When I worked at the Public Health Center as the Bfing Peer Counselor Program Coordinator, we used phone calls quite a bit-for reminders about classes, mothers meetings, pump follow-up, alot of touching base ( I called it clucking because one PC sounded like a mother hen making these little sympathic noises as new mothers complained about lack of sleep, food, showers, clothes that fit, understanding, time,  sex, etc etc. The PC was very empathetic and just made these little noises because that 's all you can do).
As a LLLI Peer Counselor Training Specialist for Program Administrators, I talk alot in trainings about legalities.  When a mother enrolled in the PC program, she usually was in the WIC program already. We explained that they would be receiving phone calls from the Peer Counselors and asked if they had any problems with that. The PC's did not identify themselves other then by first name when they called. In the PC training, they are trained in telephone counseling.
At one time we did a chart audit with the idea of doing a journal article but with budget cutbacks, that got canceled. What we saw in our preliminary report is there was a direct relation between the amount of contact-either by phone or in person between the prenatal and postpartum women ( they were followed frm enrollemnt during pregnancy until they weaned) and the Peer Counselor. The average number of phone calls were 15. It was not unusual for a mom who had difficulties to have 30 or more contacts with a Peer Counselor.
The PC's kept a daily log of their work and we had a record number of calls made in one day for one peer counselor was over 300! Alot of those were class reminders so they were 30 seconds or so. We kidded her that one job hazard for this job was tongue fatigue!!
It takes dedication and committment, both of time and resources for a bfing program to be sucessful. Until agency administrators realize that and stop the lip service, we really won't improve the situation.
(For example the baby and Mom I am curently working with,  have spent 16 hours in the hospital with her, and about 4 hrs on the phone). I am not getting paid one penny for this case. (limited resources family).
Barbara Whitehead, IBCLC

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