The United States Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC, distributes vouchers for food for low-income families. Among the food distributed is about half the infant formula in the entire U.S. According to a study from the University of Hawai’i, WIC’s distribution of infant formula not only distorts the market for infant formula, it puts these infants at risk of illness and death.
Despite the fact that breastfeeding is well known to be much better for infants than formula, and a demonstrated link exists between not breastfeeding and infant mortality, WIC — while ostensibly promoting breastfeeding for infants less than one year old — also gives these mothers vouchers for infant formula, driving the price of the formula sky high, discouraging breastfeeding, and contributing to hundreds of infant deaths every year.
According to the paper (PDF) published in the International Breastfeeding Journal, at least 720 deaths in the U.S. every year are attributable to failing to breastfeed. “This estimate of the impact of not breastfeeding may be understated,” writes political science professor George Kent, the paper’s author. Worse, “In rich countries as well as poor, the consequences of not breastfeeding are more likely to show up as illness rather than death.”
Kent found that more than half of the infant formula sold in the country is distributed through WIC, that government promoting formula through subsidies directly contradicts established medical advice on breastfeeding, that the government is therefore promoting malnutrition.
Not to mention the high prices. Around here, infant formula runs $11.99 per can, and WIC recipients get six cans at a time. For free. That’s a lot of nutritious breast milk that those children in low-income families are missing out on. Plus, the nearest store to me, where I shop frequently, is often out of stock.
Finally, the three infant formula manufacturers kick back a part of their revenues into the WIC program. They can easily afford to do this because the retail price is many times the wholesale price. Formula manufacturers bid to provide the formula on a statewide basis in each state, with the lowest bid net of rebates considered the winning bid, and that formula manufacturer gets exclusive rights to distribute WIC formula in that state. Typically this is only a few cents per can. Grocery stores are reimbursed the entire retail price of WIC products, so they tend to jack up the price. This costs taxpayers more money than they otherwise would have paid.
Kent calls for WIC subsidies of infant formula to be ended. I wholeheartedly concur.
I would favor the whole WIC program be terminated. Unfortunately, like many federal aid programs administered by the states, WIC has a vigorous lobby group — National WIC — made up of the thousands of state and local government officials that run the program.
The group’s 2006 legislative agenda is entitled “WIC at RISK! A Healthy, Strong America in Jeopardy!” The document predicts dire consequences if Congress doesn’t go along. Unfortunately, most members buy into such doomsday rhetoric and aren’t regular readers of the International Breastfeeding Journal. — Chris Edwards, Cato Institute
Government bureaucrats lobbying to keep their own jobs. Who would have thought? But they aren’t the ones who suffer and grieve when their months-old son or daughter dies from malnutrition because they were fed government formula instead of breast milk.
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miche
May 21, 2007
Anecdotal, I know, but my daughter just had a baby in March. I was not at all happy with the timing; she and her husband are young (19) and I worried about the costs associated with a baby. They had only been paying rent for a year for God’s sake.
But nothing prepared me for the number of nurses in her hospital room insisting that she use formula. She said she was going to breastfeed because she thought it healthier and cheaper. When the baby didn’t immediately take to the breast, they were pushing formula via WIC. You would have thought they were commissioned car salesmen. My daughter refused to fill out the WIC app and said she would starve before her baby was fed on welfare. My grandson never did learn to like the tit (I’m sure that will change in 15 years) and my daughter and son-in-law clip coupons and scrimp to afford the formula.
I’m sure that my grandson will not be malnourished by drinking formula but the whole experience makes you scratch your head with a big “UM.”
Michael Hampton
May 21, 2007
Of course, not every child is going to die from not receiving breast milk. But, why on earth are the nurses in the hospital trying to force WIC on people?
May 22, 2007
RANT: WIC Killing children « Reinke Faces Life
Ray
May 22, 2007
Well we have stopped pushing the C-r-a-p in third world nations. We had been sending people dressed as medical professionals with no medical training around to tell the mothers that this was much better for their children than breast milk. Yeah right is is better to take resources that the family would otherwise spend on getting health food and use dirty filthy germy water to mix up fake milk.
At least with this program the water being used to mix it is probably clean and the family is not forgoing food in order to give the new baby a “good start”. I guess this is an improvement.
