me on twitter @BabyccinoACT and Instagram @Babyccino.act and wish me luck!

Ashlee


_______________________________________________________________________

Disclaimer- I will not review food, coffee or other specialities- just amenities and facilities related to this topic. The information I share will be my own opinions. I will try to speak with the staff of the establishment if it is appropriate at the time. I will do my best to be respectful of the places I visit in a hope they will invite me back!

Funding- If you are looking to buy a Nose Frida (child's nasal aspirator) please use the link below, the commission will help fund my visits!

                                                https://nosefrida.refersion.com/c/47d29