Why aren't mothers on WIC encouraged to bf? - Page 2

[CassiopiaTheOnly]

oh! Well that makes sense, thanks for clearing it up

[kriket]

yes it does!

I will have to check out the LLL, I feel silly going while pregnant. Like putting the horse before the cart!

[Lil'M]

Originally Posted by kriket

will have to check out the LLL, I feel silly going while pregnant. Like putting the horse before the cart!

Going to LLL meetings while pregnant is an EXCELLENT thing to do! Pregnant women are encouraged to come, meet the Leaders, get information, meet other moms, etc. Women who go to LLL meetings while pregnant, in my experience, have a smoother start to breastfeeding because they are more prepared and determined and feel more comfortable calling Leaders if an issue arises.

[MaryJaneLouise]

Originally Posted by kriket

yes it does!

I will have to check out the LLL, I feel silly going while pregnant. Like putting the horse before the cart!

Absolutely go while you are pregnant! It's just one more way to get ready -- buy a car seat, find some baby clothes, go to a LLL meeting !

[2xy]

Originally Posted by filiadeluna

The WIC office where my friend works is completely encouraging of BF'ing. In fact, they are starting to penalize those who stop breastfeeding by not giving them as much food & such.

I don't see that as a penalty. WIC supplements are intended for a BF mama to good, nutritious milk. If she's not going to nurse, then she doesn't need that help. It's just the logical outcome.

[Ruthla]

WIC offices vary widely in their BFing support. All of them give lip service to BF- but some actively encourage women to BF and some don't. When DS was an infant, it was frustrating how they kept on expecting me to need formula. They didn't want to give me 3m worth of checks at once (like they did when he was over a year old) because they were afraid I would need formula before I needed more checks. This was already my 3rd baby and quite determined to BF! I have no clue how they would have responded if I'd come in with BFing questions, as I never felt the need to ask them anything.

They were always pleasantly surprised to hear that I was "still nursing", whether he was 3mo or 3yo. So at least there wasn't any antagonism towards nursing, just not what I'd consider true support.

I first went to an LLL meeting when I was 7m pg with DD1. I stopped going when the girls weaned, and checked out a new group (in the different city where I was then living) when I was 7m pg with DS. Unfortunately, that meeting was scheduled for 9-11-01, so nobody was really able to focus on BFing that day....

[readytobedone]

i know this is a lactivism board and all, but to me the more pressing question is why WIC wouldn't give a mother who does FF (for whatever reason) enough formula. that poor baby.

ETA: i see some of you saying the WIC benefits are intended as a supplement, but i guess regardless this woman didn't have enough money to feed her baby, and IMO someone should have helped her

i just want babies to get fed! preferrably, by all means, breastmilk...but in any case, FED!

[Lil'M]

Originally Posted by readytobedone

i know this is a lactivism board and all, but to me the more pressing question is why WIC wouldn't give a mother who does FF (for whatever reason) enough formula. that poor baby.

ETA: i see some of you saying the WIC benefits are intended as a supplement, but i guess regardless this woman didn't have enough money to feed her baby, and IMO someone should have helped her

i just want babies to get fed! preferrably, by all means, breastmilk...but in any case, FED!

This is why I now encourage friends to donate their unneeded formula samples to a food pantry. I don't believe it encourages formula use among those who would otherwise breastfeed--I believe it feeds babies who might otherwise get their formula watered down or rationed in some way.

[2xy]

Originally Posted by readytobedone

i know this is a lactivism board and all, but to me the more pressing question is why WIC wouldn't give a mother who does FF (for whatever reason) enough formula. that poor baby.

ETA: i see some of you saying the WIC benefits are intended as a supplement, but i guess regardless this woman didn't have enough money to feed her baby, and IMO someone should have helped her

There are other programs for that....like food stamps. WIC cannot be the sole source of food for all poor children under the age of five.