Verbos
May 22, 2007
Women who breast feed in public are arrested. It is now considered indecent. I was breast fed and seeing a woman breast feed is not indecent to me. It gives me a nurturing feeling. Why are a womans breasts pornographic now?
Krys
May 22, 2007
WIC educates and supports breastfeeding as well. When a women has a baby they are referred to WIC, but not forced to offer formula. WIC also provides a food package for the breastfeeding mom.
The reality is, all moms are not going to breastfeed. WIC’s job is to educate moms prenatally about the the benifits of breastfeeding and the risks of not breastfeeding and then it is up to the mother to breastfeed or not.
When a mother is not going to breastfeed, WIC provides formula, because it is the next preferred method of feeding. If WIC did not offer formula, the number of infants dieing would be even greater. How do you think WIC came about in the first place.
If the goal is for all moms to breastfeed, the traget is not WIC. The first place that education needs to begin is in the medical community. Get all of our health care providers educated and on board and them WIC would not be an issue. That is where alot of the breastfeeding is being sabitoshed. Not the WIC clinics.
WIC is really a program for the families. Do more research. If WIC was not providing the resources it does we’d be at a greater risk.
Michael Hampton
May 22, 2007
You really should disclose that you’re a government employee when you come in here defending programs which pay your salary.
geri
May 22, 2007
No, actually Krys is right. I’ve been on the WIC program. I breastfed my two youngest ones and loved it but the vouchers are made up according to your choice…breastfeeding or bottle. The breastfeeding mother gets more supplements for herself durnig the first year of the baby’s life. The bottle fed baby’s mother is taken off of WIC when he/she is born and the vouchers are for the baby (and any younger children below five) exclusively.
The difference is in whether the mother stays on the voucher as a recipient or not.
I’ve bottle fed my first two, breastfed my last two. I have to say I prefer brest feeding myself and there are organizations that you can report harassment of establishments because you are breastfeeding in public. It is not illegal, it is actually protected by the law and I would suggest any mother enduring that kind of treatment get a lawyer and sue the pants off the place.
But the doctors…my oldest daughter who is in the military took her three month old to get her check up and this military doctor told her that bottle feeding was better than breast feeding. My daughter was totally not impressed with the man. She has been breast feeding for as long as she can but will have to give it up soon because of her duty.
I told my sister who is a nurse about the doctor and she went nuts.
It’s because we believe the doctor has the answer to everything and we don’t question them but accept what we are told. If my daughter hadn’t watched me with her younger brother and sister and hadn’t discussed the choices with me she might have fallen for this line she was fed.
krys
May 22, 2007
I don’t work for the WIC program , but I’d love to. Only Idiots give information without getting the whole story. If you really want to help get your information correct and focaus your energy where it would really be help. The health care providers that get next to NO breastfeeding education and insist that moms leave the hospital with formula (JUST IN CASE)! Breastfeeding does not work!
David
May 22, 2007
Why not abolish WIC and be done with it. How do people get to the point they believe they are entitled to steal from other people to care for their families? I did not impregnate these women, so why should I pay to insure their babies have a “good start”.
Cold hearted? Yes, but I really do not care what thieves think of me.
Anonymous
May 22, 2007
Yeah, breastfeeding is better. And I hate to break it to you, but WIC does encourage it. But they leave the final choice up to the mom. Maybe you’d prefer they force women to breastfeed?
The part that kills me here is that SOME MOTHERS CANNOT BREASTFEED, due to either a problem of the child’s or the mother’s. My daughter, for example, did not feel full from breastmilk, and would drink until she was overfull, then vomit it all up. After a few weeks of this, her doctor and I decided to try a combination of breastmilk with a little formula, since formula is heavier and makes the baby feel fuller. It worked. Luckily, my son had no such problems. Other women have much more serious problems than that, and cannot breastfeed at all (such as my own mother, who had a lot of medical problems after my sister, and the medications she needed would have been transferred to the baby through her milk). Some supplement with formula because their jobs do not allow for time to express milk to be taken home and stored for the time they are at work the next day. Should you make any of these women feel guilty, like they are harming their child, for doing what they must to keep that child healthy? What about adopted babies?
Yeah, they do artificially inflate formula prices, and that’s crazy. That’s partially WIC’s fault, and partially the formula companies’. But maybe you should see the program before you declare that they stress formula.
