As World Breastfeeding Week came to a close, it was even more apparent to Wodonga mums and early years specialists why "having a sense of community" during those early months of parenting is important.
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A new 'baby hub' at Wodonga Council's Children's Centre in Stanley Street has been running every Thursday now for nearly a year.
Six nurses from the Wodonga Maternal Child Health team who specialise in clinical management of breastfeeding take turns staffing the baby hub, which runs from 9am to midday.
Council's early years manager Nola Bales said the initiative was driven by the need for more support at the early stage.
"Maternal child health nurses are highly qualified; they are registered nurses, registered midwives and have additional qualifications," she said.
"This hub means mums can get that support from an accredited lactation consultant.
"We thought if we can take away barriers like cost and have a free drop-in clinic so people can receive advice, that's really great.
"It's a universal service available for everyone."
Ms Bales said it was not just for breastfeeding mums.
"It's for anybody who is having problems with an aspect of their parenting," she said.
"It's also about building a community feeling and connecting with peer support."
Victoria Griffiths of Albury has attended the baby hub three times so far with son Leo Griffiths, 6 weeks.
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"I found out about it through the hospital and there's also one in Albury," she said.
"The advice is great and it's also good to not have to make an appointment.
"It might not be a big issue; it could just be a couple of questions you want to ask.
"It's a great service."
The Maternal Child Health Service is free for families with children aged from birth to school age and provides other supports such as free access to breast pumps.
Albury Wodonga Health and the Tresillian Parents and Babies Service also offer services.
Australian Breastfeeding Association's Sharon Green said the new offering at Wodonga was a great idea.
"We've been having meetings here once a month coinciding with the baby hub," she said.
"Empowering mums is what it's all about - it's about building up their confidence and knowledge."
World Breastfeeding Week 2019 ran from August 1 to August 7, with the theme "empower parents, enable breastfeeding", focusing on what employers can do to be supportive.
The COAG Health Council's Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy for 2019 aims to increase the proportion of babies who are exclusively breastfed to around six months of age from 15 per cent to 50 per cent by 2025.
