Find Support

Finding Support &

Information

Many moms need help with breastfeeding. The good news is there are a lot of people you can reach out to for help and support – including WIC!

Build a breastfeeding team. Having a support system is important to your breastfeeding success. Decide who you want on your team and talk with them about your breastfeeding goals.

Your breastfeeding support team might include:

  • WIC staff
  • Your partner
  • Family members and friends
  • Other breastfeeding mothers
  • Breastfeeding professionals

Mother-to-Mother

Support

Other breastfeeding mothers are a great source of support. They can share tips and offer good advice. They might also share personal breastfeeding stories that will inspire and reassure you.

Ways to connect with other breastfeeding mothers:

Contact Your Peer Counselor
  • WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors

Some WIC programs offer peer counselors. “Peer” means that the counselor has breastfed her own baby and can help other mothers breastfeed.

  • Breastfeeding Support Groups

Ask WIC, your doctor, or other breastfeeding expert to suggest a support group.

  • - WIC clinics, doctors’ offices, and hospitals often have IBCLC on staff who lead regular support group meetings
  • Find a local La Leche League support group by visiting their website at www.llli.org.
  • Search for a breastfeeding center near you.

These centers may offer support groups. Some resources include:

  • - Nursing Mothers Advisory Council
  • - Nursing Mothers, Inc.
  • - BreastfeedingUSA.org

Social media sites and message boards can help you connect with other moms.

These are great support systems, but it’s best not to rely on social media for medical advice or clinical breastfeeding support. For challenges such as sore nipples or milk supply concerns, talk to WIC, your doctor, or other breastfeeding expert instead.

WIC

Staff

WIC has breastfeeding experts – lactation consultants and peer counselors – who are ready to support your breastfeeding goals. WIC can answer questions and help with breastfeeding challenges.

How WIC supports breastfeeding:

  • Staff answer breastfeeding questions in clinics or through the Breastfeeding Helpline
  • WIC offers enhanced food packages for breastfeeding mothers and infants
  • WIC provides quality breast pumps to mothers who need one

You are not alone in your breastfeeding journey. Help is just a call away!

Contact wic

Your Partner and

Family Members

Breastfeeding is more than a way to feed a baby — it becomes a way of life. Fathers, partners, family members, and other support persons can be involved in breastfeeding too.

How your partner and family members can support you:

  • Cheer your breastfeeding efforts
  • Hold baby skin-to-skin
  • Snuggle baby so you can rest
  • Read to baby
  • Help you relax
  • Bring you water
  • Change diapers
  • Give baths
  • Run errands
  • Cook meals
  • Wash clothes
  • Spend time with older children

Professionals

  • International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)
  • IBCLCs are certified breastfeeding professionals with the highest level of knowledge and skill in breastfeeding support. Go to www.uslca.org to find an IBCLC in your area.
  • Certified lactation counselor or certified breastfeeding educator
  • A breastfeeding counselor or educator has special training and teaches about breastfeeding. They help women with basic breastfeeding challenges and questions.​
  • Baby-Friendly® Hospitals
  • Baby-Friendly® Hospitals provide support for breastfeeding mothers, including:
  • - Keeping mom and baby together throughout the hospital stay
  • - Teaching feeding cues and breastfeeding techniques
  • - Providing or linking to support after leaving the hospital
For more information about Baby-Friendly® hospitals, visit www.babyfriendlyusa.org.

Breastfeeding In

Public

Some moms may feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public. If this sounds like you, remember you are feeding your baby and not doing anything wrong. You are meeting your baby’s needs.

It’s not possible to stay home all the time. You can feel free to feed your baby while you are out and about. Be proud of your commitment!

Tips to help you feel more comfortable when breastfeeding in public:

  • Wear clothes that allow easy access to your breasts such as nursing bras and loose or button-down shirts
  • Practice at home first to make sure you are showing only what you feel comfortable with
  • Use a breastfeeding cover up or receiving blanket around your shoulders
  • Face the wall at a restaurant or sit in a booth
  • Breastfeed in a women’s lounge or a dressing room in stores
  • Place a “Do Not Disturb” sign outside the door for added privacy
Download “Do Not Disturb” Door Hanger

There are laws in most states that protect nursing women. These laws are in place because
breastfeeding is the best choice for the health of a mother and her baby.

Click Here to see the laws in your state.

Believe in yourself and your choice to breastfeed your baby!

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

  • Can sit up and hold up their own head.
  • Opens their mouth when they see food.
  • Can close their lips around a spoon.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?

Authorized Food List
Authorized Food List

Where can I shop?