You'll never guess what happened at WIC!

[littlemommy18]

So I went to sign up for WIC today, and while I was there I was of course questioned if i was still nursing, I told the woman yes and my dd is 10 mos. old. she said congratulations on that! then another woman chimed in and said well what else do you give her? i said, just a few bites of small things for now but no rice cereal or jars of baby food. she looked at me with disbelief and told me i needed to start giving her FORMULA ENRICHED WITH IRON!! i was shocked and told her that my dd was never going to have formula b/c there's nothing wrong with my milk supply! she said that my dd needed to have rice cereal with a hard boiled egg yolk on top, mixed with some formula! : I walked out of there pretty ticked off! I thought WIC was pro-breastfeeding?? can you believe that lady?

[gizzyntaz]

: Sorry you had to listen to that ignorance, mama!

she said that my dd needed to have rice cereal with a hard boiled egg yolk on top, mixed with some formula!

YUCK! Next time ask her if that's what she eats... :LOL

- Alison

[desertpenguin]

The ppl at WIC are still pretty ignorant.

[weebitty2]

It just makes me love our WIC office even more. When they wanted to start giving dd cereal checks, I told them that neither her, nor I, were ready for her to begin solids. (She was 4mo, 1mo adj for prematurity.) The bf'ing counselor and the office lady both loved that idea, and instead gave her toddler checks, so that there would be more eggs/cheese/carrots/farmer's market coupons for me

[Moon Faerie]

I'm not surprised at all after dealing with our WIC office.

[TiredX2]

Originally Posted by Nikel1979

I'm not surprised at all after dealing with our WIC office.

When I read:

You'll never guess what happened at WIC!

I was thinking it would actually be supportive and/or educated for *once* (because that would actually be surprising)

[CryPixie83]

Originally Posted by littlemommy18

she said that my dd needed to have rice cereal with a hard boiled egg yolk on top, mixed with some formula! :

She wanted you to give EGG to a baby under a year old??? Can we say allergic reaction??? Not to mention how disgusting that would taste. Blech.

The great thing about WIC is that they never fail to give us something to post about

[daisyem]

Totally not surprised here either

When I was bfing my dd, they were always supportive and thought it was great I was bfing. Once I got pregnant, they were freaking that I wouldn't wean her (she weaned when I was 3 months along anyway, she was almost 2). They also thought I was weird for not starting solids at 4 months, and once I did 6 mo. I skipped the rice cereal altogether and went for avacado and banana...AND they thought I was starving dd because she was only eating a few bites of solids a week. She was always quite a chunk though so...

Now this time around last week the lady asked if I was nursing my ds (2 months old) I said yes. She said "How much formula do you give him?" I said "NONE! I am breastfeeding him!"

It is crazy some of the comments they make, but unfortunantly, I think it has alot to do with how few moms they see that bf'd for very long or at all--especially exclusively (That is what one lady who works there told me)

[calicokatt]

Okay, so don't laugh me off the boards here, but what is wrong with rice cereal? Just curious. I was planning to start ds on organic brown rice cereal mixed with breastmilk in another month and a half or so (he's 4 and a half months now), but now you all have me wondering....


Kathy

[jeca]

Jsut that it's best to delay solids as long as possible. Our WIC office was quite probreastfeeding when I was on it with yana.

[Earthy~Mama]

You would think that they would have better educated women working at WIC. Especially since that more BF"ing mothers they have the more money they are saving since formula (from what I have heard) costs an arm and a leg.

[lacysmommy]

Shannon, formula is actually very inexpensive for WIC. I work in procurement and have seen the multi-state contract for formula for WIC. It only costs them about 5% of the actual cost of the formula (e.g. a $20 can of formula will cost WIC $1 when they get their rebate through the formula company). The only time it costs them an arm and a leg is when they have to provide a formula that is not on the contract for a baby. But from what I understand, they fight tooth and nail to keep you on the contract formula.

[CaliMommie]

When I went in for my most recent WIC appt. the nutritionist said, "This is usually the awkward appt where I have to explain to moms that breast is best while they ignore me b/c they've already decided to FF. How nice to know that I don't have to worry about that with you! We know how pro-BF you are!" I know the ladies at our local WIC office very well, b/c of Colby's health issues, and they have ALWAYS been supportive of my BFing, my relactating, etc. etc.

