Group home
Welcome to Hamilton Group!
Welcome to the Hamilton ABA Group, where we offer a supportive local network of mums, breastfeeding counselling, and evidence-based resources. Our services include breastfeeding education classes, drop-in support sessions, breast pump hire, and monthly meet-ups—connecting you to practical guidance and peer support right here in your community.
Access accurate information about babies and breastfeeding in a supportive environment in Hamilton.
We support all families at any stage of parenting. Mums who are exclusively breastfeeding, mixed-feeding, bottle feeding, exclusively expressing or not breastfeeding are always welcome. We chat in a relaxed setting and there is access to a breastfeeding counsellor or educator who can assist you with any breastfeeding questions, worries or issues you may be having. Locally we offer a range of services.
Monthly meet ups
We meet casually on the first Wednesday of the month for a variety of events. We welcome all parents, as well as their support people, and health professionals.
View our activities on the calendar tab above or visit our Facebook group. You can also search ABA Hamilton Group.
Breastfeeding Education Classes
Expecting a baby? Our Breastfeeding Education Classes are a great way to prepare for breastfeeding before your baby arrives. We run classes at the Hamilton Institute of Rural Learning, North Boundary Road, Hamilton several times per year.
Our classes are $20 per couple for ABA members or $130 for non members.
Get your ABA membership here ($70 Virtual Village) before signing up to your class.
You may also like to apply for funding to cover this class. See our grant application form for more details here.
2024 class dates
- Sunday 27th October - follow this link for bookings
2025 class dates
- Sunday 19th January - follow this link for bookings
- Sunday 13th April - follow this link for bookings
- Sunday 6th July - follow this link for bookings
- Sunday 12th October - follow this link for bookings
2026 class dates
- Sunday 18th January - follow this link for bookings
Contact Breastfeeding Educator Cassie on 0400 261 018 or email hamilton@breastfeeding.asn.au if you have further questions or for assistance to book.
If our upcoming dates don't suit you, please get in contact with Cassie to find an alternative time or you might like to join one of our online Breastfeeding Preparation Sessions which run weekly during the evenings or at weekends. We encourage you to book in early if you are pregnant and wanting to learn more about breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Drop-in
We are excited to offer face-to-face breastfeeding drop-in sessions at the Frances Hewett Community Centre! Connect directly with an ABA Breastfeeding Counsellor for evidence-based support tailored to you and your baby. No appointment needed - just drop in with your baby and your questions and for guidance and reassurance .
Drop-in Sessions are run on Thursdays from 12.30pm - 1.30pm on the following dates:
- Thursday January 30th
- Thursday March 13th
- Thursday 24th April
- Thursday 5th June
- Thursday July 17th
- Thursday August 28th
- Thursday 9th October
- Thursday 20th November
Want to speak to someone sooner? Call our 24/7 Helpline at 1800 686 268.
Where we are
Hamilton and surrounds
Breastfeeding drop-in
Your questions and concerns about breastfeeding answered by our local breastfeeding counsellors.
Info & Chat
Learn more about breastfeeding and parenting. Speakers can include a breastfeeding educator, health professional or a mum with lived experience.
Cuppa & Chat
Join other mums and find support over a cuppa at a local café or community venue.
Can I still come to local group events if...
Yes! Attending meetings while you're pregnant is a great way to see mums breastfeeding and learn more about it. Many of us nowadays don't have much experience with babies until we have our own, so we need all the help we can get!
You might also like to check out our popular breastfeeding education classes.
Yes! You don't need to be having problems with breastfeeding or anything else to come along and enjoy some interesting conversation and connect with local mums. It’s not just about getting Information and support. Our regular attendees keep coming along because it’s fun to be part of our local group.
Yes! ABA meet-ups are more than a new parents' group. There are babies and children of different ages so you're not competing over who's child reaches the next milestone first/sleeps longest/gains weight fastest. Instead, you get to see children older than yours and know what's ahead for you. Plus you can see how far your baby has come every time a newborn comes along. It really helps to get a broad perspective.
Our local group activities are also more than just a playgroup or a coffee catch up. You get to have a conversation with another adult while your child plays. You also have access to information about raising children and can chat to a breastfeeding counsellor or educator.
Yes, as long as you don't mind seeing others breastfeed. We know that sometimes things don't work out as you’d planned. We have members who are exclusively breastfeeding, pumping and bottle feeding, mixed feeding, and exclusively formula feeding.
Everyone is welcome: no judgement, no competitions, no 'alpha parents'. We're all in this together.
Yes! Mums don't stop needing support once their child is mobile or starts walking!
Yes! ABA Local Group events are open to everyone. We just ask that you ‘sign-in’ using the QR provided to you by the group leader. This will give you access to free, ongoing Introductory ABA membership.
Joining ABA as a financial member provides us with much needed funding to continue to support mums, parents and families in the community.
Can't make it to local group events? ABA Virtual Village is just a click away!
Become an ABA member and get involved with your local group as a volunteer
Details
Calendar
Breast pump hire
Breast pump hire
Our group hires electric breast pumps for you to express milk for your baby. ABA members receive a 50% discount on pump hire. Not a member yet? No problem, it's easy to join and access your discount.
Hiring pumps through ABA
All breast pumps for hire are hospital-grade. They are available for short-term or long-term hire.
Both the Ardo Carum and Ardo Calypso breast pumps are endorsed by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Ardo is in full compliance with the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes (WHO Code).
When hiring through your local ABA group you get an initial consultation to work out the best options for you and information on how to maximise your expressed milk and how to store it safely. You can contact your breast pump hire officer for more help along the way if you need it. All funds raised through breast pump hire go towards supporting your local group.
Breast pump hire is run by dedicated volunteer breastfeeding counsellors and educators who provide the service from their homes. As busy mums with work and family commitments, we ask for your understanding if we are unable to respond as promptly as you desire. There are many families wanting to hire pumps so there are often times when all local pumps are already hired out.
Breast pump hire contacts
To check breast pump availability, see the table below or call our breast pump hire officer. If no pumps are available locally check the map for pumps available in nearby groups
| Location | Contact |
| Hamilton and surrounds | Kelly Thomas: 0418 570 150 |
Weekly hire rates
Kelly: 0418 570 150
Milk collection kit
You will also need a milk collection kit to connect to the pump you hire. If you do not already have one, you can buy the kit when you hire a pump. Costs vary from time to time – ask your ABA breast pump hire officer for current prices.
Health measures for pump hiring
Our guidelines for interactions with families and the cleaning of our pumps include:
- the ABA Breast Pump Hiring Officer being well and not having been in contact with anyone who is sick
- options for completing paperwork and payment online
- collecting/returning the breast pump from/to the ABA Breast Pump Hiring Officer’s doorstep
- stringent cleaning of returned pumps (Please note that it is standard practice that all mothers hiring our pumps are required to purchase their own milk collection kit which is available to buy at the time of hiring.)
- getting breastfeeding and pumping support via telephone on the Breastfeeding Helpline 1800 686 268
- accessing information on expressing from our website.