WIC. We Know Breastfeeding!

 

Posted by:

Lynn Beattie, Nutrition Education Specialist with WIC

 

 

Moms everywhere want to give their babies the best start in life.  Breastfeeding is an important first step, for both you and your baby.  You may have heard that sometimes getting started with breastfeeding can be challenging, but the benefits last a lifetime! Let WIC’s breastfeeding services support you every step of the way.

While you’re pregnant and after your baby is born, you can meet with a breastfeeding specialist or nutritionist at WIC. This is a good chance to talk with an expert who can answer your questions and give advice.

There are prenatal breastfeeding classes offered at your local WIC Program to give you a chance to learn more about breastfeeding and ask questions and get answers before your baby is born. Classes help you know what to expect when you start to breastfeed and are a great way to meet other moms who are going through the same experience.

A WIC Peer Counselor is a mom—like you—who breastfed her baby. She is trained to help you and your baby and is available any time you need her. She can even talk to you while you are in the hospital. Count on your WIC Peer Counselor to answer your breastfeeding questions.

WIC also helps new moms learn from each other in a group setting. Ask your local WIC Program about any upcoming breastfeeding support groups.

Are you going back to work or school after your baby is born? WIC can help get you a breast pump through your health insurance plan or our free lending program.

To help you stay strong while you breastfeed, you’ll receive extra food in your WIC checks for up to a year after you have your baby. That’s just another way WIC helps keep both of you healthy. 

 

Comments

[Shanelita]

I wouldn't rcmmeoend doing formula breastmilk. At least not until you get breastfeeding going successfully, including your milk supply. I wanted to breastfeed 100%, went to the class, read the books, etc. My son was born 4 weeks early and was 5 lb 14 oz when we brought him home. I was so freaked out about him gaining weight I started supplementing. Big mistake. In the beginning when breastfeeding is tough, just giving the baby formula is SO much easier. But it screws up everything you are doing. My son didn't want to latch on after sucking a bottle and pumping was so difficult. Every time the baby eats you have to pump. It already takes forever for them to eat, then you are pumping after that and then by the time you are done it is time to start feeding them again! LOL! Just take it from me, I regret it and wish I would have NEVER supplemented. My son ended up having a milk issue anyway and had to go on hypoallergenic. But sometimes I think if I would have stuck to it, he wouldn't have had to. Just give it a try at least for the first 6 weeks or so. Also, my son didn't sleep longer than 4 hours at a stretch until 8 months. So it didn't really matter. He ate every 2-3 hours on formula for the first few months.

[Yanita]

I agree with you.... and you know the theoretical pagiradm that my mind went to. Also, I have learned way more about breastfeeding these past few weeks that I have ever cared to know (2 friends had babies 10 days apart from each other last month...yes, I never thought I would apply the super/subordinate theory to breastfeeding, but that's where my mind went. It seems to me this is a classic policy decision that some political appointee made without considering any input from those on the ground or those who use the service. And they failed to account for the realities - like that not all women can produce enough milk, enough of the right kind of milk, or any milk at all - but also that breast feeding can be a luxury. It's killing my two friends - who are home on maternity leave and have amazing husbands who are holding down the fort while working. It takes all of their energy and pumping isn't the easy solution (which I always thought it would be). So if the women who use WIC to make ends meet try to work shortly after the baby is born (or 3-6 months) it might not be possible to do because of this government mandate. In other words, the policy may have the unintended consequence of keeping women in an economically strained situation.

Mass WIC Response:
Thanks for your post, Yanita. We work hard to support breastfeeding mothers and understand that it does not always work out as planned. The nutrition staff and peer counselors at our local clinics work closely with mothers to problem solve and tackle challenges that arise. Everyone has their own story and situation. Parenthood is not easy for anyone. That’s for sure! WIC is a nutrition program and we pride ourselves in supporting and promoting breastfeeding as it has a magnitude of nutritional benefits. However, WIC and other governmental programs do not mandate that women breastfeed. When infants are in need of a particular formula, we provide a supplemental portion based on the needs of the infant and what our funding allows. The best thing you can do for your friends while they are breastfeeding is to be supportive and applaud their efforts. It sounds like they are working very hard and deserve kudos!

