Local mothers bringing mom lounge to Lubbock

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Two Lubbock moms are teaming up to create a judgement-free space for expecting moms and those with young children. Anna O’Steen and Mary McCabe plan to open “The Mom Lounge LBK.” O’Steen is a mother of one who started her own lactation cookie company, Boob Food Cookies. McCabe is a mom to one, with another baby on the way, who co-owns the Pie Bar. The two are merging their talents for business and mom-life to create a new kind of community for Lubbock families.

“We don’t just want to be a business for moms, we want to be a movement for moms,” McCabe said.

After O’Steen first had her baby, she says everything changed.

“My husband goes back to work after a certain month. And you sit there by yourself and you start to just kind of, the walls start closing in. So, I’m a person who needed to get out of the house. So, I found any way to just get out of the house, go to the park, do classes, all that fun stuff just to help with my postpartum,” O’Steen said.

She and McCabe want to create just that, a way for families to connect with each other and spend time with their babies. They want “The Mom Lounge LBK” to be a judgement-free zone for mothers who need to breastfeed, pump or bottle feed.

“It’s about time we all get on board with breastfeeding, I mean it’s natural,” O’Steen said.

“Yes, I’ve heard of people being told, go to the restroom and feed your kid. And I’m like, you go to the restroom and you eat,” McCabe said.

“Or your hot car, and so definitely that’s one of the reasons that sparked this as well,” O’Steen said.

They plan to have a lounge with a sensory play space for newborns up to five year olds. Another part of the project, education, with classes like baby sign language, music and more.

“A place where mom and baby can bond, a place where dad and baby can bond. Even dads can come take these classes,” O’Steen said.

“Yeah, we’ll have classes like CPR, breastfeeding, car seat installation, to make sure that first-time parent is doing everything correctly or has someone to answer a question if they have them,” McCabe said.

The business plan is to have an entrance fee similar to other playrooms in Lubbock and one-time class fees or memberships. They hope to have a room for baby showers and parties, creating more space for connection.

“We want to really kind of build a community of movement to let moms know like it’s okay to breastfeed out in public, and it’s okay to not know what you’re doing, but we want a place where they can come and feel welcomed,” McCabe said.

The local moms are in the beginning stage of the project - raising money. They’ve applied for a couple small business grants and have a Venmo set up, @TheMomLoungeLBK, if you want to help get them started. They may be providing some incentives for donating, like prizes or free memberships. You can follow them on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date with the project.

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