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WIC, physicians, black mothers and breastfeeding: an uncommon connection
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Many of you may recall a post I wrote in late May entitled Ties That Bind: WIC and the Big Three. One mom, Ebony, posted a comment that left me itching for an answer. The following is Ebony's experience with WIC.

All I could think while reading this post and the comments was, "Wow." I have used WIC for 3 out of 5 of my pregnancies and I have never been pushed to bottle feed or breast feed. I was given information on both and told that "breast is best", but then they stepped back and let me make my own decision. The walls in the office are covered with pro-breast material, including classes, etc. Instead of formula coupons, I received coupons for milk, carrots, etc. When it proved that I could not breast feed my 3 year old, they did everything they could to help me before I stopped, got me a free breast pump, individual assistance from a nurse, everything to help me continue nursing. I'm surprised by others experiences. Am I just lucky to have a good office where I'm at, is my experience the norm or an exception?

What do you think? Do you think Ebony's experience was the norm or an exception? I hoped it was the norm until I read up on infant feeding advice given by WIC counselors.

According to A Closer Look at Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Breastfeeding: Commentary on Breastfeeding Advice Given to African American and White Women by Physicians and WIC Counselors published in the July-August 2003 issue of Public Health Reports black women were "less likely to recall receiving breastfeeding advice from clinicians and WIC counselors than white women." In fact, black women were reported to receive more bottle feeding advice from WIC counselors. And, in another study, Woman, Physicians, and Breastfeeding Advice: A Regional Analysis, poor women were found to receive less accurate breastfeeding advice from their physicians compared to higher educated women. Furthermore, in a USDA study, only 39% of WIC mothers reported receiving breastfeeding advice from their doctors. With percentages and trends such as this I cannot help but believe they help contribute to the continued low breastfeeding numbers among black women.

When I was an expecting mother I never ran into any problems related to how I would feed my baby girls. My doctors knew from the jump that I was going to breastfeed, so there was no further discussion about the matter either time.

What infant feeding advice did you get? Whether you're white, brown, or tan, how did you come to your decision to breastfeed, or not to breastfeed? Did your doctor tell you about the full benefits of breastfeeding?

Labels: breastfeeding advice, WIC

posted by Jennifer James @ 3:00 PM,

3 Comments:

At June 13, 2007 1:44 PM, Leah said...: I got terrible medical advice. I never was on WIC, but I found that a lot of medical professionals SAY that they are pro-breastfeeding, but give advice that could easily sabotage a breastfeeding relationship. I wrote a whole post about it here, actually.

(FWIW, I'm white and got advice from all different colors of doctors and nurses. The worst advice was from the pediatrician, though - so I switched to a new one who is wonderful.)
At June 16, 2007 7:48 PM, Honey said...: I'm white & wic never gave me any breastfeeding support/info. They did throw a fit that I didn't eat meat...yep...southern farm girl who is vegan! ;)...but they did ask me all about how many formula coupons I wanted. I sat outside the room waiting my turn when a mom said..but I'm using formula...the counselor said...you'll still get the forumla but this way you can get extra food....oh, ok then...so the only breastfeeding info was how to screw the government to get more food. She did the same with me but I refused the formula & had it removed from my tickets.

I came from a family where bottle was it...I do remember seeing my 15yr old aunt nursing my cousin when I was little. That is the only tangible memory of a baby eating I have of my family. My mom didn't nurse, none of my friends nursed...I just felt it was definitly the right thing for me to do for me & my baby.

When he was born I had received an epidural at 9cm & he was pretty drugged up. The nurses were so interested in how much he was nursing & for how long. I had read somewhere from a mom to lie the first day if nothing hurts & the baby is nursing but just a little & it's after a medicated birth. So, I lied because the nurses told me if he didn't nurse for so long they'd take him & give him a bottle of formula. I lied to them & they must have known it 'cause I've never been around a newborn that has nursed for 20 minutes off of each side. Now days later he did nurse very well but for that first 24-36 hours he nursed for only a minute or two before falling back asleep.

Wic also encouraged me to stop exclusivly nursing him & give him solids.

Honey
At July 30, 2007 9:17 AM, Dawn said...: I am a breastfeeding Peer Counselor at a WIC office in Illinois. I made me sad to read the experiences some of the WIC clients had...although I believe it is probably common. I am often amazed by what some of our mothers are told, not only by our WIC workers, but pediatricians, nurses, and Obstetricians. There is still a long way to go on educating the public about breastfeeding. I am amazed that such a natural normal thing as breastfeeding has become such a hot topic. Hopefully the day will come when it is once again thought of as just how woman feed thier babies.