WIC encourages breastfeeding

As a mother, I know how important breastfeeding is on my part and for my kids. It promotes health, helps to prevent disease and reduces health care and feeding cost. Breastfeeding is more beneficial than baby formula.

Recognizing the benefits of breastfeeding, experts and federal government encourage mothers to breastfeed. Aside from the fact that it is the best nutritional option, it is free and can save up to $2,000 a year from infant formula costs. WIC, a federal agency, has introduced a new package that encourages breastfeeding with the following options:

• For breastfeeding package, women will not receive any formula in exchange for food package.
• Partial breastfeed or formula feed will receive lesser formula to encourage them to breastfeed more.
• Parents using 100% formula mostly paid by WIC will now shoulder its cost on their own.

Breastfeeding may not sound that easy but WIC guidance recommends counseling to keep mothers continue breastfeeding. If mother decides to breastfeed partially, there are still options or ways to still save money on infant formula. A nutritionist in the name of Dr. Barbara Levine from Weill Cornell Medical College has to say on baby formula:

“In the United States there are no generic infant formulas. The truth is all infant formulas are subject to the same regulations governing manufacturing and ingredients as stipulated by the Infant Formula Act.” “Store-brand infant formulas sold at major retailers are therefore a premium nutritional substitute at a value price and meet the same exacting FDA nutritional requirements as all the major brands. As a nutritionist I know the truth about infant formula: there is no nutritional reason to buy the much more expensive formulas sold by the big pharmaceutical companies. The quality and safety of the manufacturing are also inspected in same way by the FDA.”

When it comes to our kids we think nothing but the best especially when it comes to long term benefits on health. Not all mothers are given the chance to breastfeed their baby due to few milk or health reason. But for other mothers who are fortunate to do so, do it to benefit you and your baby.

There is nothing best and pure that we can give to our babies than something that comes deep within ourselves.