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The Nurture Center
Categories: Shopping Fashion Children's Clothing Shopping Fashion Maternity Wear Shopping Baby Gear & Furniture Children's Clothing, Maternity Wear, Baby Gear & Furniture [Edit]
3399 Mt Diablo BlvdLafayette, CA 94549
(925) 283-1346
It's our 10th Anniversary!
Thanks for supporting an independent family business!
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for The Nurture Center
19 reviews in English
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Review from Row M.
Concord, CA
4/25/2009
What a WONDERFUL store with a super helpful staff. Went there with a print out of what I was looking for. They searched high and low for the replacement part I was looking for (it helped that I had a printout from their website) and did not rest until they found it. Yay!!! They didn't brush off my request and simply say they couldn't find it or were out.
They have a nice selection of cloth diapers and were extremely helpful when I was inquiring about the switch from cloth diapering. I would definitely go back for the cute goodies for Beebe (although I might have to put off cloth diapering since CoCo County is putting us on a water budget!!)
Knowledgeable staff also referred me to Open Sesame (health food store) when I had questions about natural lotions or salves to help Beebe's dry skin/eczema. -
Review from Tam F.
7/27/2011
Having a child is a wonderful (and VERY expensive) endeavor and this store is set up for the all the "gear" you will need for a new/small baby. All the supplies like gliding chairs, cribs, strollers,
This being said, there are a lot of us moms(and dads), aunts and uncles, grandparents, friends and the like who throw baby showers, watch children, buy new baby gifts, etc. and not all of us like to go to the "big box stores" and want to support local business. I have come to this store a few times in hopes of supporting a local business and recently, I started taking care of my BFF's baby boy and she assured me she would have a carrier for me to use to hold her son. She purchased the carrier based on the recommendation from the sales person and when it didn't work for her, she brought it to me to see if I could use it. Sadly, it was like wearing a hot and heavy smock and not nearly as comfortable as the Baby Bjorn. The hardest part for my friend was when she was trying to work with them on returning said carrier. Personally, I am super bummed on their return policy and totally think they do the upsell on specific items that until a person has a baby/uses product and finds it doesn't work for them or their life every efforts should be made to let them return said product.
Word to the wise-or to the soon to be parent...not all new products are really better. -
Review from Shannon W.
Moraga, CA
7/9/2011
One experience turned me from a 5 star rating customer to a 1 star rating customer. Here's what happened:
I had a beautiful baby boy 3 months ago. After he was born, as any new mother would do, I needed to purchase baby supplies. I did my share of shopping, thanks to gift cards mostly, at Babies R Us and Target.
I have always been an advocate and supporter of local family run businesses. I heard about a place local to me called "The Nurture Center" that was a favorite amongst the local mommy circles. I decided to stop in and see what all the fuss was about.
I went in and had a lovely experience. I worked with a brunette lady who claimed to be their buyer. She helped me pick out a carrier from Becco brand and 2 mirrors for our vehicles. She showed me how to put it on (it seemed quite complicated) but she said I would get used to it and how great the carrier was. The carrier was quite expensive ($135) but I trusted her and bought it even though we don't have much money.
A few weeks later I also went back and rented a breast pump from them vs. through Alta Bates... again, to support a local family run business (even though Alta Bates was cheaper).
Try as I might, I could not get used to the carrier. It was very complicated to secure all the belts, snaps, and clasps, virtually impossible to put on and get my son into it without the assistance of another person, and extremely hot and uncomfortable. It made my back ache very strongly almost immediately after I put my son into it. I could only take it on short walks because of the severe discomfort.
I decided I could no longer deal with the frustration and discomfort of using it so I washed it and gave it to my best friend Tammy to use since she watches my son 3 days a week. She also ran into the same problems and refused to continue using it.
I contacted The Nurture Center and left a message on their answering machine for someone to call me about it. I went out and bought an amazing and wonderful carrier from Mamas and Papas. It was also expensive, but was absolutely fantastic. It was easy to put on, super simple to put my son in alone, and never made my back ache at all. I wore it to a Giants game recently and felt comfortable the whole time and my son slept for hours in it.
I did not hear back from anyone at The Nurture Center so I called again. I spoke to a young lady and she said they had gotten my message and she had passed it on to the owner and was sorry she hadn't called me back.
I still got no call back so I called a 3rd time. I reached a store manager. I explained to her my situation and told her I had purchased the carrier 2 months ago, had my original receipt, and had only used it 3 or 4 times due to the issues I was experiencing. She said the Becco carrier is one of their best sellers and she didn't understand why I was having problems. I told her I tried to give it to my friend Tammy and she had the same negative experiences. I told her I went out and purchased a new fantastic carrier that I was having a great experience with. I asked her if I could please return it for store credit so I could purchase stuff I could use. She said she'd call me back shortly... which she did. She asked if I had the original box (I didn't because I had every intention of keeping it). I did, however, have the dvd and directions that came with it.
