INNOVATION HUB
More Than a Store By Brittany Nay | Photos by Eric Nemens
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hen Sierra Cortazzo had her first baby boy in 2003, she fell in love with breastfeeding and motherhood, and found comfort in Kangaroo Kids, a Glendale children’s boutique and lactation support center. “I attended the lactation support group starting [when my son was] 5 days old and never looked back,” Cortazzo says. Cortazzo and Kangaroo Kids founder Tanya Griffin became fast friends, and in 2005, the former co-owner asked Cortazzo and her husband if they’d be interested in taking over the store, when Cortazzo was 6 months pregnant with the couple’s second son. As a lover of all things resale and a former manager for multiple other businesses – with a desire to run her own – Cortazzo found the perfect way to feed her career aspirations, as well as keep her family together while she worked at Kangaroo Kids. “I found such a place of support and validation at Kangaroo Kids,” Cortazzo recalls. “I wanted to be that support for other mamas … to give back what I received … to keep it going.” So in addition to helming the store, Cortazzo became a Certified Lactation Counselor through the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice and the Center for Breastfeeding. The Cortazzos have made Kangaroo Kids their own throughout the past 16 years – all while their boys grew up in the shop. Thousands of moms have sought support there as the full-service lactation support center’s
14 January 21, 2022 | LadueNews.com
offerings expanded into twice-weekly lactation support groups, a weekly support group for all parents, and support groups for postpartum depression and anxiety. Cortazzo fondly recalls helping moms and babies connect through nursing, noting some moms have become lactation specialists themselves, while others have simply enjoyed time connecting with other adults – knowing “they are not alone,” she notes. “Supporting the mom and meeting her where she is at is vital for good outcomes for babies … and moms!” The center offers hospital-grade pump rentals and sells Medela and Ameda breast pumps.
“Our team [members] are certified bra-fitters,” Cortazzo says, adding that the business carries nursing bras and tanks by brands including Cake Maternity, as well as lactation support products from Motherlove Herbal Company. In addition to maternity wear and supplies, the bright, colorful resale and retail store’s everchanging inventory is a curated collection of name-brand children’s clothing, shoes, toys, books, baby gear, equipment and furniture in excellent condition, as well as hand-picked new brands like Green Toys and ezpz feeding essentials. More than a boutique, Kangaroo Kids also has a small play area and cozy group space where parents can sit and connect or feed their kiddos, Cortazzo says: “Customers tell us all the time how cute the shop is!”
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Kangaroo Kids, 10030 Manchester Road, St. Louis, 314-835-9200, kangarookidsonline.com
