To add a little more to the WIC question I will add that each county in each state sets their peer counselor program up differently. Some require all the hours in the office. Some do all hours completely from home via phone counseling. Some are required to be at clinics doing hands on counseling. There is a large variance in breastfeeding funding from one county's program to another. Some can only afford a few part time counselors, others staff several full time. The funding also effects how many pumps they can hand out and things like that. I do think the majority of peer counselors go through perhaps about 20 hours of mother to mother breastfeeding counseling study. Others, like mine, strive to send as many as possible to CLC training. I feel more strongly about the program now that I am involved as I see how cheated so many of these lower income moms are from basic education and support with breastfeeding. Culturally it is often not supported within their community and life style. For example if a mom has to go back to work, as she often does, if she works at McDonalds, pumping doesn't seem all that do-able. Also, since WIC gives a full free year of formula to any one whose chooses to feed this way it takes a lot of dedication for WIC recipient mothers to continue breastfeeding since saving financial is not a big motivator. It is ironic that WIC supports breastfeeding this way, seeing as it is almost entirely financially supported by formula companies and if we actually had all WIC moms breastfeeding we wouldn't have funds to even have a WIC program. For another tid bit WIC also give "checks" for other food items, milk, cheese, eggs, cereal, peanut butter....(tuna and carrots to breastfeeding moms.) I also find interesting that the additional food benefits for a WIC nursing mom stop at a year. So if a mom decides to nurse longer she is not eligible for the additional food (though her child remains on the program) I feel this implies mother's are suppose to wean at a year... but that's just my two cents!

Genuinely,
Alia Heise 
WIC Peer Breastfeeding Counselor (and CLC in the spring!) in NY
 

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