And no, I don’t work for WIC. I’m a stay at home mom with 2 children. Both of whom were breastfed, though with occasional formula, particularly in the case of my daughter.
Tracy
May 22, 2007
Sorry. That wasn’t meant to be anonymous.
Verbos
May 23, 2007
I have noticed that most of you who are opposed to social programs are also opposed to immigration restrictions, equitable trade policy, and a reasonable minimum wage. To reduce the social programs, first reduce the need. Create an environment where the majority of wage earners do not need assistance. When you do the opposite you must be confused, eugenicist or just plain stupid.
geri
May 23, 2007
The reason most people need these programs is because wages suck. Would I like to be able to support my family without having to have suppliments like food stamps. Oh yeah. Would I like to be able to afford to purchase health care without taking away food, clothing, shelter and other neccessities from my kids? Yes! Can I? Not until they start paying better wages.
I’ve gone through homelessness, abusive relationships (one was my dad so, no I could not pick all my relationships)and poverty. Hell, I’m still in poverty but I’m working my ass off trying to make a better life for my kids and, yeah, I pay taxes too.
Yes, some people try to work the system and are lazy. You get that everywhere but, as Verbos said, taking away these programs without a net for people who are really trying to become financially independant is not right.
I’m not a thief but I do need help right now. I look forward to the day when that is not so but that day is not now.
Carl
May 24, 2007
Michael,
Krys is right and you need to quit talking out your ass about this. I work for a company that writes automation software for various states WIC programs, and my family has been on the WIC program as well. This article is full of incorrect information, and only serves to discredit Homelandstupidity.us. At least get your facts straight!
WIC does NOT push formula UNLESS there is a medical reason, such as mom CAN’T breastfeed, or is nutritionally “at risk”. Breastfeeding an infant takes more than just mom laying there squirting milk out pal! There are many other factors to consider. Like for one, low income families sometimes have nutritional deficits that prohibit normal breastfeeding, or causes a reduction of the amount of breastfeeding and thus a supplement is needed . WIC has a TON of medical, proscription and non-prescription formulas that it can issue vouchers for. Combined with other foods, such as infant juice and cereal, eggs, milk, vegetables, and others, WIC is a great program in which to help people not only meet their nutritional needs and support their inants and childrens needs, but also WIC does educate participants, refers them to other helpful programs both federally funded and locally funded, and tries to help get participants to become more self-sustaining.
As for who funds the program, who pays for the formula etc, WIC is no different than other federally funded programs, such as Social Security and others, when it comes to how the government uses our tax dollars. Participants do not STEAL formula from you, or from the stores. The participants are given WIC vouchers paid for my the government, that takes the place of cash at the store. The store then gets paid by the program when they turn in the vouchers. So, it’s NO DIFFERENT than me walking into the store using cash to buy formula, or using a WIC voucher. Doesn’t affect YOU any differently! And if the store has a shortage, it’s NOT because of some deluge of WIC participants “robbing” the store of all the formula. It’s because the inventory/ordering person at the store isn’t keeping up with demand. Just as you have a right to buy formula with your cash, I have a right to “buy” formula too. Mine is just subsidized by the government.
For all your bitching and propoganda about what all the government has done wrong, you’d think you would be mature enough to look at ALL the facts, on BOTH sides of the coin and form an educated opinion, and see that this is a GOOD government program that ultimately helps CHILDREN IN NEED of additional help beyond what their parents can give them.
Are you going to attack section 8 and “low income” housing now too? Cause you’d have to if you are going to attack WIC. And no, I am also not a paid government employee. I’m someone with a clue as to what I am talking about.
Nothing personal…
Jenn
May 24, 2007
I have a happy and healthy completely breatfed 9 month old, am pregnant with my 2nd, and am a biologist. The question is education of the mothers/parents. Even adopted children get be breastfed. In fact there are VERY few cases where a child can not be breastfed (HIV being one). The governemtn could cut millions of dollars from our budget by not giving formula. I am upset with the comment “let’s face it not all mothers will breastfeed” because there is NO reason why they shouldn’t. Formula should only be given in extreme cases. Why? Well, let’s start with the fact we are mammals and are meant to give our children the milk we produce. Formula is NOT equal to breastmilk. The list begins with nutrition, then antibodies, less sickness, decreased chance of breast cancer for both child and mother (continues to decrease for each child breastfed and with duration of breastfeeding), longer attention spans, higher IQ’s, better socialization later…the list continues. Even working mothers can offer their child the benefit of breastmilk by pumping. Is it harder? Sometimes, but not sterilization, no bottles, always ready, always the right temperature…I’m not so sure it is harder. The sad thing is that formula is pushed on poorer, less educated people and the cycle continues.
