I often hear such negative reviews on EB on the ABA's hard stance of exclusive breastfeeding only. IRL I have never met anyone who has had a negative experience with them.

In the last two years I have rang ABA around 6 times. I needed to use nipple shields until DS was 3 months and occasionally used formula for night feeds (I had 3 surgeries in the first 6 months post birth) I will also admit, when I occasionally went out with friends DH would supplement with formula.

I never felt judged, nor was I offered alternative advice to what I was doing. If anything I felt supported, especially when I was congratulated that I was still feeding past 12 months.

I often wonder if people forget they are volunteers. Or have I just been very lucky in the response I got?

I rang them 2 or 3 times and only ever had great experiences.

I rang on behalf of my sister, at her request, when she needed help. They were great, but I suspect it wasn't the advice my sister wanted to hear. Her choice, ultimately.

I think the fact they are volunteers is maybe their possible downfall. I imagine it might be hard to ensure volunteers maintain standard advice, unlike a paid health professional who is bound by a code of practise and shouldn't be giving advice swayed by their own experience and ethos.

I had a bad experience calling ABA with an unsettled tiny baby- she gave me some crazy talk that was completely about her experiences with her children, not the situation I was asking about.

That said I think the organisation is great, and their classes and booklets are invaluable. I do often wonder about the call line though.

I have had a negative experience with them unfortunately. It does seem to be the zone I am in though as another lady from my mother's group also had a negative experience with them. I have moved areas now and have been encouraged to join the local group as apparently they are all positive and friendly so I might tag along to a meet next year.

I had a terrible experience with ABA, a total BFing crazy who had no idea and in a very isolated situation continued with a starving baby and pain for far to long before coming to my senses

I had good experiences with them and found they were very supportive of mums who had to fulltime express. I wish I had gone to them for advice first instead of wasting my time with lactation consultants.

In my experience with them, there was very definitely a sense that only exclusive breastfeeding was ok. When I rang to ask for advice with the issues I was having, and on how to mix feed well, I was told to "just keep putting her to the breast."

Combine that with the judgement from the MCHN, and yeah, I definitely felt like I was "officially" doing the wrong thing, and I felt that others perceived me as selfish, lazy and precious.

I don't know if voluntarism is an issue. How hard is it to have a script that says, "If mother says this isn't working because of x,y,z, offer comfort, support, and make a and b alternative suggestions"?

I only had good experiences with them also

If you use formula or EBM you aren't really the person they want ringing and if the objective is to make women do breastfeeding, regardless of circumstances, why would i ring them for advice if i cannot get assistance on formula or expressing (which is what i needed at the time) and did not plan to change? I did ring when my milk was starting to dry up in supply; it was hard to get a call back and the only advice i got was to use Fenugreek (which i did use but didn't help). Advice like make sure you look after yourself and eat well etc would have been a lot better, something i had to find out on my own.

I have personally never used them, and have heard very mixed reviews about the advice they give. I do think they need to start monitoring phone calls and flow charting their advice like a pp has said. This will be very hard to do though when volunteers take phone calls in their own houses with no way to monitor what advice they are giving.

I think it's unreasonable to expect that the ABA would give perfect advice everytime. They are all volunteers after all. Even qualified LCs don't connect with everybody and solve BF problems perfectly every single time.

Women also have differing expectations on what they get out of calling the ABA. Some are happy to just chat to someone who has been there but some expect a full point-by-point solution to their problem.

I've rang them twice and both times they were non committal, provided no information and no advice. Pretty useless but they weren't rude or mean or anything. Maybe the volunteers who answered my call were inexperienced.

I had this too. I wasn't calling for a chat I was calling for advice and I didn't get anything useful it new things to try apart from go see a GP. Well gee thanks for that, I've already been there and they told ne to call you, so did my MCHN. In saying that, I do think they publish some helpful brochures and bf books which did help, so both positive and negative experiences from me.

Ask 100 medical professionals about an issue they are all experts in and you will probably get a huge variety of answers, so I don't think its a volunteer thing. The ABA provides a very valuable service and whilst its not perfect, the mothers of Australia would be a lot worse off without it.

i rang once, explained my situation - ds was born at 24 weeks, my boos were full and engorged, i was in tears from everything
she ended up in tears with me, giving me great advice
she ended the call saying that she was honored to be speaking to me, and that i was doing a great job!

was great to hear!!


next time i called, the woman hadnt logged, and gave me really vague info... all i wanted was how to contact an lc - ds was home by then...

Over three calls with them for varying problems like AV I was told on breast no shield no expressing etc..... This was for major engorgement, cracked bleeding nipples where putting bubs on the boob was causing me to go for the panadine forte. Less then 45 mins sleep in three days has no sympathy apart from keep bubs attached to boob at all costs.

