NEW SUBSCRIPTION PRICES IN 2009 The ABA Board has approved an increase in some of our subscriptions, effective from 1 January 2009. We have not had an increase in subscriptions since 2003 and during the years since then the real costs of providing member services, including postage, stationery, printing, and staff resources, have increased significantly.   Our subscription continues to be wonderful value for money and we are pleased to announce that no price increase will be applied to renewal subscriptions (including 2 year renewals). The new subscription rates are based on a formula which includes discounts for multiple year subscriptions or subscribers who are entitled to a concession and will allow us to effectively monitor the need for price increases in the future.   The 2009 subscription rates are set out below: New 1 year (Aust) $65.00 New 2 years (Aust) $95.00 New concession 1 year (Aust) $50.00 Renewal 1 year (Aust) $50.00 Renewal 2 years (Aust) $85.00 Renewal concession 1 year (Aust) $35.00 New overseas 1 year $95.00 Renewal overseas 1 year $80.00 New overseas 2 years $155.00 Renewal overseas 2 years $145.00 Health facility subscriptions (10) $95.00 Health facility subscriptions (20)< /td> $135.00 Health facility subscriptions (50) $255.00
	1st Prize $15,000 Shopping Spree at any of the following stores: Myer Grace Bros, Coles, Kmart, Target, Officeworks, Bi-Lo, Liquorland and Vintage Cellars. 2nd Prize $7,500 Shopping Spree at any of the following stores: Myer Grace Bros, Coles, Kmart, Target, Officeworks, Bi-Lo, Liquorland and Vintage Cellars. 3rd Prize Choice of White Goods from Fisher and Paykel to the value of $5,000 4th Prize Family bike package including 2 adult and 2 children’s bikes and helmets from Open Road Cycles valued at $1640 5th Prize Panasonic digital camera, case and memory card from Harvey Norman valued at $950 The national raffle was drawn on Friday 6 June 2008 and the winners are as follows. 1st Prize: 59542 Tumut Breastfeeding Assoc, ACT 2nd Prize: 50278 T Litchfield, ACT 3rd Prize: 04293 D Marsec, SA 4th Prize: 50099 C Vardouniotis, VIC 5th Prize: 12514 J Walker, QLD Congratulations to these people and thank you to all groups for the wonderful work you did selling raffle tickets.   75,000 tickets at $2.00 each. Permit Nos: ACT: R 07/00387, Vic: 11958/07, SA: M11681, Qld: 42115, NSW: GOCAU/1079 selling from 14/2/2008 to 11/5/2008 inclusive. To be drawn on 6/6/2008, at 11.00 am at ABA office, 1818-1822 Malvern Road, East Malvern, VIC 3145. Winners notified by mail and the results published in The Australian on 13/6/2008. Promoter: Margaret Grove, 20 Altona Street, Abbotsford, NSW 2046. NSW residents can purchase a maximum of 20 litres of alcohol when redeeming any prize.
	Feel Free To Feed Campaign   Around the world the public breastfeeding debate continues to canvas media coverage. Despite the well-recognised health benefits of breastfeeding, many mums are still made to feel uncomfortable breastfeeding outside the home.   Feel Free To Feed, a joint campaign between the Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), Mothers Direct, My Child magazine and online boutique Nursingwear, is being launched for World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7 2007. The partners invite you to join our campaign and support breastfeeding mothers at home, in public and in the workplace.   Most mums will need to breastfeed or express breastmilk outside their homes at some time, whether on an outing or when returning to work. Mothers need community and business support to make this a positive experience. Feel Free To Feed is a driving force behind gaining this support.   The campaign aims to raise the public profile of breastfeeding, making it more acceptable and accessible to new mums and their babies. The focus is on three key awards that support breastfeeding away from home: the ABA's Breastfeeding Welcome Here and Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation, and the international Baby Friendly Health Initiative.   We invite you to join our campaign and support breastfeeding mothers at home, in public and in the workplace. The Campaign Some women find breastfeeding easy. For others it is something that needs to be learnt, mastered and practised in a supportive environment. Whatever a woman's experience, having their workplace and community assist them in feeling free to feed may be the difference between continuing for as long as they would like and giving up because it's all too hard. JOIN IN TO WIN The Feel Free To Feed campaign runs from World Breastfeeding Week in August 2007 to August 2008. We want to know all about your experiences of breastfeeding at work or in public. Have you ever felt uncomfortable feeding your baby when out and about? How have you managed to juggle breastfeeding with work? Is yours a breastfeeding-friendly community? Tell us your story Over the period of the campaign, mums are asked to write in and tell their stories. The best of these will be published in the Summer, Autumn and Winter issues of My Child magazine and on mychildmagazine.com.au. The writers of the three published letters from each issue will win a prize pack valued at over $450, which includes: Kyrawear sleep bra Corsierre breastfeeding top $150 Nursingwear voucher $150 Mothers Direct voucher Two-year My Child subscription Breastfeeding story of the year In World Breastfeeding Week 2008, the breastfeeding story of the year will be announced and the writer will win this great prize, valued at up to $3,640: Two nights' accommodation in Sydney for two adults and a child Return airfares to Sydney for two adults and a child Makeover and photo shoot for My Child Photo to keep Dinner valued at up to $200 Kyrawear sleep bra Corsierre breastfeeding top $500 Nursingwear voucher $500 Mothers Direct voucher Two-year My Child subscription To enter Write to editorial@poppetmedia.com.au or Feel Free To Feed, PO Box 1779, Rozelle NSW 2039.   The Feel Free to Feed campaign aims to support three key initiatives:   Breastfeeding Welcome Here A free sticker kit for businesses and organisations to display their welcoming attitude to breastfeeding. The kits are awarded to businesses that have a welcoming attitude from staff and management, a smoke-free environment and room to move a pram. Breastfeeding Welcome Here businesses are featured on the Australian Breastfeeding Association website breastfeeding.asn.au. Phone 03 9885 0855 for further information on obtaining a kit. Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation (BFWA) Employers can show they support a family-friendly work culture. With 44 percent of mothers returning to work within the first 12 months of their baby's life, Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Accreditation recognises and promotes best practice in meeting the needs of breastfeeding mothers in paid work. Not only does this help mothers and babies, it makes good business sense. For more information, visit breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/mfwp.html. Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) This international project aims to give every baby the best start in life, starting with a healthcare environment where breastfeeding is the norm and mothers and babies are supported. The BFHI Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding are the global standard by which health services are assessed and accredited. Go to bfhi.org.au to find out more. WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS? Nursingwear A website devoted to providing high-quality, value-for-money clothing that gives you the freedom to breastfeed your baby comfortably and elegantly - at home or in public. Visit nursingwear.com.au. My Child Australia's first truly stylish and informative parenting, health and lifestyle magazine. Beautifully designed and written, My Child helps parents know what to expect from conception and pregnancy through to the birth of their child and the first five years of parenting. mychildmagazine.com.au Mothers Direct The retail division of the Australian Breastfeeding Association, Mothers Direct specialises in products for modern breastfeeding mums, including maternity bras and breast pumps for return to work. Visit mothersdirect.com.au or phone 1800 032 926 for a catalogue.
	Inquiry into Breastfeeding On Thursday 9 August 2007, the Standing Committee on Health and Ageing tabled its report on the inquiry into the health benefits of breastfeeding entitled The Best Start. Visit the Parliamentary Inquiry website for further details.
	Submission by the Australian Breastfeeding Association to the Parliamentary Inquiry into Breastfeeding The Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA), formerly Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia, welcomes the opportunity to make this submission. The health of Australia's children is an important priority for any government. A significant body of research demonstrates that nutrition in infancy has a significant influence on health outcomes throughout life. Premature weaning from breastfeeding is known to be a significant indicator of health throughout life.   Download FULL submission here (PDF)
	Dads - It's about you too..... Dads really do matter. Research shows that Mums are 10 TIMES more likely to breastfeed if their partner supports their baby feeding this way. With this in mind, it is essential for Dads to receive up to date, correct information and that they are well educated and supported in their new role.   ABA is launching its new 'Dads - It's about you too' campaign to celebrate the coming together of families this festive season. All money raised will go towards our 'Dads - It's about you too' campaign.   We would like your support to produce the following: A new ABA booklet aimed at fathers A DVD aimed at fathers that can be used by health professionals or ABA groups to inform more fathers about their role with their baby and partner On line materials aimed at fathers An advertising campaign encouraging the wider community of fathers to support breastfeeding   Please support this campaign, breastfeeding in general, and assist families, especially fathers in their new and important role, all year round.   To make a donation, download, complete and send in this form, OR donate online.
	'Lives Touched by Breastfeeding' - Writing Competition. Each story was read and scored by three judges from ABA and the scores were added together. The stories were then ranked in order and the top 10 short stories and all 13 childrens’ stories were sent off to the final judges Steve Biddulph, a psychologist and author of many parenting books including ‘Raising Boys’ and ‘The Complete Secrets of Happy Children’, Pinky McKay, a writer and editor specialising in health, education and family issues and author of ‘Parenting by Heart’ and ‘100 ways to Calm the Crying’ and Sandra McLean, A journalist with Brisbane Courier Mail and author of the book ‘Late Babies’.   The prizes for each category: winning $250 book pack, plus $140 cash winning $50 Mothers Direct voucher, plus $35 cash winning $25 Mothers Direct voucher, plus $25 cash   Details of Winners, their stories and a letter from Steve Biddulph are available here
	Photos Needed. The Australian Breastfeeding Association invites photographers - amateur and professional, to donate photos for use in our publications.   If you have photos you would like to contribute or you would like more information, please contact Yvette 0417 531 853 or yodowd@alphalink.com.au.   Photos of babies, breastfeeding, pregnancy and other aspects are family life are used in our breastfeeding booklets, books, our magazine Essence, web pages, brochures, calendar etc. Your donation greatly assists our work.   Occasionally we require specific photos and a photo shoot is arranged. Volunteer mothers and babies are needed as models. if you would like to be involved, contact Yvette as above.
	Volunteer Opportunity - Graphic designer/graphic artist. The Australian Breastfeeding Association frequently requires the services of a graphic designer for small projects, for example, designing brochures and pamphlets.   You would be able to choose the project that best suits you.   * the ability to work to a deadline is essential.   We also require the services of an artist who could draw diagrams and simple illustrations.   For more information or to volunteer your services, please email Barb

Archived news items available:

The Worlds Greatest Pram Stroll - A dream come true... October 2002

Adelaide Reclaims World Record - Breastfest August 2002

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