The Pump Station & Nurtury Settles Into New Main Street Digs

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Founded in 1986 by longtime Palisadian Corky Harvey, The Pump Station & Nurtury has recently moved its physical Westside storefront from Wilshire to Main Street in Santa Monica—and is now welcoming community members to visit the retail boutique.

Billed as a breastfeeding, baby care and parenting resource center, since its soft opening at its new Santa Monica location in December 2020, The Pump Station & Nurtury has provided education and support to over 300 expecting and new parents weekly, according to its website.

As a mom to three young children, as well as an “absolute baby care and breastfeeding expert,” Harvey paved the way for the first-of-its-kind breastfeeding and parenting resource center.

“Parents and babies come through our doors every day to access the huge selection of products we now carry, and to attend classes that range from prenatal breastfeeding and baby care to baby signing and infant CPR,” according to a statement from Harvey shared on the website. “They also come for expert breastfeeding help by attending one of our breastfeeding support groups for new mothers. We want The Pump Station & Nurtury to be a sanctuary for expectant parents, new parents and their precious babies at this very challenging and rewarding time of life.”

In April 2007, Cheryl Petran became a mother. After giving birth, she shared she found herself struggling with breastfeeding. Her doctor recommended a visit to The Pump Station for help—and she said she never left.

“After a brief stint as a client and customer, I joined the team and eventually bought the company,” Petran said to the Palisadian-Post.

Petran, who grew up in New Hampshire, has lived in California for the last 20 years.

“After graduating from college, I pursued a career in retail as at a young age, I knew I wanted to be a retail buyer,” she explained. “Choosing this career took me across the country and all over the world.”

She was a buyer for Jordan Marsh and Bradlee’s in Boston, then moved to Chicago to buy for Montgomery Ward, eventually leading to becoming the buyer for Barbie at Target, where Petran “got to play with dolls while further honing” her business skills.

“After several years in Minneapolis I moved to LA as I joined two Mattel executives as they launched a dotcom business in the late ’90s,” she said. “I eventually ended up joining Jakks Pacific as SVP of Product Development, Marketing & Sales, and I started my own toy development & design company where I worked on projects for companies like Mattel, Disney, Funrise Toys and others.”

Petran and her husband acquired The Pump Station from Harvey and a small group of other founding partners, two of which were also Palisadians.

“For over 34 years, we’ve supported expecting and new parents in the Greater Los Angeles area with prenatal and postnatal education and support, alongside a highly curated assortment of products they really need for new families to thrive,” Petran shared.

The store coordinates phone and web orders, as well as contactless curbside pick-up. Currently, due to pandemic restrictions, a full curriculum of classes is available online via Zoom.

Petran wears many hats, but primarily serves as The Pump Station’s CEO and owner.

“Since starting at The Pump Station in 2007, I can honestly say that I’ve encountered over 1,000-plus new parents who have told me, ‘The Pump Station saved my life!’” she shared. “We truly do everything we can to support expecting and new parents as they enter their new journey into parenthood.

“We will do anything we can to support you during this transformational time in your life. We are here for you. We are non-judgmental. Every baby and every family is unique and special—we will do whatever we can to support you in your personal journey.”

When asked what she loves about Pacific Palisades, she said the fact that Harvey lives here: The two have enjoyed dinners, brainstorming sessions, and good times at her house or restaurants in the “charming” Village. Together, the two continue to look for ways to support men and women as they adjust in their new roles as parents.

“We live in Santa Monica, which we love, but there’s a special energy where the mountains and foothills drop down to meet the ocean, and we just love it,” Petran said.

She said now more than ever, The Pump Station & Nurtury understands what new parents need to make it through these challenging times and they want to extend their help.

“Your personal ‘village’ of friends and family may be a bit further away than it ever has been, but we are still here for you—in person or virtually—to help you through a challenging but incredibly rewarding experience,” Petran concluded.

The Pump Station & Nurtury is located at 2727 Main Street in Santa Monica. For more information, visit pumpstation.com or call 310-998-1981.