[Julieta]

Wow... just wow... Back in '07 when Raven was born, I had tried breastfeeding. It took a very long time beofre I ever began to produce milk. Took even longer for Raven to learn to suck. And then, I was having problems getting *enough* milk for her. And while all this was going on, I was passing gall stones. ((OMG so not a good thing!!!)) it didn't matter what I ate/drank, everything flared them up. So, I wasn't eating enough to even make milk. After three long months of this I had to go have my gall bladder removed. During those last few weeks, I had to switch over to formula -- She was starving!And then, by 6 months old, I ended up doing what is otherwise harmful. I was doing three scoops of formula (6 oz) to a full bottle of water (9-10 oz) I wasn't watering it down *alot* and she was fine with it. It never hurt her, and I didn't know it was harmful until she was a year old and already off formula. But we were getting 9 cans of formula a month, and it was no where near enough for her. It was either water it down a little bit or spend money we just didn't have on another $12 - $24 can every week or so.Robin was much the same way, we had to fight the foodstamps because the state screwed us over with them, and they cut us off for months. Robin ended up going through 15 cans a month, and he was eating solid food at the same time. And after the trouble I had with Raven, I just didn't want to torture the baby and try and breast feed him. If nine cans are not enough to feed a baby, why are they cutting back?! It is now making me scared to have another child somewhere down the line.(again, this is nevermore82 on twitter =oP)

Mass WIC Response:
Thanks for your post, Julieta. It sounds like you encountered a multitude of challenges. You did a great job providing what ever amount of breastmilk you were able to your daughter. When breastfeeding does not work out for mother and baby, WIC is able to provide a supplemental amount (not full amount) based on the age of the infant. The funding that we have allows us to provide (at maximum) about 2/3 of an infant’s nutritional requirement. This information is provided to all families as they enroll in the program. You bring up a very important point about then dangers of diluting infant formula. Fortunately, your child was not harmed. Other infants who have received diluted formula have experienced health problems such as poor growth, kidney problems and other issues. If a family in need does not qualify for food stamps and WIC is not enough to meet the needs, nutritionists refer to emergency food programs appropriately. The cost of food is rising. That’s for sure. Feeding families is an expensive task whatever the age. It is a concern for many families.

[Jollyann]

Kinda of along the lines of what coastinganon was saiyng... I think the whole "to breastfeed or not to breastfeed" issue is, for most moms, the first time when you really have to pick your battles re: your LO.No parent is able to do everything they'd like to/for/with their child. It's just not possible. And I think that as your kid gets older, you probably get more accustomed to the fact that you have limited time, money, energy, sanity... and therefore you sometimes have to say "Well, while it would probably be great for little Billy's cognitive development if I were to sit here and show him stimulating high-contrast flash cards while singing nursery rhymes in Mandarin, I think that instead I will stick him in his swing while I take a shower and check Facebook for thirty minutes, after which I will be a much more excited mother and all-around pleasant person."And I don't know about you other first-time moms, but I was a crazy person those first few weeks post-partum, and it was really easy to get caught up in the idea that I still could do anything and everything that I'd ever wanted for my child! It wasn't too late! I could breastfeed and cloth diaper and do EC and make him bilingual and engender a love of vegetables and classical music!And while I can still catch up on the vegetables and Mozart, breastfeeding is a "do it now or forever hold your peace (at least with this child)" kind of thing. And it really sucks to want to breastfeed and then face all kinds of challenges and think "really? I'm failing at something ALREADY?" And I really, really, really do not believe that choosing to formula feed is "failing", but I do think that it's easy to feel like it is in those first couple weeks if it's something that you'd really wanted to do.

Mass WIC Response:
Thanks for your post, Jollyann. There is no doubt that time is at a minimum these days! We all want to do what is best for our children. You bring up a great point when you say that when breastfeeding doesn’t go as planned, to feel like you're failing “already.” When working with mothers, I believe it is important to remind them that breastfeeding will be challenging. Asking for help and support when you need it is essential. Parenting is overwhelming. Taking it day by day is important. Infant education and language lessons aside, learning how to breastfeed is challenging enough to master in the early days. If women don’t get the help and support they need in the first few weeks, it can put a damper on their efforts. I have friends who call me in tears when they are experiencing difficulties. But, I am so happy to hear from them and help them work through the issues. Women feel so emotional in the early weeks after baby is born; when breastfeeding is not going well, it makes life more difficult. Women should not feel as though they failed if they needed to use formula. Although we feel strongly about our role in helping moms breastfeeding successfully, we certainly believe that moms can be great moms regardless of how they feed their babies.

[James Andrey]

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development.

James Andrey
Kefir Benefits

Mass WIC Response: Yes...we agree. Babies are born to be breastfed. We also know that sometimes families need a lot of support to get started. WIC offers many services to help moms, from before baby arrives through the first year of life. Check it out!