Also given the line if wet nappies so all is fine for amount taken... In fact my DS ended up in the ED at 21d of age basically starving ( paed s words).

So no I am one who had crappy experiences.

I've never had to use them, but I've heard a real mix of experiences, and sadly more negative than positive. I think as an organisation they do a good job, but as a one on one phone service it seems to be a bit lacking. The problem is it's the only option for a lot of women, particularly those isolated for one reason or another, and it's a shame that it doesn't seem to meet expectations a lot of the time.

Personally I'd love to see a government funded helpline or service to help with feeding babies, whether it's BF, formula or solids. It can be so confusing for new mums and there is a lot of conflicting advice out there.

I also went to the ABA store to be confronted by very pro BF..... Commenting on how wonderful X was still BF her child of 7yrs... Even going to school at lunchtime to do so.

They also have handouts on expressing, EBM etc so I don't know how that can considered evil as such by their advice line and in store.

I got put off when I saw a rep on the Today Show say "there really aren't any people who can't bf, they just need better advice".

I decided at that point to never ask them for help.

I only had positive interactions with them, but I only wanted to exclusively bf so I didn't want an option b anyway. They helped me a lot, and the ladies were absolutely lovely.

this experience was similar to several friends of mine. They didn't find the ABA advice useful or particularly supportive once they mentioned they were doing mixed feeding. One friend was bluntly told that she shouldn't be using formula and that she was harming her child!

However, I personally never experienced any negative feedback from the ABA helpline. Mind you, there were a few times when I received vague/useless comments that didn't really help.


agree with this

I rang them once about how best to help with a blocked duct... followed their advice and all good the next day! Lovely lady - just seems like luck of the draw.

ABA volunteers are trained for about two years, before they go onto the helpline. They have had to have breastfed at least one baby for at least 6 months, to even get into the training. Like doctors, who train for 7 years, there are good ones and not so good ones, so come on guys, give them a go. Many mothers wouldn't know what to do, if it wasn't for the ABA and sometimes new mums want to hear what they want to hear - like DH wants to give my newborn a bottle of formula and afterall they are the Australian Breastfeeding Association and this is what they know best.

---

I had positive experiences with ABA - I really wanted to breastfeed and the meetings were a great way of getting out and meeting people with new babies.

With my second child I had dreadful attachment issues, constant pain, mastitis etc and the ABA-recommended lactation consultant was brilliant and I ended up doing a combination of breast, EBM and formula which ultimately meant I could breastfeed for 22 months (at which point I was ready to wean him).

By this time, though, I had two close and trusted friends who were ABA counsellors. If I had rung an anonymous person my experiences may not have been so balanced and sympathetic. All breasts and babies are different, and if you have only had positive experiences with breastfeeding I don't think you could understand how bad it can be.

My understanding is that the calls are monitored? I also think that some people phone to "get permission" to wean when they are already at their wits end, and that ABA counsellors are trained to try to keep people breastfeeding so they are probably not the ones to call if you are in that frame of mind. Not that you would know that as a new mother.




Snap Tigerfilly!

It's not only the ABA who say this unfortunately and when I do hear it said it is an immediate turn off for me I am afraid.
It is true that the number of women who really 'can't BF is miniscule, there are however some women who simply don't want to and it doesn't matter who advises and how much advice they get it will not happen and they should not be made to feel guilty about it by anyone.

Yep, these people should not ring ABA. They should go here:

http://www.bottlebabies.org/about/why-is-s...parents-needed/

My experiences have been wonderful.

The volunteers are not medical professionals, I think if you call them with an in depth medical question then you will be disappointed. They are also quite vocal in their stance that they don't support formula feeding and so will encourage continuing to breastfeed always. I think if you understand who they are, what they do and why they do it, then you aren't likely to be disappointed.

I expect to breastfeed until at least two years with the support of my local group.

I volunteer for a telephone service (not ABA) that is staffed entirely by volunteers and consistency is our biggest problem. Everyone is well-intentioned and does a significant training programme - but there are a few people who just think they know better and they go down their own path and (unwittingly) may cause harm to people. It is really unfortunate and I hope that it's only the minority of volunteers who fall into this basket but it does happen.

I called them once and it was a positive experience.

No, I knew they were volunteers, I wasn't expecting all the answers, just a bit of moral support and some tips.



Good call.

I definitely could breastfeed, in the sense that I could produce milk and then spend all day squeezing it out and somehow getting into DS while he failed to grow.



Yeah I only wanted to exclusively breastfeed too, I didn't "want" and option B. I did was my baby to be fed, though.