[talk de jour]

I always thought they were? Around here if you are bf'ing you don't get the formula vouchers, you get extra food (for the nursing mom to keep up her supply) milk, eggs, peanut butter, tuna, etc.

eta: and around here they pay for pro-BFing advertisements on buses and bus shelters, on the Metro, stuff like that -- places where many low-income moms will see them.

[2pinks]

I've been fortunate that my WIC office is very supportive and has great counselors. I do know that it's not the case everywhere though.

[Hey Mama!]

I have been on WIC in three states (military fam) and it really does vary. NE wasn't very pro breastfeeding, HI was definitely pro-breastfeeing, and TX was in the middle. I go to a rural WIC office twice a month to do Parents as Teachers visits and mentioned off hand last time that I had applied to be a breastfeeding counselor in TX and was one of the top two picks (they wanted a Spanish speaker). The WIC ladies got all excited and were like, maybe you could help us with some breastfeeding classes. So, I'm hopeful that this one will be breastfeeding friendly.

[mammal_mama]

I've found WIC to be supportive of breastfeeding. As a matter of fact, when I first applied when dd1 was 5 months old, she was nursing during the meeting -- and the nurse told me, "I can tell you right now, without even entering your information, that you'll qualify -- simply because you're breastfeeding."

And I thought that was pretty cool, that WIC actually gives preference to breastfeeding mothers. And, well, it actually makes sense. I imagine the supplementary food for breastfeeding moms costs a lot less than formula -- so maybe they can help, like, 5 or 6 breastfeeding moms and babies for the same amount it costs to help 1 formula-feeding mom and baby.

It really did amaze me that some people seemed to think WIC provided all their formula needs. There was even a sign on the wall, explaining that parents would have to buy some of their babies' formula themselves. And of course they have lots of information about breastfeeding.

When we were there last week, dd1 asked me to read all the stuff on the wall, and I was reading off stuff like "Breastfeeding promotes better brain development," which felt kind of weird to be saying out loud with the other parents sitting there.

So ... I think the info is all out there, but I guess some parents still choose formula ...

[guitarmama]

If your WIC office is not supportive of bfing, found out who is the breastfeeding coordinator for you state. Call her and complain. WIC has a mandate from the fed gov to support bfing. There is not even supposed to be any formula cans or adds visible in the office.

[DBZ]

Originally Posted by Fuamami

http://www.nbc-2.com/Articles/readar...eid=23679&z=69

Wow. This brings back some serious memories. I had my 2nd child at the hospital she took her child too. I've shopped at the same grocery store and probably sat in the same WIC office. Actually I avoided that WIC office like the plague. I went to the one across town because it wasn't as nasty and you didn't have to wait several hours to get your WIC checks. It was as bad as food stamps and food stamps down there was REALLY bad. I was working full time at Walmart and was a single mom of 2. My kids went to daycare in a neighborhood right by that hospital. The neighborhood was called "suitcase city" because it was so transient. It was one of the few daycares that took subsidized kids.

I tried to breast feed. My oldest has Sotos syndrome which gave her low muscle tone, a weak suck, etc. I polled the moms of kids with Sotos and out of everyone who responded maybe 5 could BF. With my 2nd, there were so many other issues going on that I quit nursing just before going back to work. It would have been really hard to do given my situation. The system really isn't set up for needy moms to breastfeed. A whole lot of things need to change to allow it to happen. WIC made everyone take a class on breastfeeding. I really think there should be some sort of incentive or something for moms on WIC when it comes to BFing, but the last time I said that on here the thread got like 500 replies and it was pretty heated LOL.

[mammal_mama]

DBZ -- That must have been rough, and I am really glad that the formula is there for the mothers and babies who need it.

What I said about my WIC office giving preference to breastfeeding moms -- I didn't mean that I actually thought they were turning away qualified formula-feeding moms in favor of breastfeeding moms.

But when I applied the first time, dh was in a much better-paying job than he is now, and I wasn't actually sure if we qualified. And I think the nurse was saying that even if our income was slightly over the limit, because of breastfeeding I was more likely to get it.

