Regina writes
<This is what I feared would happen when WIC changed the food packages -
that WIC participants would deny breastfeeding in order to receive
formula for the baby in the first month. WIC is studying the effect of
this change in the birth-month food package to see how it affects
breastfeeding, and I am looking forward to the results. Hopefully the
cases like that mom will prove to be in the minority. But my concern
was that the cart was being put before the horse - that by only giving
one can of formula, during the first month of life, to any woman who
admits she's breastfeeding, women were being asked to believe in their
prospects for breastfeeding, to have faith that that first month of
breastfeeding is going to go rather well....in settings where in fact
they have very little of the support and information they need in order
to be ABLE to breastfeed successfully.>
I can't speak for what happens at WIC at any other office than the one in
which I work. I can say that from my perspective, as someone who works at
WIC, is an LLL Leader, is a private practice IBCLC, and also works as an
IBCLC for a local hospital (I know, too many hats!), our WIC participants
are getting much more support for breastfeeding than the majority of women
in my area. They receive breastfeeding education prior to having their baby
(individually and in groups). They have access to IBCLCs pretty much as
soon as they call us after they've had the baby. The staff breaks out the
pompoms to cheer them on. We have breastfeeding support groups in multiple
languages. We have hospital grade and back-to-work-type breast pumps.
Compared to the general population, we're practically breastfeeding
wonderland!
I know this doesn't speak to the multitude of challenges WIC participants
face in trying to access the support and services that are available to
them. It doesn't speak to the problematic attitudes they sometimes face from
health care professionals and their family. I'm glad that WIC is studying
the effect of not "routinely" issuing formula in the first 30 days. For
that matter, how many women actually make it out of the hospital without
formula samples? Or out of their prenatal visit without a case? Most of
the mothers I see have plenty of formula to last them, if they truly need
it. And if they're one of the few who doesn't have any, they have access to
it. In the mean time, they see an IBCLC, have access to a pump if they need
one, and many other services to help support them as their baby breastfeeds.
Mary Wagner-Davis, MS, MFT, IBCLC, LLLL
Roseville, CA
PS I must say I've always wondered what would happen if mothers/WIC were
given financial incentives for *not* using formula ---what a concept. '-0
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