Association of Breastfeeding Counsellors

To promote To protect To support

Association of Breastfeeding Counsellors

We are going to take a look at the Breastfeeding Counsellor in Malta

• Who is the Breastfeeding Counsellor?• What does she do?• The Breastfeeding Counsellor aims to Promote,

Protect and Support Breastfeeding • The Malta Breastfeeding Centre

The Breastfeeding Counsellor: Who is she?

• She is a mother who breastfed her own children• She believes that most women can breastfeed • She takes an intensive course in the art and

science of breastfeeding• She counsels the mother in a wholistic way

taking into consideration the physical, mental, psychological, cognitive and social aspects of the mother’s circumstances

The breastfeeding Counsellor:Who is she?

The Breastfeeding Counsellor: What does she do?

• She can be contacted from home as often as needed before and after the mother gives birth

• She can visit to the mother’s home as often as needed when the mother and baby go home

• She gives courses to pregnant women and their families

• She provides regular social gatherings for mothers and their babies

• She empowers women to breastfeed and educates society in the benefits of Breastfeeding

The Breastfeeding Counsellor: What does she do?

The Breastfeeding Counsellor :Promotes breastfeeding

• Articles in newspapers and magazines• Talks and answers questions on TV and Radio• Prepares information leaflets and posters about

breastfeeding• Organises talks in schools, at the workplace, at social

gatherings, playgroups, Local Councils and in other settings

• Organises and participates in campaigns like the ABC Breastfeeding Mother and Child Award• Works in collaboration on various projects with other

entities• Voices consistent and correct information on

breastfeeding wherever she is

The Breastfeeding Counsellor :Protects breastfeeding

• Is active in discussions which affect policies on Breastfeeding

• Works with other entities to facilitate consistency and coherence

• Is affiliated with renowned international organisations to influence protection not only at local level but also at regional and international levels

• Is concerned with advocating for breastfeeding as a RIGHT of both Mothers and their Babies

• Does not liase with companies that manufacture, import, distribute or trade in formula milk, bottles, teats and other baby feeding related products

The Breastfeeding Counsellor :Supports breastfeeding

• Support is possible when it is not conflicting with support given elsewhere

• Supports Breastfeeding as optimal in comparison to Breastmilk-feeding

• Through one-to-one counselling that needs substantial time and care to be effective

• Real support means being available whenever the mother feels the need

The Malta Breastfeeding Centre

• The Malta Breastfeeding Centre shall be inaugurated on Monday 10th October, 2005 and shall be open daily to the public between 9.00am and 1.00pm

• The purpose for this Centre is so that a location is identified as a non-medicalised institution for Breastfeeding.

• Stakeholders in Breastfeeding should share in this initiative and work together for improvement all around

The Malta Breastfeeding Centre

• The Centre’s purpose is to be a resource for:

- mothers and their families to make contact with Breastfeeding Counsellors for their counselling needs on the management of Breastfeeding - students and policy makers as researchers to obtain reliable and up-to-date research based information - enabling other entities to work effectively on programmes and projects together for the benefit of the individuals and the common good

The Malta Breastfeeding Centre

• 21, ‘Dar Ta` Kana’, The Mall. Floriana

Association of Breastfeeding Counsellors

• Tel: 21 242 595• Email: info@breastfeedingmalta.org• Website: www.breastfeedingmalta.org

We have looked at who the BREASTFEEDING

COUNSELLOR is and what she does to

Promote, Protect and Support BREASTFEEDING.

Benefit from her knowledge!