This is in response to WIC and breastfeeding support.

I have worked for a couple of WIC programs in NY.  I have learned some very
interesting things about how it all works. First-WIC's goal is to help
women have healthy babies and children.  AND remain healthy themselves.
This is done by providing SUPPLEMENTARY food and EDUCATION.  Some agencies
just give the food and the education is really lacking.  It all depends on
the director of the program and how they see their priorities.  If
breastfeeding is important to the director, money will be funnelled to
promote breastfeeding.  SO-if you arent happy about the promotion of
breastfeeding in your area--contact the WIC director and tell them!   It
will make a difference.  Also-if you have any time, volunteer to do some
breastfeeding promotion for them.

Secondly-We are supposed to tell every single woman on our program that we
provide only supplementary Artificial Baby Milk.  They will need to buy
some of it themselves.  I use this as a big incentive to breastfeed.  That
and that they will get extra food if they breastfeed.

Third-At our agency, inititiation rates are about 50% now.  I am very proud
of this fact.  But we fight an uphill battle.  We really do give a mixed
message.  We tell women all the reasons why breastfeeding is best and spend
LOTS of our time doing promotion.  We screen every woman who requests the
other stuff for their baby and try to help with problems or just to
encourage them to continue, but we do provide them with this stuff if they
want it.  Would breastfeeding rates in the US be higher if we didn't have
WIC?  Were they higher in the early '70's before WIC was widespread?  I
don't think so.  I think breastfeeding rates were the highest in the US in
the early '80's when WIC was in full swing.  Does anyone have that
information?

I do think that WIC does great work.  We provide information about good
nutrition for women and their children.  I believe that far fewer children
go to sleep hungry because we are out there doing our work.  AND I believe
that women who might not have even  considered breastfeeding might just try
it because we are giving them this good information.  Now if I were queen
of the world, I would make a rule that no baby could be on WIC until the
baby was at least 6 weeks old, I think that would help.......

What about all of you out there?  What fantasy do you have that you think
would make it work?

Barbara Leshin-Zucker, IBCLC
Morrisania WIC-Breastfeeding Coordinator
Bronx, NY