WIC gets money, as does the government, from the infant formula companies. STOP the cycle, let everyone know the benefits of breastmilk and that the longer the child receives it the more benefits they reap (as does the mother). I firmly believe formula should be cut from WIC not just for my tax dollars but for the betterment of America’s children.
Tracy
May 24, 2007
Yup. That whole IQ thing. The average difference between a breastfed child and a non-breastfed child is 6 points. Not exactly going to take a baby from moron to genius there.
I’m not disputing the benefits of breastfeeding. Especially the nutrition and antibodies. I am in fact very much for it. And yes, adopted children can be breastfed, IF the adoptive mother can induce lactation. There are certainly reasons other than HIV for women to be unable to breastfeed. Many can be fixed or worked around, like inverted nipples. Some cannot, like medications the mother must take, or the very rare woman who doesn’t produce enough milk. Cleft palates can make it difficult to impossible for the child to deal with the shape of the nipple, and bottles are just easier for him/her to use (granted, that mother can express milk).
I can give you several real life examples, if you like. As I mentioned, after my sister was born, complications forced my own mother to take medications for quite some time that, had she breastfed, would have greatly harmed my sister. I know a woman who had surgery after childbirth, and due to the toxins released by her bad gall bladder and the drugs she was on after surgery, couldn’t breastfeed for 6 weeks. She pumped to keep her milk flow, and resumed when she was able, but her daughter had trouble getting used to it again. I know a woman with lupus, who had to be put on a new anti-seizure med after the birth of her son, and had he breastfed, that drug could have killed him. I know many, many low-income women who, rather than risk their jobs (their employers don’t offer many breaks for pumping), have their caregivers feed their babies formula while they’re working and breastfeed while they’re at home. After all, better they can feed their families and themselves then quit their jobs, malnourish themselves, and not be able to breastfeed adequately anyway. (And just a note, breastmilk is NOT always the right temperature when it’s refrigerated/frozen, and there ARE bottles, etc…)
I’m very much a believer that if at all possible, a baby should be breastfed, and as often as possible (supplementing with formula if you must, but sticking to breastmilk when at all feasible). But it’s not always best for both the baby and the mother. Most often, yes. But not always.
I do agree that education is a problem. A generation or so ago, women were told that formula was better. (I believe sterilization was the reasoning, though it was very wrong.) So women have well-meaning relatives giving them bad information, as well as older, less up-to-date doctors.
However, I can’t blame WIC for this. I’ve never seen them try to push a mother one way or the other – but every poster, every piece of literature I’ve ever seen from them was on the benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and child.
krys
May 25, 2007
I don’t think anyone disagrees that breastfeeding is the very best source of infant nutrition, but the fact is that every mother is not going to breastfeed. For those mom that are not and can not afford to purchase formula, WIC is there as an avocate for those infants to make sure they do get fed. If a mom is not going to breastfeed, I would rather see her offer formula then letting the baby starve or feeding it a homemade remedy.
I would love to see the WIC program someday not offering formula. Not done away with, because WIC is a nutrition program and provides great education and resources to it’s clients, but supporting a totally breastfed community.
That needs to begin other places though. Not with cutting off the formula to clients.
Carl
May 29, 2007
It’s those who have never had to rely on the benefits of the program that are the first to want to kill it, or misunderstand it. The only IQ question here, is the IQ of the naysayers that can’t get their “facts” straight.
Next time ANYONE offers you a free anything, financial aide for college or anything else, please be sure to say “no thanks” cause that’s those are also Fed funded programs!
Rich Paul
May 31, 2007
What is it that makes people think that if they breed children they cannot feed, and then demand that the IRS seize the earnings of those who work to pay for it, they are not stealing. If you can’t feed ‘em, don’t breed ‘em!
Kevin Fields
Jun 05, 2007
Wow, the amount of insensitivity and ignorance is amazing.
