Working group of independent breastfeeding groups
The working group of independent breastfeeding groups (AFS) endeavors to promote breastfeeding and make it a matter of course. The basis of the association's work is help from mother to mother.
The AFS was founded on March 16, 1980 in Bad Godesberg as a relaxed working group of initially 45 breastfeeding groups. They had left the La Leche League after disagreements that arose over the fact that their representatives had found the tight organizational structure of the La Leche League to be too strict. Gradually, more and more breastfeeding groups were added. On May 14, 1988, the federal association was founded in Cologne as a non-profit registered association. There are now five regional associations within the federal association (Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hesse, North Rhine-Westphalia, Southwest with Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland).
Training as a lactation consultant has been offered to members since 1994. These counselors support breastfeeding and expectant mothers so that they can shape their breastfeeding relationships according to their own ideas. AFS lactation consultants work on a voluntary basis . Most offer telephone advice and breastfeeding groups. Help is given in the form of information, sharing experiences and practical instructions.
Publications include leaflets, medical information sheets, series of publications, and the magazine Lactation . AFS organizes an annual breastfeeding congress for breastfeeding advisors and medical staff and maintains a nationwide breastfeeding hotline.
AFS has been a member of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) since the early 1990s . The AFS is a founding member of the German "Association for the Support of the World Health Organization WHO / UNICEF Initiative Baby-Friendly Hospital (BFHI)". She sends a member to the National Breastfeeding Commission and participates in the nationwide round table on breastfeeding promotion.
Web links
Footnotes
- ^ The AFS (working group for independent breastfeeding groups). Retrieved January 30, 2015 .