The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA) is an Australian organisation interested in the promotion of breastfeeding and protection of nursing mothers. Members of ABA include nursing mothers and their partners as well as health professionals such as doctors, lactation consultants and midwives. ABA was founded in Melbourne, Victoria in 1964 as the Nursing Mothers' Association, with the aim of giving mother-to-mother support to breastfeeding women. It is Australia's leading source of breastfeeding information and support. The association is supported by health authorities and specialists in infant and child health and nutrition, including a panel of honorary advisers. History Mary Paton founded the Nursing Mothers' Association with five other mothers in Melbourne after having difficulty breastfeeding her first child. There was a lack of support and accurate information about breastfeeding. Doctors and nurses at the time were not trained to handle breastfeeding problems and with the modern nuclear family there were few older women to turn to for advice, so the founding members supported each other, thus creating the model for mother-to-mother support than continues today. The other founders were Glenise Francis, Pat Patterson, Jan Barry (a member of the Coles family), Pauline Pick and Sue Woods. The first meeting was held in Melbourne at Mary Paton's house on 13 February 1964 and the first newsletter was published later that year. Initially based primarily in Victoria, the ABA gradually spread to other states and territories with state representatives for the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia appointed in 1969, the national headquarters set up in Hawthorn, Victoria in 1970, and groups established in South Australia and Tasmania in 1971. The ABA had over 10,000 members by 1973. In 2001, NMAA changed its name to Australian Breastfeeding Association. As at 2016, over 350,000 people have been members. Services The ABA has groups across Australia which hold discussion meetings for mothers. Breastfeeding education seminars are run for expectant parents; community education continues through all levels of education from pre-school to tertiary and members visits mothers in hospital to introduce the association and its services. ABA holds seminars and conferences for health professionals. The ABA is a Registered Training Organisation and provides training in breastfeeding counselling and community education. On 20 March 2009, a national breastfeeding helpline was launched to improve on the previous state-level helplines. This helpline is staffed by volunteers who have completed the ABA's training. In 2015 the