Hi all!!  I also think that incentives do have a way of making breastfeeding
more attractive to WIC moms.  It is very difficult to convince some women
that the value of breastfeeding is not in what you "get".  In the WIC clinic
where I work, many-many moms "sneak" and breastfeed so that they can still
get the vouchers for artificial milk!!  They will tell the nutritionist that
they need to supplement and then tell me that they are exclusively bf, but
please not to tell the nutritionist.  I also know that these moms succumb to
pressure from extended family members that demand to know where the milk for
the baby is.  Of course it is important to give these moms lots of
encouragement and support to breastfeed, but sometimes a "tangible" can look
attractive.

Breastpumps are becoming more and more a necessity instead of an incentive
item.  With welfare reform here, many moms are faced with going to work and
leaving a nursling in someone else's care.  I prefer using baby t-shirts
(with a nice bf message), diapers, wipes and other essential items that do
cost money.  I also like to give gift certificates from local grocers,
beauticians, and restaurants.  I make frequent visits to local merchants and
ask for donations for this purpose.  The moms seem delighted with this and
the merchants are happy to donate to their regular customers, too.  I do not
have a specific way to distribute these items to the bf moms, so I just
usually do a door prize at our monthly support group meeting (attendance is
up).

I think that it is important to remember that the abm companies are doing a
great deal of marketing with incentives to the women of the world.  As much
as I would like to believe that breastfeeding shoud be able to "sell" itself,
I know a big part of my job everyday is to "pitch my product" to the women
that I work with :)
                                                Pam Holland, IBCLC
                                                 Savannah, GA