Q&A: Cheryl Petran of The Pump Station & Nurtury

Founded in 1986 by longtime Palisadian Corky Harvey, The Pump Station & Nurtury provides education and support to over 300 expecting and new parents weekly from its Santa Monica location.

Cheryl Petran, now at the helm as CEO and owner, answered a series of questions from the Palisadian-Post with new parents in mind.

What are some of the benefits of building a village/community when welcoming a new baby?

Well, I think we all know that babies do not come with instruction manuals and they are a lot of work.

We tell everyone in our prenatal classes that before baby arrives they should find “their people, their support system.” Ask your OB-GYN, your pediatrician, your friends or even call The Pump Station and learn about the resources available to you. Then, once baby arrives, do not be afraid to ask for their support.

Please make sure you surround yourself with people who are not just there to “hold the baby,” but rather they are there, and willing, to help you with whatever you need—whether it’s the cooking, the laundry or helping with an older sibling. It’s so important you don’t feel isolated but instead you have a community that can support you during this critical time.

What are some of the ways that new parents can build a village/community for their family?

Join a Mommy & Me or a Parent & Me group—they are so amazing. You will meet other new mamas and papas that can relate to everything you are going through.

They will help you realize that you are a much better new parent than you might think you are. They will laugh, cry and vent with you—they will support you. We genuinely believe in the importance of these classes and the relationships during them.

Corky, our founder who lives in the Palisades, still meets up with people from her groups almost 50 years ago, and I am still besties with mamas from my group 15 years ago. They are my local family.

Can you tell us a bit about the Mommy & Me course offered at The Pump Station?

As someone who’s experienced and researched other programs, I can honestly say that The Pump Station & Nurtury groups are the best in town. Our curriculum director is a licensed psychologist who has been leading groups for over 30 years.

Our program consists of five sessions that take you through baby’s first year and end with a very special graduation if you choose to continue through all of the sessions. Our curriculum includes evidence-based parenting education, weekly check-ins, developmental play, music and more.

We offer Mommy & Me for 1st Time Moms, Mommy & Me for 2nd/3rd Time Moms and Parent & Me groups.

If you could give new parents one piece of advice, what would it be?

Enjoy this time. It’s hard, it’s frustrating, it’s exhausting. There are times you may think you are doing a horrible job. You are not.

Hug them, cuddle them, love them. Pick their outfits and enjoy it—they’ll be in middle school soon and you’ll look back on this time as the easy time.

What are some of the things that The Pump Station offers families?

Community, support, education and, more than often, a shoulder to cry on. We have a very curated assortment of products, classes and groups led by true “experts,” and not self-proclaimed experts and influencers.

There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t meet one to five families that tell me, “You saved my life”—literally we did not. But at this challenging time for them, they truly believed that.

If you know someone who is pregnant, let us be their lifeboat.

Anything else you want the community to know?

Whether you are a new parent or someone supporting one, please remind new parents however they parent that they are doing a great job.

Don’t judge them. Don’t discourage them. Positive words, reinforcement and support will do so much for them.

The Pump Station & Nurtury—one of the sponsors of the Post’s 2023 First Baby contest—is located at 2727 Main Street in Santa Monica. For more information, visit pumpstation.com or call 310-998-1981.