See, this was going to be my point. Nipple shields, ebm, even the dreaded formula CAN all be tools to help SAVE a bfing relationship, so I don't think it's unreasonable to expect the counsellors to be aware of and ok with other methods of feeding other than direct from breast to baby.



So only call them if you don't have any problems but just want a pat on the back for feeding directly from the breast?

I called them for ideas on how to get my baby to attach better onto the nipple shield, and ideas about expressing (you know, when to do it, which side, for how long, and so forth) coz I was a bit frazzled and had to wait a few more days to see my LC. And my LC had suggested calling them for just that. The comment I got was "poor little thing" (meaning my baby) when I said he had never been able to feed directly from my breast. I had been busting my ass trying to produce breastmilk and get it in to him, and she said poor thing. Actually I just wanted to jump off a cliff at that point.

I haven't dealt with the ABA for a while but I do have dealings with two different branches in the past and their counsellors and other women were overwhelmingly supportive. My first ended up being bottle fed by 7 months and I had been attending meetings for a while at that stage and I was never made to feel unwelcome.

I have had very positive experiences. I exclusively breastfeed so I can't comment on their reaction to mixed feeding.

I view the ABA as an excellent source of information and support, if only to get you through until you can see a lactation consultant or MCHN.

I didn't call them because I did comp feeding and I knew they would not be helpful in my situation.
However my LC had to cancel an appointment at short notice one day because she had an emergency call. It was a mum who had been speaking to the ABA who told her she must keep offering the breast and under no circumstances give a bottle unless she wanted bfing to fail. The LC took one look at the baby and rang for an ambulance. He was admitted to hospital with severe dehydration

The objective is to be a sounding board for women who are experiencing breastfeeding problems and help them come up with ways to move ahead, talk about possible options or strategies to manage problems.
For more complex bfing problems/health concerns of mother and/or baby they should suggest you contact your CHN/GP/LC ie to a health professional.
They apparently have a very high satisfaction rate when audits are done (last time I heard the rate was in the low 90's but I cant prove it!).

Obviously the outcome isn't always as good or appropriate as it could or should be.

eta, they hire and sell breast pumps and associated bfing equipment, hardly evidence that ABA doesn't want to talk to women about expressing.
And considering that the use of formula in the early newborn period is unfortunately all too common I could imagine that many of the calls each day would come from women who have used or are still using breast milk substitutes for supplementation.

I have called them once and had a positive experience and I express full time and comp feed. The lady was lovely and told me that at he end of the day as long as my baby was getting a feed and gaining weight that was all that mattered. I wasn't expecting such a positive experience from what everyone had told me about the ABA.

I can feel your distress through the "ether" of the WWW Pooks and I am empathizing like crazy.

You should have been able to get support about expressing from ABA. I've only just chucked my little ABA expressing booklet out - expressing was a lifeline to me and my non-weight-gaining DS#2. That and my MIL who said DH didn't gain weight easily as a baby, and perhaps DS#2 was like him (DS is DH reincarnated).

MIL breastfed all her babies and even she thought I should bottlefeed. I am stubborn though and had the right support. It took two ABA counsellor friends, an amazing lactation consultant, an ABA-hired electric expressing machine, antibiotics, a bewildered but supportive DH and a tin or two of Nan-HA to breastfeed that baby!

You got the wrong person on the end of the phone line.

I rang them multiple times when my baby was tiny. We had enormous issues with tongue tie, reflux and mastitis/breast abscess. One counsellor actually said to me 'We don't normally say this but I think your baby NEEDS formula from what you are telling me'. It was a relief to hear and finally allowed me to feel 'ok' about giving her a bottle. I often think of that lady and that awful night that I rang the ABA line and wish I could tell her how much better she made me feel!

In the end, my DD had dehydration from lack of breast milk due to the breast abscess and giving that first bottle was the start of my DD's improvement in terms of her health and growth.

I called them unfortunately over the pre-Christmas period when I had my DD1 and didn't have a great experience unfortunately. I was unable to get through to anyone, had to leave a message, and didn't receive a call back. Rang again a day or so later and the same thing.

Luckily I had a friend of my mum's who had a daughter who was an ABA counsellor and she popped out to visit. She said I had perfect attachment yada yada. As had the lactation consultant at the hospital. My nipples were still hanging off and I was in excruciating pain and about to head down the formula route (DD was about 8 weeks old by this time), luckily I chanced upon a private lactation consultant, and within one feed, where she corrected my poor attachment and gave me lots of support & encouragement, I was feeding pain free and we went on to exclusively feed for six months and 2.5yrs of breastfeeding in total.

