Last Updated: February 2019

Author: Division of Maternal and Child Health, WIC program, Vermont Department of Health

The WIC program has committed numerous resources to strengthening breastfeeding outcomes and building a breastfeeding community. Over the past two decades Vermont WIC has initiated multiple projects that have helped breastfeeding initiation rates rise from 35% in 1992 to 80% in 2011. Despite a sustained breastfeeding promotion effort, breastfeeding exclusivity and duration rates in the WIC population haven't kept pace with improving initiation.

The WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program assigns specially trained breastfeeding mothers, who are currently or have been previously on the WIC program, to help other WIC participants initiate and succeed in breastfeeding. The program's goal is to increase breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity and duration. The peer counselors provide consistent and non-judgmental support, help moms overcome common breastfeeding problems, and help WIC moms access the breastfeeding services they need.

Vermont WIC has peer counseling programs in 5 of 12 health department district offices. Budget constraints in SFY 2019 will limit the number of peer counselors and the number of hours each counselor can work. As a result, it is unlikely that the progress in this area will be sustained.

• VDH District Office staff
• Breastfeeding peer counselors

The value of breastfeeding peer counselors in supporting mothers to breastfeed their infants is widely accepted. Many more women choose to breastfeed if they receive a peer counselor contact during pregnancy and women breastfeed longer when they have continued contact and support of a peer counselor.

Peer counselors will continue to:

• Initiate contacts, develop & maintain helping relationships with clients throughout the duration of the breastfeeding experience.
• Make contacts from home and WIC Clinic via phone, mail, or e-mail. “In-person" contacts may be made at WIC Clinic. Group contacts may be made at WIC Clinic or other settings to be determined by program.
• Offer mothers up-to-date, accurate breastfeeding information & non-judgmental encouragement to help them breastfeed their babies.
• Appropriately yield mothers with extra need to a designated office breastfeeding specialist.