Why Baby & Me is free, and always will be. (A note from Abi 💕)

A free peer group for parents with babies 12 months & under, every Monday at 8:30am at Little Village Play Cafe in Wauwatosa. No cost, no sign-up. Here's the part of the story I don't usually put on a flyer.

The part of new motherhood nobody warned me about

Before my son was born, I prided myself on getting things right. Then I brought a baby home & learned, fast, that babies are not something you can perfect.

Those early months were the most love I'd ever felt & some of the hardest days I'd ever had, all at once. Postpartum anxiety & depression snuck in. Scary, intrusive thoughts I didn't have words for sat right next to a fierce adoration for this tiny person. It was so much to hold & I was so confused by how both could be true at the same time.

What I actually needed (and couldn't find)

I had a beautiful village of friends & family. But saying those things out loud to them felt terrifying. What I needed was a room of moms who were in the thick of it too. I needed to sit right next to someone who understood this feeling in the moment, not with time having passed to soften the edges. I needed to take a deep inhale & exhale with someone who was experiencing this duality & working thru it too. No judgment, no advice unless I asked, just people who could nod & say "me too."

No judgment, no advice unless I asked. Just people who could nod & say "me too."

I found that in a few places, & I will forever be grateful to Moms Mental Health Initiative for carrying me thru those early years of beautiful chaos. But I kept wishing there were more spots in Milwaukee where a brand new parent could walk in & feel embraced.

Why Baby & Me is free, and always will be

That wish is a big part of why Little Village exists. And from day 1, a free Baby & Me group was non-negotiable. Not a class. Not a membership perk. A room, a coffee & a circle of people who get it, every single Monday, for anyone who needs it.

So if you're in the thick of it right now, come sit with us. You don't have to have it figured out. You just have to show up.

warmly, abi
Founder & mom, The Little Village Play Cafe

What is Baby & Me at Little Village?

Baby & Me is a free, drop-in peer support group for new parents in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. It's for parents with babies 12 months & under, and it happens every Monday from 8:30 to 9:30am at The Little Village Play Cafe, 6505 W. North Ave. There's no cost and no registration. Coffee in hand, we stroll the neighborhood when it's nice out & cozy up inside when it's not.

How the hour goes

• 8:30, settle in. Grab a drink, find a chair, feed the baby if the baby says so.
• 8:45, circle or stroll. A weekly prompt & a rose & thorn, inside or around the block.
• 9:15, mix & mingle. Swap numbers, compare nap schedules, make a Monday friend.

Arrive late, leave early, step out to change a diaper. It's all fine here.

Who hosts it

Kristin Heacox, our Director of Education and a Tosa mom of 2, hosts every week. She's been in the thick of it too. She sets the weekly prompt, keeps the circle warm & is the first to say the parents are the real experts in the room. When your baby turns 1, her next class, Little Learners, is the natural next step.

Baby & Me: the details

When	Every Monday, 8:30-9:30am
Who	Parents with babies 12 months & under
Cost	Free, always
Sign-up	None. Just show up.
Where	The Little Village Play Cafe, 6505 W. North Ave, Wauwatosa, WI 53213

Add Mondays to your calendar  ·  More about Baby & Me

Questions new parents ask us

Is Baby & Me really free?

Yes. There is no cost, no membership required and no registration. It has been free since the day Little Village opened and it will stay that way.

Do I need to sign up?

No. Just show up any Monday at 8:30am. Arrive late or leave early if that's what the morning calls for.

Is it only for moms?

It's for parents. Dads & partners with babies 12 months & under are welcome too.

What if my baby cries, needs to eat or falls asleep?

Then your baby is doing exactly what babies do. Feed, change, rock or step out whenever you need to. Nobody minds.

Is this a therapy group?

No. Baby & Me is a peer support group hosted by an early childhood educator, not a clinical service. If you're struggling with postpartum anxiety or depression, Moms Mental Health Initiative is a wonderful Milwaukee resource, and your OB or pediatrician can help too. You're welcome at Baby & Me alongside that support, not instead of it.

What happens when my baby turns 1?

Little Learners, our toddler class for ages 1 to 3, meets right after Baby & Me on Mondays at 9:30 & 11am. Your first class is free.

Know a brand new parent?

The mom from your birth class. The neighbor with the newborn. Your sister-in-law who just got home from the hospital. Send them this. Nobody should have to find us on their own.