Thanks very kind of you.

Yes, I know I got the wrong person. And I am actually hugely supportive of the ABA in principle, I just think sometimes the execution is off. I just get cranky when people say directly, or imply, that people saying they have bad experiences are themselves to blame, or are exaggerating, or whatever else they want to do to minimise the problem instead of address it. I think it's an important issue and they are dealing with two vulnerable groups in society- new mums and babies. I think expecting high standards is reasonable, and surely anything less does nothing for the cause.

Never called them but I lurked their online forum for a few days. There were several posters who (like me) were clearly not having success with breastfeeding and it was time to gently say it's okay to stop if you want to. But there were posters jumping in guilt tripping new mums and telling them they must endeavour, no matter what. I just don't think it's realistic to say mums MUST breastfeed exclusively. It's a personal choice like any other parenting decisions.

Dp

I did a course with them whilst pregnant about breastfeeding in the early days. Thy were not anti formula at all. they actually mentioned it as an option under numerous circumstances and encouraged supplement feeding when required under certain circumstances also.

They have always been really useful for me. They were useful 28 years ago and useful 6 years ago.

Same for me - and the crazy ABA person was my son's paternal grandmother.
I had a staph infected caesar wound, was recovering from a life threatening PPH, a colicky baby who wasn't gaining weight, my relationship with her son had broken down within 2 weeks of the baby's birth, I lived in an old shack that barely had running water, hadn't had more than 2 hours unbroken sleep since he was born, had PND and all she cared about was 'keep trying, it takes practice'.
15 weeks and 4 days later, when I was at the absolute end of my tether, ready to walk out and leave the baby and so depressed I was ready to do myself harm I bought a can of formula and never looked back.

What tipped me over the edge was she and her bestie, who was the MCHN in town and an ABA member, would swap information about me - there was no confidentiality about anything I said in my appointments with the MCHN.

That experience made me distrust and despise all MCHN and ABA consultants.
I know I am generalising and that of course it is not true of all, but it was an horrendous experience for me and it scarred me badly.

I Absolutely agree with this. In my Mothers group alone 3 of us have had breastfeeding saved by shields and another two of us top up with EBM to 'save' breastfeeding when it wasn't working. I too found the ABA woman woefully uninformed and very negative about a) me using shields and b) me seeking advice on being able to express enough for DS after each BF as directed by the paediatrician.

Luckily thanks to here, kellymom, and other googling I could work out a regime that would enable me to full-time BF and up my supply and produce EBM as well in a short time frame so was relying on the ABA as a 'sounding board' for my plan more than needing fresh ideas. Thankfully really as one thing the ABA women kept repeating was that "breastfed babies regulate their intake to what they need". I kept repeating back to her that as he wasn't putting on enough weight, his regulation was obviously faulty and the paediatrician diagnosed an issue so her 'advice' about self regulation wasn't helping or applicable to me. It really annoyed me as I didn't need her to tell me NOT to express, I just wanted help about when and how to balance it with full time breastfeeding.
ETA Their website and literature are fantastic. I also did their class whilst pregnant and found it motivating and very good for DH is particular. But their helpline not so much.

My experience has only been on-line, and all good.

I do despair that some people are willing to wipe off the whole organization due to one or two poor experiences. We don't do the same for Doctors, or even hairdressers do we? The overall code of conduct of the ABA is fair and supportive. If you receive crap advice or feel you were poorly treated, complain. I also feel quite a few people don't like the advice they receive. I've seen people complain of "guilt tripping" for pretty standard b'feeding advice or encouragement.

Never called them, but met two in person.

First, while in hospital, she came in with a toddler & a bag of information.
I had been crying because my milk hadn't come in & needed to comp feed so baby had something in his belly.
She was so nice, reassuring me that my milk would come in and to be patient and calm.
She didn't know me from a bar of soap, she was so nice to me in that moment when I really needed it.

Second, while buying MCN from nest nappies. The owner is also a ABA volunteer and she had some great advice about positioning. Told me to drop by anytime if I had questions. Very lovely lady.

For all women, we need to be supportive, while breast is best it isn't always feasible. In my case, it took 8 days until my milk came in properly, forcing me to comp feed. For others it can be nipple shape, lifestyle, babies with attachment issues, etc

When I contacted them, they weren't unpleasant they just couldn't offer anything more than "keep trying". Offered no suggestions about comp feeding, nipple shields, nothing. Gentle pressure to stop the comp feeding I was doing (which started in hospital) as that will only affect my supply negatively (it was already negative)

So not bad, just not helpful. My LC had already told me the same things, and just said "some women struggle for ages and then finally get it after 6 months". /facepalm