Let me provide some feedback from the side of a father who has had to utilize WIC. I would have been proud to have taken a job that allowed me to feed my family without any reliance on government resources. Unfortunately, at the time, for my area of the country I had two choices: work in a fast food restaurant for minimum wage, for become an over-the-road truck driver that keeps me away from my family for weeks at a time, and by the time I pay out my expenses including lodging, food and fuel, I end up making less than minimum wage. On top of that, there is only so many jobs to go around and so many hours in a day. My wife and I were already working full-time 8-12 hour per day jobs, 5-6 days a week.
I didn’t have a deep-pocketed or even extensive family and friends network who could help with expenses until I found something better, and there was nothing which indicated that my lack of sufficiently paying employment would be short term rather than long term (it ended up being three years).
People who use WIC, AFDC, food stamps and other government subsidy programs don’t do so because they’re too lazy to get a job, they don’t do so because they want to steal tax money from so-called “hard working Americans”, they do so because there is a real risk of people starving and dying in a land where nobody should have to lack for basic necessities to begin with. They use it because they have to, and having to do so most certainly kills some, if not most, of the pride and dignity that we try to retain for ourselves.
My wife has always dreamed of raising a family, but she certainly didn’t dream that she’d have to start it out on food stamps and WIC, that she’d have to do it in a less than desirable neighborhood, and that she’d have to do it working a shitty minimum wage job. Michael himself can vouch for this, because he’s stayed with us twice in the past when traveling across the midwest.
She also didn’t dream that she wouldn’t be able to breastfeed. However, this is the issue that we faced shortly after my daughter was born. My wife simply was not producing enough breastmilk, and the quality of the breastmilk wasn’t enough to adequately nourish our daughter. We signed up for WIC because we had to, we needed to supplement with formula, and our incomes didn’t leave us with enough money to pay for it, and nobody was volunteering to help pay for it either. If we could have borrowed the money, if I could have even begged somebody for the money to do so, we most certainly would have, but nobody we knew had the money either, and there wern’t any philanthropists with signs out stating they wanted to help families who were down on their luck.
So, we accepted WIC. We accepted food stamps. Eventually, we were able to remove ourselves from the program because we both found better employment that paid a sufficient wage. Without that subsidy, however, who is to say whether or not we would have made it that far. Even with that help, some days we were scraping coins from the street to come up with enough money to buy a pack of ramen noodles or a gallon of milk. But, certainly, because we had access to such subsidy, we were able to move to a better situation in life.
I can complain about a lot of things where my taxpayer dollars go these days, but I do not complain about them going to help other people in my position. We are very thankful and grateful for the assitance we got. I don’t know how I can repay that back, other than sharing what resources we have today with those who do not have the same. I’ve learned to become a very generous person because of this. If a friend or a neighbor needs money, needs food, needs a ride from one place to another, then I share it if I have it to share. I’ve even had my generosity taken advantage of in the past, and it doesn’t discourage me from doing it again. What else can I do?
I know a lot of people here talk about the idea that if we eliminated these government programs, the private and religious sector would pick up the slack. I don’t believe that this is the case. Private and religous organizations are already busting at the seems with more people in need than resources available to help them. Freeing this taxpayer money, even reducing their taxes, would not suddenly see an influx of funds into these other organizations. Those who can donate to such organizations do so because they have the financial resources to do so, and they’re already donating as much as they feel responsible for donating.
So, that part out of the way – the idea of nurses, doctors, and government employees pushing the idea that formula is better than breastfeeding. I do not doubt that it happens, mis-education is in a lot of places, even in programs that should be educating new mothers properly. I can only state that in my case, we was very satisifed with the amount and quality of information that we received from employees who were responsible for making sure that we had the information. In one state where we received WIC, the employees treated me with a lot of respect and could see that we were intelligent parents, they asked us what we knew and then supplemented our knowledge with information that helped us. In another state, we were treated like we were dumbasses and they drowned us in paperwork and pamphlets that were intended to educate us, but the information that we were provided was very thorough, correct, and was easy to understand. In both cases, breastfeeding was ALWAYS encouraged, even in the case of my wife where she was producing very little milk, she was encouraged to continue breastfeeding and not give up until her milk ducts stopped producing milk completely.
Reading the study posted here, I have no dispute of the author’s findings that WIC could do more to promote breastfeeding and could do more to drive down the dependency on formula. I also do not have any dispute with the idea that the formula manufacturers are acting in ways which benefit themselves more than it does the consumer of their products, especially with the free giveaway of formula at the expense of taxpayer money and the simultaneous artifical increase in prices for formula.
