Breastfeeding

Nearly four decades after pioneering a unique training scheme for its nationwide network of volunteer breastfeeding counsellors, the Australian Breastfeeding Association (formerly Nursing Mothers) has been formally recognised as a training organisation by the National Training Information Service (NTIS.) The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), which currently has approximately 1200 trained volunteers throughout Australia, this month […]

How can I help my baby to get the milk? Your milk will flow more easily if you are relaxed and comfortable at feed times. This is not always easy in those early days when everything is new and strange and you and your baby are still getting to know each other. The following hints may […]

Lactation or breastfeeding prevents the menstrual or ovarian cycle for the first few months after childbirth if the frequency of sucking is about 8-10 times per 24 hour period. This effect varies according to the individual but the general rule is – the more frequently you feed (eg every couple of hours) the more likely […]

Breastfeeding is primarily controlled by the hormones Prolactin and Oxytocin. Prolactin stimulates milk production and Oxytocin controls the milk ejection reflex or let down from the mammary glands. Oxytocin also stimulates the uterus to return to a pre-pregnant state and reduces blood loss after birth. Prolactin levels increase during pregnancy but milk is not produced […]

It’s one thing to have all the facts and figures about breastfeeding and quite another to hear another woman’s personal experiences. So I thought I would share my experiences of breastfeeding my two sons. Being an alternative minded person even then, when I found out I was going to have a baby I researched breastfeeding […]

The Australia Breastfeeding Association joins the call for a mandatory safety standard for dummies. Australia babies are being put at risk as many dummies fail health and safety tests but also because of in correct use of dummies. In the wake of findings by Choice magazine, the Australia Breastfeeding Association (ABA) today called for urgent […]

How soon after birth can I start to BreastFeed? Most babies have a strong need to suck when they are first born, so if you are both well you can start straight away. Many mothers offer the breast while they are still on the delivery table. The first milk in your breasts at this time […]

Mothers to be are confronted with a fundamental choice of how they will feed their newborn – will it be breast or bottle. Many factors contribute to this decision, eg the influence of family and friends, concerns about body and breast shape, concerns about how you will cope with feeding demands, partner involvement, biological obstacles and social […]