She asked if the carrier was in clean condition so they could resell it. I told her "yes" and that I wasn't aware they sold pre-owned baby equipment. She said "they don't". I told her it had been used a couple of times and washed so it wasn't new. She then stated to me that she could not take it back. I told her I was confused. That I had already told her prevously that I used it and washed it. She said that she couldn't help me any further. I told her that I wanted to continue to be their customer but didn't think it was good customer service to not stand behind the products they sell. I reiterated that I I was not looking for a refund. I just wanted a store credit. She said I should try to sell it on Craigslist. I asked her to reconsider so I could continue being a customer of theirs and that since my son was oly 3 months old I would be buying a lot from them in the future. She said there was nothing more she would do for me.
??????? What the heck????? I will never shop there again. Sure they give great customer service when you are giving them your hard earned money. Go to them for help when a product they represent fails miserably and they refuse to help you. Lame....
I guess it's back to Babies R U s and Target for me. -
Review from Rachel H.
Martinez, CA
5/12/2011
I love this store so much! Its true that some of the products are cheaper online, but when you need something, like a swim diaper and laundry detergent, usually you need it NOW. I went down, and I thought the prices were fair, the employee was SUPER NICE, and the store had a wonderful vibe! I will be back!
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Review from Rock f.
Arlington, VA
7/19/2011
I live on the East Coast, but when I needed replacement cushions for the Dutailier rocker that was being passed down to me, I came across The Nurture Center's website. The chair was an older model, but it was really easy to figure out through the Nurture Center's website which new model number replaced the older model number.
I ordered my five fabric swatches at no cost, and they came within 3-4 days I believe. When I decided I wasn't happy with any of the colors, they happily let me order 5 more swatches, again at no cost. Any emails I sent to them were promptly replied to the same day.
I had known beforehand that the cushions could take 8-12 weeks to come in, but when I placed the order, I put in a request to have it expedited if possible since I am due with my first baby in early August. I received the cushions in early July (4 weeks before the expected ship date) and I am thoroughly pleased. They fit the chair perfectly and the color and fabric are gorgeous.
Next time I need replacement cushions, I will def. be reordering them from The Nurture Center. -
Review from Chris K.
8/16/2008
This is the store to go to if you're looking for carriers/slings because they have most models and are willing to help you try them on! We were looking for a backpack carrier and wanted to check out the Ergo and Beco. Ultimately for hiking we decided on a frame pack, but it was great to try the others on for comparison.
Seemed to have a nice selection of cloth diapers, breastfeeding gear and clothes although we pretty much only checked out the carriers. -
Review from Ginger L.
Dublin, CA
12/4/2008
Love everything good! That's this store, they carry mostly non toxic high quality products and I found my high grade milk freezer trays here...awesome! They have a fair amount of slings, carriers, toys, etc...anything to do with babies and the lady behind the counter was super nice. Prices are also relatively competitive.
If you need a a lactation consultant, they can help you. -
Review from Molly B.
San Rafael, CA
2/2/2011
The Nurture Center totally rocks. It's a small space, beautifully organized to hold tons and tons of things you NEED. Its easy to shop here because they've alredy done all the work for you - selling only the highest quality, non-toxic, useful, necessary, earth-friendly where possible products for you and your baby. The owner took the time to give me a diaper tutorial on all the different type of bum genius diaper systems they carry and even answered my dumb mother-to-be questions. (i.e."what exactly IS a diaper pail?") If you need stuff for your kid, or your boobs (nursing) then get yourself to the Nurture Center. Your questions will be asked and sense will be made out of the chaos that is all that baby stuff you need!
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Review from Rogue R.
San Francisco, CA
9/17/2011
Just received a Dutailier glider. I ordered from Nurture Center solely to support a local business - in fact it was cheaper online from a store in Massachusetts, but they were able to price match so I thought I would help them out (there were no other benefits to me to ordering from them - although Regina was very nice to talk to and seemed knowledgeable).
This morning I was shocked to learn that "delivery" consisted of the owner's husband bringing the glider over in his car and asking if there was someone else in the house who could help him bring it in. Luckily my husband was home - I asked him what he would have done otherwise and he said he didn't know since normally someone is available to help. If this is going to be the way a company delivers items, I would suggest they provide notice to the customer. I don't believe it would have affected my order, but having JUST given birth I am not really in the condition to be hauling furniture and would have appreciated the heads up to make arrangements. The other odd thing is that when we called Nurture Center to arrange delivery, we got asked the typical questions such as how many steps, what's the layout of the apartment, etc., but they made no mention that they have just one guy delivering who would need help.
