Australian Breastfeeding Association
An Australian nonprofit organization providing breastfeeding information, peer support, education, advocacy, and professional training.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is an Australian nonprofit support and education organization focused on promoting breastfeeding and protecting the interests of breastfeeding mothers and families. Its membership has included breastfeeding mothers, their partners, health professionals, lactation consultants, midwives, doctors, and other people interested in infant and maternal health. The organization is widely recognized in Australia as a major source of breastfeeding information and practical support. ABA began in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1964 under the name Nursing Mothers' Association. Its origins lay in the personal experience of Mary Paton, who encountered difficulty breastfeeding her first child and found that reliable practical assistance was difficult to obtain. At the time, many doctors and nurses had limited training in breastfeeding management, while the spread of smaller nuclear families meant that new mothers often had less access to experienced older relatives. Paton and five other mothers responded by creating a peer-support model in which women could share experience, encouragement, and information. That mother-to-mother structure remains central to the association's identity. The first meeting took place at Paton's Melbourne home on 13 February 1964, and the association published its first newsletter later that year. It initially concentrated on Victoria but expanded nationally during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Representatives were appointed in several states and territories in 1969, a national headquarters was established in Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1970, and groups were formed in South Australia and Tasmania in 1971. By 1973, membership had exceeded 10,000. The organization later changed its name to the Australian Breastfeeding Association in 2001, reflecting its national role and broader public-facing remit. According to the referenced history, more than 350,000 people had been members by 2016. ABA's activities extend beyond informal peer groups. It operates discussion meetings and support groups, provides breastfeeding information and telephone assistance, offers education sessions for expectant parents, and supports mothers in hospital and community settings. Its community education work reaches from preschool programs through tertiary education. The association also organizes seminars and conferences for health professionals and operates as a registered training organization, including training in breastfeeding counseling and community education. A national breastfeeding helpline was launched on 20 March 2009, replacing or consolidating earlier state-based telephone arrangements. The service is staffed by volunteers who have completed ABA training. In 2015, ABA introduced its Breastfeeding Friendly Environments program, intended to help workplaces and other public or community settings better support breastfeeding mothers, including women returning to work. The organization has also participated in technology and public-health initiatives. In 2014, it collaborated with Melbourne technology startup Small World Social on a trial involving a hands-free breastfeeding application for Google Glass. The trial was designed to let a mother view guidance about issues such as attachment and positioning while feeding, and to contact a lactation consultant through a secure video connection. The experiment concluded in Melbourne in April 2014. ABA presents itself as an evidence-informed support organization, drawing on health authorities and specialists in infant and child health and nutrition, including honorary advisers. Its work combines volunteer peer counseling, professional education, public information, advocacy, and programs intended to make breastfeeding more feasible in workplaces and community environments. It remains an active Australia-focused organization rather than a commercial consumer-goods brand.
History
The Australian Breastfeeding Association traces its origins to a small group of mothers in Melbourne in 1964. Mary Paton formed the organization with Glenise Francis, Pat Patterson, Jan Barry, Pauline Pick, and Sue Woods after experiencing difficulty breastfeeding her first child. The founders believed that mothers needed accessible, practical support from people with direct experience. Professional medical services at the time often lacked specialized breastfeeding knowledge, and many new mothers had fewer opportunities to seek advice from older women within extended families. The association's founding model therefore emphasized mutual assistance between mothers rather than relying solely on formal clinical care. The first meeting was held at Mary Paton's home in Melbourne on 13 February 1964. A newsletter followed later that year, helping the group share information beyond its initial meetings. The organization was initially known as the Nursing Mothers' Association and was principally Victorian. Its activities expanded as local groups and state structures developed. Representatives for the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia were appointed in 1969. A national headquarters was established in Hawthorn, Victoria, in 1970, while groups in South Australia and Tasmania were established in 1971. The movement reached more than 10,000 members by 1973. As the organization matured, its work broadened from informal mother-to-mother encouragement to a national network of telephone counseling, parent education, community education, hospital outreach, professional seminars, conferences, and formal training. ABA's groups have held discussions for mothers and families, while its educational activities have addressed audiences ranging from preschool communities to tertiary institutions. It has also provided training for breastfeeding counselors and community educators as a registered training organization. Health authorities and specialists in infant and child health and nutrition have supported the association's public role, and an honorary advisory structure has contributed specialist guidance. On 20 March 2009, ABA launched a national breastfeeding helpline. The service was designed to make assistance more consistent and accessible across Australia than the earlier state-based helpline arrangements. Volunteers who staff the helpline complete ABA training, preserving the organization's longstanding combination of peer experience and structured preparation. In 2001, the Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia changed its name to the Australian Breastfeeding Association. The new name more directly communicated its national scope and its focus on breastfeeding rather than only on a particular membership identity. The organization reported that more than 350,000 people had been members by 2016. ABA has also experimented with new ways to deliver breastfeeding assistance. In January 2014 it worked with Melbourne technology company Small World Social on a Google Glass application trial. The hands-free system was intended to display guidance on common issues such as attachment and posture while a mother was feeding, and to allow contact with a lactation consultant through a secure Google Hangout. The trial ended in Melbourne in April 2014 and was reported as successful by its participants. In 2015, ABA launched the Breastfeeding Friendly Environments program. This initiative addressed the practical and social conditions that can affect breastfeeding, particularly when mothers return to employment or need to feed in public and community settings. It complemented ABA's counseling and information services with an environmental and organizational focus. The organization experienced public controversy in 2012 after a newspaper report alleged that a trainer or counselor had made highly inflammatory comparisons and inaccurate claims about infant formula during an ABA class. ABA responded with an internal investigation and stated publicly on 29 August 2012 that the reported remarks were not the association's views. It also said that the counselor involved had been stood down from all duties. The episode illustrates the distinction ABA has drawn between its institutional position and inappropriate statements attributed to an individual representative. Today, the Australian Breastfeeding Association remains an active Australia-wide support and education organization. Its core activities are noncommercial: helping families obtain breastfeeding information, connecting mothers with trained volunteers and local groups, educating parents and professionals, and advocating for settings that better accommodate breastfeeding. Its historical continuity rests on the peer-support model established in Melbourne, while its contemporary role combines volunteer networks, national telephone assistance, formal education, public programs, and specialist-informed guidance.
