I just MUST say one more word about the work done at WIC to add to Pat's eloquent post. Not only does WIC provide ABM-not to reiterat all the valid points Pat made, but it provides supplementary food to pregnant women and children under age 5. AND it provides nutrition education to all the women who come into the clinics. Sitting at a site this week I heard gentle, kind information about koolaid and/or coke in a toddler's bottle, cereal being fed to a 2 week old (also in a bottle), low fat suggestions for an overweight woman, high calorie suggestions for a underweight woman and recipes being shared for toddlers. Nutrition education is a priority for WIC. Our agency does NOT promote solids at 4 months or weaning at a year. Maybe that is an individual agency's decision. It's not only ABM that is given. It's kindness, compassion and empathy for women having a hard time making it in this day and age. I feel great pride in my collegues at WIC and am happy to have my name associated with the program. I am also VERY, VERY proud of all our Peer Counselors (we call them Breastfeeding Buddies!) (Slowly stepping off my high horse......) Barbara Leshin-Zucker, IBCLC Highland Mills, NY [log in to unmask]