Who we are

After seeing Frederic Leboyer's film 'Birth without violence' in 1986, a group of interested parents and midwives joined forces to set up the Initiativ Liewensufank asbl (IL). Their main reason for doing so was their unhappiness with the environment in which children were being born, which was becoming increasingly dehumanised, medicalized and high-tech. The way in which we bring children into the world and treat them once they arrive reflects our society's attitude to human life and our environment.

The aim of the IL was, and still is, to improve circumstances in which women give birth by providing prospective and new parents with information and support and by bringing pressure to bear on the relevant authorities and decision-makers.

Our association now numbers about 1700 members and is based at:

The Pregnancy, Childbirth and Parenting Centre,
20 rue de Contern
L-5955 Itzig

Courses are also held in premises in:
Itzig, Grosbous, Hosingen, Belvaux, Betzdorf and Dudelange.

MaPaKa-Treff (Basement of school) 1 rue de Bastogne L-9154 GROSBOUS		Centre scolaire et sportif Parc Hosingen 1, rue du Parc L-9836 Hosingen
		Initiativ Liewensufank 20 rue de Contern L-5955 Itzig
Liewensufank Bieles 108, route d'Esch L-4450 BELVAUX		Liewensufank Diddeleng Baltzing school rue Robert Schuman L-3566 DUDELANGE

The IL offers women and men a place and an opportunity to meet, both before and after the birth, and attend courses or groups to discuss the changes, hopes, fears and joys attendant on this turning point in their lives.

A multidisciplinary team, some of whom work on an unpaid basis, provides comprehensive information, advice and courses for expectant and new parents, carry out public awareness raising and administrative work and lobby on behalf of the aims of the organisation.

The IL is financed partly by government funds (mainly from the Ministry for Women), partly by its own efforts (members' subscriptions, fund-raising events, course fees) and donations. The premises in Itzig are placed at our disposal by the Ministry for Family affairs, and the course in Grosbous and Beles take place in premises belonging to the commune. In Dudelange we operate out of premises belonging to the local Medical and Social Centre.

To contact us online, please use the following addresse:

info@liewensufank.lu

What we want

We regard pregnancy and childbirth as normal physiological processes that require medical intervention only in exceptional circumstances. For the family concerned, they are uniquely important events. The way in which they are experienced affects the relationship between the mother, the father and the newborn child. To ensure that the circumstances of the birth are as favourable as possible, the IL campaigns for:

• holistic care that emphasises the psychological and social aspects as well as the medical aspects of childbirth;
• person-oriented care during the birth, respecting the physiological process of birth and intervening only if there is a threat to the health of mother or child (in accordance with WHO recommendations),
• the right of free choice (delivery, position, expression of feelings),
• a loving reception of the newborn child: respect for the basic needs of the child and her or his 'birth experience',
• assisting the bonding process by enabling the mother to give birth in whatever position is most comfortable, and providing rooming-in facilities and the opportunity for the mother to remain in physical contact with her child,
• involving the other partner in the birth and preparations for it, if he can be - and wishes to be - so involved,
• encouraging breast-feeding, in accordance with WHO and UNICEF recommendations,
• promoting a positive attitude to breast-feeding in our society, to ensure that breast-feeding is encouraged and supported,
• raising public awareness about environmental issues to protect the health of our families and the environment, and to ensure that life is still worth living for future generations.

The points listed above must be adhered to as far as possible also - and especially - in the case of high-risk pregnancies, premature or difficult births, caesareans and problems that require monitoring or treatment of mother and child.

What we do

To help prospective and new parents to adjust to the demands of pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood, the IL offers the following range of courses and advisory services:

Before and after the birth

• telephone advice line
• personal advice
• midwife consultation
• lending library
• information sessions
• documentation resource centre
• publishing and distributing leaflets
• publishing of a quarterly journal
• Doula service (home assistance)

Before the birth

• childbirth education courses
• gym for pregnant women
• aqua gym
• yoga for pregnant women

After the birth

• postnatal exercise programme
• breast-feeding groups
• baby massage course
• mother or father and child groups
• yoga after birth

How to become a member

You can become a member simply by paying your yearly subscription. If you need any further information, we invite you to take a look at the IL's current programme, or to contact us by mail or by phone [(+352) 36 05 98]

All donations are gratefully received and can be deduced from your taxable income.

Initiativ Liewensufank a.s.b.l.
20, rue de Contern
L-5955 ITZIG
Phone: (+352) 36 05 98
Phone secretariat: (+352) 36 05 97-12
Fax: (+352) 36 61 34
Mail: info@liewensufank.lu