However, I do have an issue with the author’s apparent and aggressive assumption that EVERY mother is able to breastfeed, and that every mother’s breast milk is superior to formula in every way, and that every mother is able to breastfeed for the 2+ years that the WHO suggests mothers provide. The clear stance here is that breastmilk vs. formula is an either-or proposition, either mothers are exclusively breastfeeding, or they’re exclusively providing formula.
In my experience, this is rarely the case. More often than not it is breastfeeding with the additional supplement of formula when needed. It doesn’t appear to me that the author took into consideration that many mothers are not able to provide enough breastmilk to adequately provide nutrition for their child, even when they are on a proper, healthy and nutritious diet. It doesn’t appear to me that the author took into consideration external factors such as working mothers who are not able to breastfeed around the clock, or the inability to properly store breastmilk for later consumpion, or mothers who have a psychological adversion to breastfeeding.
And while many states have moved to try to ensure that mothers have complete freedom to breastfeed in public, there is certainly a lot of uneducated individuals who act against this, which certainly discourages the practice, and even if a breastfeeding mother were aware that such laws were available to protect her and her children, when it comes to women on WIC, how many of them could afford the legal counsel to protect their rights? This portion is going to be a long term battle between individuals who see breastfeeding as natural and a right that needs protection against individuals who have also been trained by our governments to treat breastfeeding as a form of nudity and obscenity that should never be seen in public, much like having to use the bathroom or possibly a form of exhibitionism.
Hopefully, the amount of time I’ve spent writing this will help to soften the hearts of readers like Rich Paul and David who make the assumption that everybody, or even most, people who are receiving WIC assistance are “breeders” who simply choose to have children that they cannot support. And may God help them if they ever find themselves in such desperate situation, because I’d certainly hope that they would choose to accept whatever assistance they could rather than abstain from government assistance and put their children at risk.
Nomad
Jun 09, 2007
A lot of you are missing the point entirely. Wealth extracted from people by coercion, even for the best of causes, is thievery. Most of you are arguing over how the loot that has been taken from us is to be distributed and spent. You cannot argue how moral it is to help people while using wealth forcibly taken from other individuals. You are using, mostly by implication, a moral justification for an immoral act.
Did it ever occur to you that without these “entitlements” to other peoples money, you would have plenty of money for those things that you need anyway. In other words what I am reading is that you need the “help” because of your economic condition, a condition that is at least partially brought about by the cost of the entitlements themselves.
One of the weaknesses of men is that many of them will take the path of least resistance when it comes to supporting their lives and opt to mooch off the thieves for money because it is easier than working
lynn
Jun 27, 2007
I agree with some of you on the pros and cons of the wic program. I am for the wic program to help out the less fortunate, those whose combined household income in equal to or below 185% of the poverty level. However a study funded by the government showed that half the people on wic exceeds the income levels and they can afford the food wic provides on their own. Too many people take advantage of the system and the gorvernment needs more oversight over this program to cut out fraud and abuse.
A lot of people get on wic initially because of free formula. They could care less about nutrition education, referral serrvice, etc, that wic provides. Once the infant is off the formula they are less likely to come back for the other benefits of wic.
As a U.S. public health program it is our responsibility to promote breastfeeding as the main source of an infants diet. The cases stated above as to why women can’t b/feed i.e. HIV, not producing enough milk, inverted nipples etc., are very rare cases. Majority of the women that come thorugh wic can provide the infant w/breastmilk adequately for at least the first 6 months of life. The problem is that as a society we have screwed up misconceptions about the whole idea of breastfeeding. We must be educated about the benefits and that’s why wic promotes it so must because we are one of the only health care organizations who can educate the public about it. Six more IQ points in the long run can make a difference. We are not trying to guilt you to breastfeed, the program is trying to educate you. Formula companies lobby harder than the national wic association because they are private organizations so they have more money than the government to hire the top lobbyist.
Formula companies have more campaigns to promote their product but the government limits b/feeding advocates because they will make mothers feel “guilty” not to b/feed. Have you noticeed the only time you see promotion of b/feeding is in public health offices formula companies are everywhere so who is guilting whom?
