To camp on to your post a bit, Kathleen, I do not work with WIC, but I am
friends with an LC who does, and we have discussed this before. One of
the interesting things about WIC is that they are very localized when it
comes to breastfeeding promotion. Each office develops its own
philosophies and decides how to spend money for incentives, and I am
pretty sure that my local WIC *does* provide handpumps for breastfeeding
moms. In fact, the also have several Lactinas available free on a graded
priority list. The number of pumps for our whole county is rather low,
and the moms with the sick or premie babies will get a pump before a
working mom will. Just wanted you to know that it is better in some
areas, if not ideal.

I share your sentiment about free formula. I have also been told by
exasperated WIC LC that some parents view the system for what they can
get, not in strict terms of baby's health. This means that a mother will
claim to breastfeed so that she can get the added food allowance
vouchers, but will also bottlefeed on the sly and get all the formula
that she can, under the logic that "the more freebies you can accumulate,
the better off you are." This is short-sighted, of course, but
unfortunately true for some of these moms. Personally, I would like to
see formula put on a "prescription" type basis. If moms are staying home
with their babies, breastfeeding definitely should be considered the
norm, and bottlefeeding an "expense" that they only pay for if deemed
necessary; not optional. Breastfeeding is something that they *can* do
for themselves and will save taxpayers money while benefitting mom and
baby; I would like to see this taken out of the arena of "choice" and put
into the arena of "elective" health care choices, just as the insurance
companies pay for necessary, but not unnecessary, items. (or so they say!)
If you can afford to make a choice, then do so; but this kind of choice
shouldn't be free to them when it costs us money.....

-Lisa-- ok, I'm coming down from the soapbox, too.

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Lisa Marasco, BA, LLLL, IBCLC
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