Houston-based Mom-Owned Business Receives National Recognition from Medela, Inc. for Helping New Moms and Babies Breastfeed
My Little Juel, owned by Suzanne Juel, local Houston Resident and mother of three, was recently certified by Medela, Inc. as a Medela Certified Nursing Center. This is the first Medela Certified Nursing Center in Texas, and one of less than 25 in the United States to date. Certified Nursing Centers are recognized for offering the complete line of Medela Products, including Medela Breast Pumps, Nursing and Maternity Bras, speciality feeding devices and more, They offer dedicated product specialists and allow families a "one stop shop" for additional breastfeeding-related items and, most importantly, education and advice where needed.
Houston, Texas (PRWEB) May 6, 2009 -- My Little Juel, owned by Suzanne Juel, local Houston Resident and mother of three, was recently certified by Medela, Inc. as a Medela Certified Nursing Center. This is the first Medela Certified Nursing Center in Texas, and one of less than 25 in the United States to date.
Suzanne Juel, with two of the three children -- all breastfed babies.
Medela Certified Nursing Centers are not just about nursing. Certified Nursing Centers are recognized for offering a dedicated staff with superior customer service. They offer a complete product assortment that allows families a "one stop shop" for additional breastfeeding-related items and, most importantly, education and advice where needed. As a Certified Nursing Center, My Little Juel has Medela Certified Product Specialists, Bra Fitters and Breastfeeding Specialists on staff and provides educational materials and classes, and much more.
"Everyone recognizes that Mother Nature has given within each mother the perfect food for their baby", Suzanne says, "fortunately, most of the time things happen on their own, but it's a bit of a lost art being able to help when problems arise."
That exact situation was the genesis of My Little Juel. Nearly eight years ago, Suzanne and her husband Chris were first-time parents finding out just how difficult and stressful it can be to do something as seemingly simple as feeding a hungry baby. Having done all the research, Suzanne understood that breastfeeding would give her daughter the best start possible, yet none of the books she had read nor the classes she had taken prepared her for the reality of trying to get her baby to actually latch and feed successfully. After seeing four Lactation Consultants and a Speech Therapist, a grueling 12 week schedule of nursing, pumping and bottle feeding 10 to 12 times per day and faced with having to return to a full-time job, she decided to exclusively pump milk for her daughter. She eventually succeeded in establishing a full supply by pumping and through sheer determination fed her daughter breast milk until the age of two.
During this rocky and stressful start, Suzanne and her husband found that while support was available, it was not easy to find. Lactation Consultations were costly and not covered by their insurance. Once the decision was made to exclusively pump, support was virtually non-existent. As with many issues she has faced through her prior career, Suzanne saw an opportunity to improve the situation for other parents and set about doing just that. Over the next few years, she volunteered on a breastfeeding support online board and eventually began providing mom-to-mom support for other nursing moms. After relocating to Kingwood, she found a lack of resources in the area and the closest Medela Pump Rental station was 45 minutes away. It was then she decided to open My Little Juel, naming it after the daughter that started it all.
"I have since realized that my calling is helping mothers breastfeed successfully," she adds, "and it's so rewarding knowing we help not just parents, but the next generation of children, getting them going with as healthy a start as possible."
The mothers who have benefited from her assistance agree. Metta Caster, a local Kingwood mother, stated that "Suzanne was very supportive and knowledgeable and I learned more with my two visits with her than from anyone at the 2 hospitals where I had my boys."
As a Breastfeeding Educator and Certified Lactation Counselor, Suzanne has been able to offer breastfeeding advice and support to mothers in the community for over six years.
When asked about her experience with My Little Juel, Cindy Bryce, a local Houston mom, said "What can I say? Suzanne was a Godsend! It's amazing how stressful breastfeeding can be while you & baby are trying to get 'the hang of it.' Suzanne was the calm in the storm. My stress level was greatly reduced, knowing I could reach her at any time! Her caring support enabled me to fulfill my goal of breastfeeding my precious angel baby."
A dedicated Lactation room is available at My Little Juel for breastfeeding consultation and classes, as well as bra fittings, and for use by visiting customers. "We have a Baby-Weigh scale available for mothers who want to weight their babies. It is as accurate to the gram, and you don't have to schedule a weight check at a pediatrician's office."
"One of the problems with breastfeeding support in general," she notes, "is there is great support available for both upper and lower income moms, through private Lactation Consultants and WIC. However, if you are in the middle you are left out in the cold. That is where My Little Juel comes in - we have priced our services to be very affordable for most families and have based our rates on standard co-pay amounts."
