Breastfeeding Promotion and Support
Research has shown that there is no better food than breast milk for a baby’s first year of life.Breastfeeding provides health, nutritional, economical and emotional benefits to mother and baby. WIC mothers are strongly encouraged to breastfeed their infants.
WIC has historically promoted breastfeeding to all pregnant women as the best infant feeding choice unless there are medical reasons for choosing not to breastfeed.
- WIC mothers choosing to breastfeed are provided information through counseling, lactation consultants, and breastfeeding educational materials.
- Breastfeeding mothers receive follow-up support through peer counselors.
- Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in WIC longer than non-breastfeeding mothers.
- Mothers who exclusively breastfeed their infants receive an enhanced food package.
- Breastfeeding mothers can receive breastfeeding aids to help support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.
WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program
Breastfeeding is a journey that brings with it so many emotions. When everything is going well, it can make parenthood much easier and the feelings that come from direct feeding are incomparable to any other type of bond. For those who have been fortunate to experience a positive breastfeeding experience, it is likely they can speak to how special it is. But for many, breastfeeding is not always a positive experience especially so when you are experiencing a problem and don’t have people in your life encouraging you to keep going. When you do have that someone who is supporting you through your feeding challenges, you are more likely to continue breastfeeding for a longer period as compared to not having any support at all.
Studies show that the two determinants of breastfeeding success are based on:
- How determined the individual is to make breastfeeding work
- Whether they have support
Other factors that help with breastfeeding success are having previous experience and having had prenatal breastfeeding education on what to expect. BUT, while these two things are helpful, they are not all that is needed because:
- Every feeding journey is different because every baby is different! And you cannot plan for unexpected challenges such as a premature delivery or an infant with oral restrictions.
- You can KNOW that breastfeeding is the most healthful way to feed your baby but that may not be enough to motivate you to keep going if you are going through a difficult breastfeeding experience.
That is where WIC can help! WIC has an additional program called the Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program (BFPC). On top of what you will already learn through your regular WIC appointments, our program provides additional education around breastfeeding related topics to pregnant mothers that you’d likely not hear anywhere else. You are paired to a peer counselor who at one point had WIC themselves and who has successfully breastfed at least one child. The peer-to-peer support is important as being able to relate to one another, helps build trust within the relationship. Your breastfeeding peer counselor will provide you support and will be your champion until your baby turns 6 months. By having the prenatal education AND a teammate, you will be more likely to meet your breastfeeding goals! If you encounter a breastfeeding problem, by being enrolled in the program, you have access to the WIC lactation consultant within the same day or 24-48 business day hours. ONLY individuals who are enrolled in the BFPC program have access to the WIC lactation consultant. Any other WIC participant experiencing a breastfeeding issue will need to reach out to a lactation consultant through their clinic or other community resource (please link the underlined to the Marin County BF Resource Guide as done here)
But the purpose of the BFPC program is not about visits to the lactation consultant, it’s about reducing the need for one!
If you are pregnant and enrolled in WIC, you qualify for our program if:
- You are a first time mom
- You experienced breastfeeding problems previously
- You are pregnant with multiples
- Medical conditions such as (but not limited to):
- Diabetes, thyroid problems, history or risk of premature delivery, infertility, history of breast surgery/radiation/augmentation/trauma
- You’d like the support
If you are interested in enrolling in the Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program, please ask your WIC nutrition counselor to refer you at your next WIC appointment or call the WIC office at (415)-473-6889. You can also email us at MarincountyWIC@MarinCounty.gov and let us know you are interested. But please note, you can only be enrolled WHILE PREGNANT. Check out our mobile friendly brochure (English/Spanish) for additional details on our program including the topics we cover.