- 2015
Breastfeeding Friendly Environments program launched
[1]ABA introduced a program addressing support for breastfeeding in workplaces and other community environments.
- 2014
Google Glass breastfeeding application trial
[1]ABA collaborated with Small World Social on a hands-free technology trial offering breastfeeding guidance and remote consultant contact.
- 2009
National breastfeeding helpline launched
[1]A national helpline began operating on 20 March, staffed by volunteers who had completed ABA training.
- 2001
Organization adopts the Australian Breastfeeding Association name
[1]The former Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia changed its name to Australian Breastfeeding Association.
- 1973
Membership exceeds 10,000
[1]The organization reported more than 10,000 members as its peer-support network expanded.
- 1971
Expansion to South Australia and Tasmania
[1]Groups were established in South Australia and Tasmania, extending the national network.
- 1970
National headquarters established
[1]The association established a national headquarters in Hawthorn, Victoria.
- 1969
National state and territory representation begins
[1]Representatives were appointed for several Australian states and territories as the organization expanded beyond Victoria.
- 1964
Nursing Mothers' Association founded in Melbourne
[1]Mary Paton and five other mothers established the organization to provide practical mother-to-mother breastfeeding support.
- 1964
First meeting and newsletter
[1]The first meeting took place at Mary Paton's home on 13 February, followed later in the year by the association's first newsletter.
Products and positioning
A national, volunteer-supported Australian authority and peer-support network for breastfeeding information, counseling, education, and advocacy.
Telephone support service · 2009
National Breastfeeding Helpline
A national telephone service providing breastfeeding information and practical assistance. The helpline uses trained volunteers and was introduced to improve on the earlier state-based telephone support model.
Peer-support service · 1964
Local breastfeeding support groups
Community-based groups and discussion meetings connect breastfeeding mothers and families with trained volunteers and peers. They extend the mother-to-mother support model that has defined the association since its founding.
Education service
Parent and community education
ABA provides breastfeeding education for expectant parents and community audiences. Its educational activities have included settings ranging from preschool and school communities to tertiary institutions, as well as hospital and community outreach.
Training service
Professional training
As a registered training organization, ABA offers training connected with breastfeeding counseling and community education. It also conducts seminars and conferences for health professionals such as midwives, doctors, and lactation specialists.
Workplace and community program · 2015
Breastfeeding Friendly Environments
A program launched to encourage workplaces and other environments to provide practical and supportive conditions for breastfeeding mothers, including mothers returning to paid employment.
Controversies
2012
Reported extreme statements in an ABA class
A Sunday newspaper report in August 2012 alleged that an ABA class included inaccurate and inflammatory claims about formula feeding, including statements linking formula to infant deaths and AIDS. ABA launched an internal investigation, rejected the reported comments as contrary to the association's views, and said on 29 August that the counselor involved had been stood down from all duties.
Marketing campaigns
- 2015Breastfeeding Friendly Environments
Australia
ABA launched a program focused on making workplaces and other community environments more accommodating for breastfeeding mothers.
Outcome. The program broadened ABA's work from direct counseling and education toward environmental and workplace support.
Brand decisions
2015
Expand into breastfeeding-friendly environmentsStrategyBackground
Mothers' ability to continue breastfeeding can be affected by workplace conditions and the suitability of public or community settings.
Action taken
ABA launched the Breastfeeding Friendly Environments program.
Aftermath
The initiative extended the association's focus from individual support toward organizational and environmental change.
2014
Trial a hands-free breastfeeding technology applicationProduct launchBackground
ABA explored whether wearable technology could provide feeding guidance and remote access to lactation support while a mother was nursing.
Action taken
In collaboration with Small World Social, ABA participated in a Google Glass application trial offering instructional material and secure video contact with a lactation consultant.
Aftermath
The Melbourne trial concluded in April 2014 and was reported as successful by its participants.
2009
Create a national breastfeeding helplineProduct launchBackground
Telephone assistance had previously operated through state-level arrangements, creating a need for a more nationally consistent service.
Action taken
ABA launched a national breastfeeding helpline on 20 March 2009, staffed by trained volunteers.
Aftermath
The service expanded national access to breastfeeding information and peer-based assistance.
2001
Rename the national associationStrategyBackground
The organization had grown from a Victorian mother-to-mother group into a national support and education network.
Action taken
The Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia adopted the name Australian Breastfeeding Association.
Aftermath
The new name emphasized the association's national scope and its broader public role in breastfeeding support, education, and advocacy.
Recent events
- 2015
Australian Breastfeeding Association launches Breastfeeding Friendly Environments program[1]
Campaign
ABA introduced a program intended to encourage workplaces and other environments to provide better practical support for breastfeeding mothers, including those returning to work.
- 2009
Australian Breastfeeding Association launches a national breastfeeding helpline[1]
Product launch
ABA introduced a national helpline on 20 March 2009 to improve access to breastfeeding assistance and replace the previous state-level telephone arrangements. Trained volunteers staff the service.
Sources2 sources
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