Mothers are often surprised to find that they can receive intensive one-on-one lactation counseling for such a small fee. My Little Juel is able to offer these services at low rates because the breastfeeding side of the business is located within and augmented by her second retail business, Merry-Go-Round, a Maternity and Children's Consignment Boutique.
Merry-Go-Round is not just your typical children's resale and consignment shop, it also serves as a meeting place for local moms. "When we started, our vision was to have a place were mothers could connect with other mothers," says Juel, "and Merry-Go-Round is right next to Kids-In-Action, one of Kingwood's most popular centers for children to learn and play. It's a natural fit."
Carrying a full assortment of childrens clothes, maternity clothes and many new items, Merry-Go-Round offers something for every mom who walks in the door.
Almost all the women who work at Merry-Go-Round have been breastfeeding moms, and they typically bring their children to work with them. New mothers can connect with experienced mothers who have often been through the same struggles.
Local Kingwood-area mom Karen Dillewyn wrote on Merry-Go-Round's Facebook page recently, "My favorite thing about Merry-Go-Round is the sense of community there---from the employees, to the customers, to the owner, and even the neighboring businesses, everyone is so helpful. It's "Mommy Central"! :)"
Wynette Taylor posted that her favorite thing about Merry-Go-Round is "going in and having the opportunity to talk to other moms who are in my shoes. Even if I did not make a purchase that day I feel I left with something of value just by associating with the staff. The staff is always warm and fun to chat with."
It is common to go into the store and see mothers at work wearing their babies in slings, or mothers breastfeeding their infants and young children.
"My favorite thing about Merry Go Round is that it is a breastfeeding friendly kind of place - if you have a little one....that wants to be nursed - just look around and find a chair!" posted local Kingwood-area mom Heather Skeen on Facebook.
Children are, of course, welcome at Merry-Go-Round, and the store boasts nearly 500 square feet of enclosed play area for young ones to romp in. "I absolutely love that Merry Go Round has a safe play area for the kids to play while Mom shops!" said local mom Rhonda Schnitz.
Christina Wheeler states "My two favorite things about the Merry-Go-Round consignment store are the incredibly great prices and kid friendliness! I love shopping there knowing I will walk away with a great deal!!! Plus my kids aren't pulling on me begging to go, so that gives me more time to shop (smart thinking, Suzanne!). Also, I am a consignor and so sometimes I get to walk away without paying a penny for new clothes I am purchasing - FUN!!!"
The successful mix of a business meeting local needs, a professional yet friendly atmosphere, and earning the trust of its clientele shows as Merry-Go-Round has grown over the past three years, expanding to a larger space, and adding many new products including Slings by Moby Wrap, Melissa & Doug Toys, Poppy Pants cloth diapers, herbals by Earth Mama Angel Baby and Motherlove, as well as locally made gift items. Merry Go Round values supporting other local Mom-owned businesses and whenever possible will source products locally in the WAHM (Work at Home Mom) Community.
When asked what her favorite thing was about Merry-Go-Round, local mom Jodi Engels said, "My favorite thing about Merry-Go-Round -- it is so hard to narrow it down to one thing, which maybe sums it up -- I think Suzanne has thought of EVERYTHING to make it a Mom-friendly place where you can not only find a bargain, but a nice new gift, too."
Come see! Merry-Go-Round is located at 3037 Woodland Hills Drive in the Court of Kingwood Shopping center. Hours are Monday-Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 1-5. Breastfeeding consultations, Bra fittings and Consignment drop-offs are by appointment only.
About Medela
Medela provides the most technologically advanced, superior-quality breastpumps and breastfeeding accessories to nursing mothers around the world. A longtime champion of breastfeeding, Medela is the only company to develop products based on research by the world's leading lactation experts. As a result, Medela's breastpumps are the number one choice of healthcare professionals and healthcare facilities worldwide, including 80 percent of U.S. hospitals.
Medela has developed an extensive line of products to meet the diverse needs of nursing mothers. These products include hospital-grade, double and single electric and manual breastpumps; breastfeeding accessories such as pump cleaning products, breast care products and specialty feeding devices; and maternity and nursing intimate apparel.
Founded in 1961 by Olle Larsson in Zug, Switzerland, Medela continues to grow under the ownership of the Larsson family. Medela serves customers through a worldwide network of distribution partners in more than 90 countries and its 13 subsidiaries in the United States, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, Sweden, France, Benelux (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, China and Spain. The company entered the United States more than 25 years ago; its U.S. headquarters are located in McHenry, Illinois.
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