[Earthy~Mama]

WOW I never would have known they got rebates back. Thanks for letting me know.

[littlemommy18]

Originally Posted by weebitty2

It just makes me love our WIC office even more. When they wanted to start giving dd cereal checks, I told them that neither her, nor I, were ready for her to begin solids. (She was 4mo, 1mo adj for prematurity.) The bf'ing counselor and the office lady both loved that idea, and instead gave her toddler checks, so that there would be more eggs/cheese/carrots/farmer's market coupons for me

I actually asked if we could just get different checks for like juice or cheese or carrots and the lady said absolutely not! but maybe i'll try again next month. She also made the comment about my daughter needing solids to grow and I proudly told her that any baby can thrive on breastmilk alone for two years and still be perfectly healthy!! Another thing I've always wondered too is why do they stop giving the nursing mama checks after 1 year? IMO if you're still nursing your nutrition is still important.

[monkaha]

I think it depends a lot about the people working in your office. When I went to re-cert last week, they were very supportive. When I didn't qualify (after working and reworking the numbers numerous times, trying to get us in) they asked if I needed some formula. I said that no, I was breastfeeding, and the lady was soo relieved. Oh, that's so great, she said. "And don't let anyone tell you you need to stop now either, I'm still upset that I let people talk me into weaning my 2yo!" So not what I expected to hear there!

[chel]

Originally Posted by calicokatt

Okay, so don't laugh me off the boards here, but what is wrong with rice cereal? Just curious. I was planning to start ds on organic brown rice cereal mixed with breastmilk in another month and a half or so (he's 4 and a half months now), but now you all have me wondering....


Kathy

I don't think it is a matter of wrong, just not necessary. Depending how early your dc starts to want more that bm you dc "may" be ready for more adult stuff, assuming you were talking about an organic BABY brown rice cereal as oppose to an adult cereal? My dd never liked the baby powder cereal and I went straight to "real" adult oatmeal (organic no sweatners). dd was probably 11m at the time. Of course on the thinner side of normal but not even close to the soup texture of most baby stuff. I never believed in a grand order of how foods are started and dd eats a variety of things.

[becca011906]

Some wic offices just really suprize me a lot, i have about 4 boxes of cearlal in my cabnits b/c allison has never touched the stuff... last time she was in there was at 4 months for a check then i had to go in when she was 6 months for a recert they asked how allison was doing on solids and i said we've tried and she didn't like them so we are giving in a few weeks... they didn't say much at that point but allison is now 8 months old and is due to go in for a 9 month recert and i'm betting she's still not eating here's the really GREAT thing i'm the breastfeeding peer councleor for that office so we'll see how well me and the lady get along. I'm the only employee at our wic office who has BF, all the others didn't BF, b/c they didn't or 3 of the adoped children (didn't know they could bf back then i guess) and the other doesn't have kids yet.... so it's hard to get them to understand.... oh well i guess i'll just wait and see next month.

[daisyem]

Originally Posted by calicokatt

Okay, so don't laugh me off the boards here, but what is wrong with rice cereal? Just curious. I was planning to start ds on organic brown rice cereal mixed with breastmilk in another month and a half or so (he's 4 and a half months now), but now you all have me wondering....


Kathy

Oh, I didn't say it is WRONG, I just don't think it is needs to be the first food and I decided to skip it. Especially since it was the white, powdery Gerber rice cereal they gave me at WIC. I'm sure organic brown rice would be great I just chose not to do the Gerber rice cereal at all and go straight to the yummy avacados and other veggies Then later, I started doing brown rice and oatmeal ect.

[thepeach80]

Originally Posted by CryPixie83

She wanted you to give EGG to a baby under a year old??? Can we say allergic reaction??? Not to mention how disgusting that would taste. Blech.

Actually egg yolks are very nutritious and are the least allergenic part of an egg. If there are no allergy concerns, there is nothing wrong w/ giving the yolk before 1.