Anonymous
Aug 27, 2007
This is the dumbest thing I have ever read! WIC totally encourages you to breastfeed!
Anonymous
Aug 29, 2007
What some people fail to realize is that not all women with children lack a husband. Some families simply do not have the resources to afford everything they need do to extenuating circumstances (such as companies being downsized, family emergencies that take up a great amount of money, etc.) so WIC also provides help to these people as well. Seriously, there are certain guidelines that people must follow to even qualify for WIC, it isn’t like they just hand it over to anyone and it’s your choice whether you join. Abolishing the program will only create a society that cannot afford to take care of their own starving children. Anyone, breastfeeding is always a choice, some people are more comfortable with it than others and WIC understands that idea. Anyway, WIC isn’t an entitlement program because there are not funds set aside for everyone eligible, it’s a federal grant program (yeah, like the pell grant you can get to go to college – same thing) that only has so much money for it each year and once it’s gone that concludes the amount of people that will recieve that help.
Also, with breastfeeding – that’s totally you’re decision and your decision alone. Some people it would be better for them not to based on common factors like health. That’s totally your decision. In my experience there is not a great deal of difference between children that were and children that weren’t breastfeed. I know plenty from both sides with similar family backgrounds which are well adjusted and successful so it’s really the parents’ choice, as long as it’s made wisely.
Alexis
Oct 08, 2007
I am so disgusted that anyone would be opposed to the government helping those in need with babies. You pigs! That is why we pay taxes; you should just hope you never fall on financially difficult times so that you never have to eat your arrogant words.
I’m a new mother who wanted to exclusively breastfeed, and guess what, it never worked out for me. My son is 3 months old. I took breastfeeding classes, hired lactation consultants, and talked with doctors and nurses. I’ve been renting a hospital grade pump and purchased a very expensive electronic pump. I’m not that financial stable; I’m still paying off these things.
I try to use the expert advice I received in attempt to nurse every day. I have never been successful. I have been pumping since my son was 4 days old, when I originally resorted to pumping and feeding him with the bottle so he didn’t starve. And guess what, my nipples are still cracked, bruised, and bleed. They have blood blisters. I can’t hold my son unless I have breast pads and a thick bra on to protect them from ANY contact. I regularly feel like I am at my wits end trying to pump to keep up with my son’s increasing demand for food. But pumping isn’t a natural way to express breast milk, and it takes at least twice as long as breastfeeding.
Can you imagine feeding your son for twenty minutes, and then being hooked up to a milking machine for 40 minutes to an hour 8 to 12 times a day? You think that offering formula to low-income families is some kind of sin? Give me a break. What about women who aren’t able to produce milk? Should they just not have the right to have a child? Think about what you’re saying. Perhaps many people abuse the service, but that’s no reason to not offer it to those who need it.
Every day I consider throwing in the towel because this is both physically and emotionally painful. How dare you judge what you can not comprehend. If I had to go back to work, there is no way I could have the time to pump my son’s every meal. As a mother who does this for the sole benefit of giving her son every chance in life, I feel guilty enough without the judgement of ignorant, uninformed people.
Anna B.
Oct 29, 2007
I am on WIC with this pregnancy; I was on it for my last one as well. All I have to say is thank God for WIC. My first pregnancy was unplanned and we ended up having the twins at 32 weeks because of health issues. I could not work and my husband didn’t make enough to pay for formula. I couldn’t breastfeed because I didn’t make enough milk for two babies…not even enough for one baby…, and my babies needed to be on a special formula because they were premature. If we didn’t have WIC I would hate to think what would have happened to them. With this pregnancy I was not eligable for WIC because I was working, and when they laid me off I once again had to get back on it so we could afford to feed this baby. I am really offended by some people on here who think that WIC is for people who are bums and don’t try. I suggest those of you who think that way take a good look at the people who are actually using WIC. We pay taxes just like you do.