After this experience, and reading the other reviews about how difficult they were to work with if there is a problem with the glider, I would really think twice about ordering from them. We haven't actually used the glider yet so I'm crossing my fingers that nothing is wrong with it, since I'm pretty sure I'd be on my own if so. -
Review from Tex T.
Oakland, CA
10/5/2010
I ordered a few items online to send as a gift to a relative who had just had a baby -- the website is easy to use and informative. Later that day I received a VM from the Nurture Center telling me that the had I'd selected wasn't available in the color I'd wanted. When I called back they answered the phone promptly and helped me settle on another color. A week later (I chose ground shipping) the package had arrived at my relative's New York apartment.
I'd say it's one of the better shopping experiences I've had on the Internet. -
Review from Peggy H.
Takoma Park, MD
10/19/2010
Best customer service ever -- fantastic online retailer! Extremely helpful, friendly staff - willing to listen and figure out a solution to your issue. Wish they had a store in my area.
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Review from ananda z.
Augusta, GA
9/4/2007
What a great store! It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but definitely worth the trip. They have the highest quality everything... cloth diaper covers, haba toys, adorable little baby clothing... and they also have stuff for mothers to be... maternity clothes, bras, nursing gear and pumps, etc, etc. We got some great things on sale... a mamjama nursing gown for $34, baby swim trunks for $5, and all their Under the Nile organic cotton summer stuff was 50% off! Fabulous! They also have almost every wrap you can think of, and a special class where you can try them all on and learn the proper ways of wearing them.
Listed in: Baby Stuff
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Review from susan c.
Orinda, CA
5/24/2007
This is a great store for slings to carry babies, cotton diapers, quality maternity wear... all things related pregnancy and baby!
They also have hard to find unique items and they can special order so ask them for help. They're happy to help you on the phone, online or in the store!
Their store is deceptively small but they do have lots of variety. Just ask. I've been going here for about 2 years and am always impressed with the selection. -
Review from Martha T.
Lafayette, CA
8/20/2008
Wondeful store - great staff
A little pricey but that is due to the brands not store inflation. GREAT quality products -
Review from M P.
Orinda, CA
11/30/2009
Pretty good resource but I never really used it when I had babies because I always found what I needed at a better price online for most things. HOWEVER, they are a great resource for: renting breast pumps, and finding lactation specialist recommendations. For those reasons alone I highly recommend it. However due to the high priced baby clothes and gear, I wasn't a big user of this store.
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Review from Caroline C.
Albany, CA
11/17/2010
I brought an all leather Dutailer glider. The cost was comparable to other stores but I chose The Nurture Center because the delivery was free for local addresses. I got exactly the glider I ordered except the glider does make a little noise when I am rocking in it. I'm hoping the noise will go away. Maybe there is a break in period. I went to the store to order the glider instead of doing it over the internet. The sales person was very pleasant and carefully went over the order with me. The husband of the store owner delivered my glider. I got the feeling though they rather I pick up the glider from the store. One recommendation is to have more gliders/rockers on display. There were two gliders in the store but the space hold more. I actually sat in this glider (same model and color) at another baby store in Walnut Creek. I would had purchased this glider at the Walnut Creek store if it wasn't for the free delivery at the Nurture Center. Free delivery is a big deal for many people.
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Review from Chadd R.
Walnut Creek, CA
9/30/2009
The store is great, but beware of ordering a Dutalier glider off their website. After spending $1000 on the glider and matching ottoman, we were shocked when the glider arrived in the wrong model, wrong wood, and wrong fabric. Luckily the ottoman was fine but without the gilder not much use. We returned the glider new in the original box but The Nurture Center refused to refund any amount of the money and told us that we would have to sell it on Craigslist and just order another one. After much arguing the owner finally agreed to give us the new one at cost but WE would have to pay for the shipping. In other words, The Nurture Center was not willing to go out of pocket ONE PENNY to make up for the mistake. I've never encountered a local business so stubborn and unwilling to make amends. Many of the in store items have no return policies as well so please take extreme caution when making any purchase with The Nurture Center in Lafayette.
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Review from Rebecca M.
Lafayette, CA
6/2/2009
This store is a MUST see for soon-to-be and new parents. High quality products, helpful staff and excellent classes. The drop-in support group for new parents is also wonderful.
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Review from Katherine H.
Tracy, CA
10/20/2007
I love this store because they have things for the natural living type parent like me. Cloth diapers - fuzzibunz and bumgenius - slings, breastfeeding stuff, etc. Go there!
