Parenting without panic: how does the Baby Hotline work?

Could you briefly introduce Initiativ Liewensufank and its mission for families in Luxembourg?

Initiativ Liewensufank is a non-profit organisation that supports families in Luxembourg during pregnancy, around birth, and throughout the first stage of life with a child. Our role is to provide reliable information, professional guidance, and practical support during what is often a very intense period.

This year your organisation is celebrating its 40th anniversary. How has your work evolved over time?

Our core mission has not changed: we want to support parents, listen to them, and help them find their own way. The context in which families live today has changed. Many young parents have less family support, daily life is more demanding, and they are often faced with a flood of sometimes conflicting information. That is why our services have evolved as well, with a stronger focus on support that is easy to access quickly, such as the Baby Hotline.

The Baby Hotline has existed since 1989. Why was it created?

It was created to give parents a simple and accessible point of contact. Around birth and during the first months with a baby, many questions come up very suddenly, often at exactly the moment when immediate guidance is needed. A full appointment is not always necessary, but a professional conversation can already make a real difference. That is the idea behind the Baby Hotline: free, confidential and, if needed, anonymous support.

What are the most common questions expecting or new parents ask?

The topics are very varied. Many calls are about breastfeeding, the postpartum period, sleep, excessive crying, complementary feeding, babywearing, or child development. We also receive questions about birth preparation, weaning, wanting to conceive, or returning to work. Behind a specific question, there is often a broader need for reassurance, guidance, and encouragement.

The Baby Hotline receives more than 600 calls a year. What does that number tell you?

It shows just how real the need is for reliable and easily accessible support. Many parents are not initially looking for long-term follow-up; they are looking for a first professional contact who will listen, help them understand the situation, and offer guidance. The number of calls makes it clear that this kind of support responds to a very concrete need in daily family life.

Many parents feel overwhelmed by conflicting information online. How does the Baby Hotline help?

We see this very often. Parents do not necessarily lack information; in many cases they already have too much of it, and not all of it is consistent. Our role is to help them sort through it: what is relevant right now, what fits this family’s situation, and what makes sense for this child’s stage of development? We do not offer one-size-fits-all answers. We help parents put information into context.

Luxembourg is a very international country. Do expatriate families face particular challenges?

Yes, very often. Many international families live here without a close family network. After a birth, that can be especially difficult: what is missing is not only practical help, but sometimes also a familiar and reassuring environment. On top of that, there can be language, cultural, or administrative barriers. That makes accessible and inclusive support services all the more important.

Can you give a concrete example of how a family was helped?

A common example is a family reaching out because their baby cries a great deal, struggles to settle, and the parents are completely exhausted. By that stage, they have often already received many well-meant but contradictory suggestions and no longer know what to rely on. Our first task is to bring some calm into the situation, listen carefully, and help clarify the next steps. Simply feeling heard and taken seriously can already be a major relief. If needed, this can then lead to more in- depth support.

Why is your multidisciplinary approach so important?

Because the challenges young families face rarely fit into just one category. A breastfeeding issue may be linked to exhaustion, a sleep problem to insecurity in daily life, and a question about development may also involve emotional strain. Having different professional perspectives within the same team allows us to respond in a more holistic and practical way.

Demand is growing. What additional resources would help you most?

The Baby Hotline and the “Service Consultations” are funded through an agreement with the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth. In view of growing demand, we have applied for additional positions and hope to receive a positive response next year. The 2025 figures clearly show that this need is real: the Baby Hotline recorded 601 calls, an increase of 11% compared with the previous year. In addition, there were 262 doula consultations during the first six months after birth (+20%), as well as 174 individual consultations on a range of topics (+27%). To ensure that families can continue to receive timely and reliable support, sufficient staffing and sustainable funding are essential.

You recently launched the Baby Hotline-Café in Itzig. What can parents expect there?

It is an open, no-appointment format where parents can come with questions, exchange experiences, and meet other parents. Topics may range from breastfeeding to complementary feeding to everyday life with a baby. But it is also simply a place where people can talk in a relaxed atmosphere. We wanted to create, alongside the telephone service, a space for connection.

What message would you like to give parents who hesitate to seek support?

That they are not alone. Parenthood can be beautiful, but it can also be demanding and at times unsettling. Seeking support is not a sign of weakness; it is often a helpful and important step. There is no need to wait until things feel overwhelming before asking for help.