About Us

The Baby-Friendly Initiative is a non-profit organization based in Oberhausen. We are the German coordination center of the international Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) of WHO and UNICEF. This initiative was founded in 1991 to support hospitals worldwide in promoting breastfeeding and optimally accompanying mothers and babies.

We have been working in Germany since 1992. We advise hospitals, train professionals, develop information materials and advocate politically for better framework conditions. Our work is based on scientific findings and international recommendations.

We are independent of manufacturers of breast milk substitute products and other commercial interests. Our financing comes from membership fees, donations and public funding. Transparency and independence are important to us.

Our main goal is the certification of hospitals as Baby-Friendly. To achieve this, they must implement the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding – an internationally recognized concept based on scientific studies. These steps ensure that mothers are well informed, receive support with breastfeeding and can spend the first time with their baby undisturbed.

We train professionals: doctors, midwives, nurses and lactation consultants. They learn how to advise mothers based on evidence, promote breastfeeding and solve problems. Our training reaches hundreds of professionals across Germany every year.

We also develop information materials for mothers, fathers and professionals. This website is part of this work. All content is based on the latest scientific findings and is regularly updated.

The 10 Steps are at the heart of the Baby-Friendly Initiative. They are based on decades of research and are internationally recognized. Hospitals that implement these steps demonstrably improve breastfeeding rates, the health of mother and child, and family satisfaction.

Die 10 Schritte im Überblick:

1. Written breastfeeding policy that is regularly discussed with staff.
2. Training of all staff so they can implement the breastfeeding policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and practice of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers start breastfeeding within half an hour after birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed and maintain milk production, even if they are separated from their baby.
6. Give newborns no food or fluids other than breast milk unless medically necessary.
7. Practice rooming-in: Mother and baby stay together 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand, not on a schedule.
9. Give no pacifiers or teats until breastfeeding is well established.
10. Refer parents to breastfeeding support groups, so they have support after discharge.

More information about the 10 Steps can be found at babyfreundlich.org ↗

We work closely with various organizations dedicated to maternal and child health. These include the Healthy Start Network, the National Breastfeeding Commission and the Working Group of Independent Breastfeeding Support Groups (AFS).

More information on breastfeeding and nutrition can be found at nationale-stillfoerderung.de ↗