{"id":22223,"date":"2022-10-10T20:15:43","date_gmt":"2022-10-10T20:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=22223"},"modified":"2023-12-29T22:12:41","modified_gmt":"2023-12-29T22:12:41","slug":"wic-program-offers-breastfeeding-support-to-new-parents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wic-program-offers-breastfeeding-support-to-new-parents\/","title":{"rendered":"WIC program offers breastfeeding support to new parents","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

The American Academy of Pediatrics<\/a>, World Health Organization<\/a> and UNICEF<\/a> recommend exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months of life. The benefits of breastfeeding are undisputed: Breastmilk provides balanced nutrition for infants and can help protect against illness.<\/p>\n

But for many in the trenches of new parenthood, that idea can seem daunting and, for some parents, unattainable.<\/p>\n

Elyse Johnson has seen this firsthand. Johnson is a peer counselor with Mary Bridge Children\u2019s<\/a> Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program. She says there can be a lot of mystery and fear surrounding a mother\u2019s breastfeeding journey, and that\u2019s where she and her colleagues step in to provide support.<\/p>\n

The peer counselor program is a division of the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC)<\/a>, which provides nutritious foods, health education and health care referrals to low-income pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, as well as infants and children.<\/p>\n

Expectant and lactating parents enrolled in WIC are eligible to participate in the peer counselor program, where they\u2019re connected with other WIC mothers who have been trained to provide one-on-one support.<\/p>\n

Lanaya Taylor has been part of the program since her 6-month-old was born. Though Taylor has two older children, it\u2019s her first time receiving support through a peer counselor program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember one day feeling discouraged and my peer counselor called right on time,\u201d Taylor says. \u201cThe support and encouragement for new moms \u2014 and the whole family \u2014 is so needed and important.”<\/p>\n

Nationwide, only one in four infants is exclusively breastfed their first six months of life, according to the CDC. What\u2019s more, infants eligible for and receiving WIC are less likely to ever be breastfed than their counterparts.<\/p>\n

Many parents report a lack of support as the primary reason for ending breastfeeding. But low rates of breastfeeding add more than $3 billion a year to medical costs for mother and child in the United States, according to the CDC.<\/p>\n

Peer counselor Michelle Carey hopes to change those numbers by providing new parents with consistent support and education, whether that results in breastfeeding or another feeding method that works best for the family.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo much of parenting is on-the-job-training,\u201d she says. \u201cTo have someone in your corner that can ask how you\u2019re doing, that can be available outside of standard business hours and that you can be open with, it\u2019s really important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Peer counselors have regular check-ins with their clients, often starting when a mother is expecting. The support extends through postpartum, and counselors can make referrals to dietitians and board-certified lactation consultants as needed.<\/p>\n

That mental and emotional support plays an important role in a child\u2019s overall health. Infants who are breastfed have reduced risks of asthma, obesity, Type 1 diabetes, severe lower respiratory disease, ear infections, SIDS and gastrointestinal infections.<\/p>\n

Breastfeeding can also help lower a mother\u2019s risk of high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, ovarian cancer and breast cancer.<\/p>\n

Johnson encourages expectant parents who have even a small interest in breastfeeding to reach out to the WIC program. She\u2019s supported parents with breastfeeding, pumping and even the transition to ending lactation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy goal is that they can make an informed decision, and then I support them in how they would like to feed their baby,\u201d says Johnson.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe peer counselor program helped me to give myself grace and mercy,\u201d Taylor says. \u201cIt\u2019s encouraged me and helped me to be patient with myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carey says that many parents are surprised to see the income eligibility guidelines are broader than expected. And it\u2019s not only for moms and babies: dads, grandparents or other caregivers of children under the age of 5 may also sign kids up for WIC. Find out if WIC can help your family<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery day of breastfeeding is monumental,\u201d says Carey. \u201cHowever far a mother gets on her journey, it\u2019s still a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The American Academy of Pediatrics, World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend exclusively breastfeeding infants for the first six months of life. The benefits of breastfeeding are undisputed: Breastmilk provides balanced nutrition for infants and can help protect against illness. But for many in the trenches of new parenthood, that idea can seem daunting and, for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":467,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,115],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22223","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids-health","category-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWIC program offers breastfeeding support to new parents - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Mary Bridge Children\u2019s Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program supports mothers through their breastfeeding journeys.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/wic-program-offers-breastfeeding-support-to-new-parents\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WIC program offers breastfeeding support to new parents - 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