Which I guess could be an incentive for breastfeeding moms whose incomes are in-between -- not quite middle-class, but not quite low-income either. But I agree that there needs to be more help and encouragement for really low-income mothers to breastfeed, and especially for working mothers and single mothers.

I think it would be ideal if the kinds of businesses where lower-income mothers are most likely to work, were given incentives for accommodating the needs of breastfeeding mothers.

I feel sad when I meet expectant mothers, in my low-income neighborhood, who make comments about breastfeeding like, "That's not how I was raised," and it's as if they can't even consider it because their mom didn't breastfeed them and they think it's gross ...

On a more positive note, one of my friends managed to breastfeed in spite of her mom's animosity, and her mom's likening of the breastfeeding relationship to "oral sex."

These attitudes are discouraging but I know they're not unique to lower-income people -- I just feel that those of us who have more financial vulnerability, are the ones who get hurt the worst when negative attitudes are allowed to take over. And, of course, that's simply not the same as when mothers really want and really try to breastfeed, but it doesn't work out.

[tanyam926]

As a former WIC nutritionist I talked to a lot of moms who didn't want to BF, or who weren't committed to BF for whatever reason, had problems, gave up and went to formula because it was easier than asking for help and working on BF (no judgements here though, in our society I feel there are so many obstacles to any mom BF, especially those who are younger, have less edu., and have less resources).

I also talked to a lot of moms who watered down the formula and always stressed the dangers, whether they admitted to doing it or not. They also gave juice, water, tea, etc. to make it stretch. Some of them just didn't believe me. About half of my clients on a given day looked at me like I was an idiot and just wanted to get out of there.

Every WIC office I have worked in has been extremely supportive of BF. However, knowledge and help available does vary by office. We get extensive training but how much you absorb or believe is up to the individual person. I am all about BF and doing whatever it takes to help, but there are a lot of WIC people who have had neg. BF experiences w/their own children that color their viewpoint.

For example I am a peer counselor now at 2 offices. One office has 2 IBCLCs, the other office has 3 nutritionists who have never had any children, therefore never BF (very supportive, but lacking in practical BTDT knowledge).

This story is sad. I bet she learned her lesson. WIC is only a supplemental food program though and can't afford to provide everything. Some of our client's didn't know that they could use their food stamps to buy formula. Even if they only qualified for 20/mo. in food stamps, it would help.

[mammal_mama]

Originally Posted by tanyam926

I also talked to a lot of moms who watered down the formula and always stressed the dangers, whether they admitted to doing it or not. They also gave juice, water, tea, etc. to make it stretch. Some of them just didn't believe me. About half of my clients on a given day looked at me like I was an idiot and just wanted to get out of there.

I don't know where this study is, but a friend of mine who wrote a college paper on breastfeeding, said there was a study showing that babies who were fed straight cow's milk had nutrition-levels equal to those who were fed formula -- something about the babies absorbing the same amount of nutrients from each -- even though there are lots more nutrients added to formula, these nutrients are actually not bioavailable to the babies.

My friend told me this in response to me expressing concern over parents who give watered-down store-bought cow's milk when they run out of WIC vouchers for formula. She felt like the babies were getting the same nutrition anyway.

Also, when I expressed my (previous) view that WIC should only provide formula when mothers are unable to breastfeed, because if it wasn't free I thought more moms would breastfeed -- my friend said that actually, in the early 1900's before the advent of formula, the breastfeeding rates were just as low as they were after formula became available.

There were lots and lots of mothers who didn't bother to breastfeed (or if they wanted to, maybe they had too many responsibilities), and just made whatever concoctions they could come up with. And, actually, there is even some Bible verse, I think in Jeremiah, criticising some mothers for being too delicate to give their breasts to their young --

I've often wanted to quote that at the folks who think nursing mothers should bring bottles to church to avoid "distracting" the men from hearing the Word -- as if the men are so "delicate" that they have to be protected at all costs, even at the cost of our little ones' health and wellbeing.

Anyhow, I guess refusal to breastfeed isn't all that connected to formula, if it was happening more than 2000 years ago.