Bethany
Jan 29, 2008
A woman working two jobs trying to make ends meet cannot breastfeed. Pumping every two hours, let alone affording a pump, is not possible for most women. Whether you can or can’t breastfeed doesn’t matter when you have to immediately return to work. Some people think breastfeeding is a simple process of putting nipple to mouth, but it is much more complicated than that, as can be proved by the millions of women with cracked and bleeding nipples right now. If your child must use formula during the day, breastfeeding at night can become very difficult due to nipple confusion and lower milk supply. Men who have no idea what breast-feeding is about shouldn’t tell women what they should and shouldn’t do. It is patronizing and infuriating as well as reminiscent of millions of times throughout history that women and their needs have been ignored due to lack of understanding by the men who ruled over them. Many women now have to work outside their homes, and as long as that is so, many women will not be able to completely breastfeed if at all depending on the hours they work. Do you get 30 minute breaks every two hours at your job? If you do, then you’re not working at the minimum wage jobs these families are.
Anonymous
Feb 05, 2008
I have a 13 month old and was on WIC before she was born. I tried and tried and tried to breastfeed her with no success. It was a totally frustrating process for me and for her because all she did was cry. We tried lactation consultants in the hospital, nipple shields, pumping…everything possible. Nothing worked. I simply couldn’t produce enough milk. I would spend 30 minutes pumping and would get 1/2-1 ounce of milk from only one side. The church where I work even bought me a breast pump to help and would have been totally supportive if I wanted to pump at work since I was able to bring her to work with me. No matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t produce enough milk. All I wanted to do was breastfeed my daughter. At her 2 day checkup, she had lost 15% of her birthweight and my doctor said she wasn’t getting enough to eat and that I had to supplement with formula. I continued pumping and was at least giving her 1-2 ounces of breastmilk daily. More pumping didn’t help. WIC supported my decision and gave me additional supplements and formula since my doctor insisted for her health she needed forumla too. What was more frustrating was the fact that I totally breastfed my 12 year old son until he was 4 months and then began formula and eventually he was totally on formula at around 6 months. What should have been a joyous time was tempered by the fact that everytime she wanted to eat, she would spend the first 10 minutes crying because she couldn’t get any milk from me. We even tried giving her an ounce of formula first to take the tinge off and then offer her the breast, and it seemed to help, but then the doctor told me to offer her the breast first. That was a disaster. After I took his advice, she didn’t want anything to do with it at all and would just cry from frustration. I finally gave up and just pumped without offering her the breast at all. I was comfortable but depressed at the same time because I knew she was at least getting 1-2 ounces a day. But it just took such a long time to just even get that small amount of milk. Very frustrating.
WIC has been a big help to my family. My husband and I both work and we just don’t make enough to really live without struggling. We don’t get any other programs, only WIC. For a couple of months before my husband had surgery, his income had gone up some and we made just a bit over the allowed amount for 4 people, but now his income has dramatically dropped since he had his surgery. I am re-applying for WIC…my appt is next week.
Not everyone can breastfeed. Sometimes it just doesn’t work. My sister had very similar circumstance to mine with her 2 kids. It just doesn’t work for everyone.
Ashleigh
Feb 26, 2008
I totally agree that wic should not offer formula. They should try to promote breastfeeding by boycotting formula. But what can you expect from a government program? A healthy America is not in their best interest. I understand if you are physically unable to breastfeed.. or it is medically impossible.. But if you have to work 2 jobs and don’t have time to do whats scientifically proven to be whats best for your child.. Then WHY do you have children? Why have a child, then pump them full of formula, inject them with mercury filled deathly vaccines, then ship em off to daycare when they’re 3 months old.. then dump them off at public school so their education ( or lack thereof) can cause the cycle to repeat? What has happened to this country?I have a 18 month old daughter who is breastfeeding and I also have a 4 year old son who was breastfed until he was 3. He has never had a vaccine. He also is at a first grade level and has never had a ear infection, a fever even, and i am pregnant and plan to do the same. Its just hidden in plain sight to me.. And i am only 21! I guess I should be thankful my mom was a hippie. lol
Family Planning
Mar 11, 2010
Kevin, why did you and your wife bring a child into the world when you were so poor and couldn’t afford one?
j
May 02, 2010
you got a good point never thought about that! I’m sorry I hate this program, people need to learn to close their legs if you dont want to get pregnant use condoms or the pill, it pisses me off that we have to pay for these low lifes.
Marie
Nov 23, 2010
Does WIC take into consideration the income, plus any expenses you have like daycare, a mortgage, groceries, utilities, light bill, etc when they make the decision to whether you qualify or not? All those bills add up.
joe
Mar 07, 2011
If you can’t afford to feed a baby maybe you shouldn’t be such a tramp and keep your legs closed!!!!!