In public health, we believe strongly in the principle that establishing good habits early on can have positive effects for years to come. The celebration of National Breastfeeding Month each August emphasizes that principle, and our WIC program is one place where we are seeing some positive momentum.
WIC is best known for the program's nutritional benefits, offering healthy foods to families from pregnancy through a child's fifth birthday. A goal in this program is to build a habit of healthy eating early in life, which can lead to lifelong benefits. For infants and young children, many nutritional benefits can be found in breast milk. Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of certain health conditions for both infants and the mothers that feed them.
Our WIC program enlists Breastfeeding Peer Counselors to help and support new moms in their breastfeeding journey with first-hand knowledge. The program's Certified Lactation Counselors are also available to talk about how a family's breastfeeding experience can be a success. Among WIC participants who are post-partum, 70% report breastfeeding in some form in 2025, with many supplementing with formula as needed. This percentage is up from 2021, when less than 60% of post-partum women in the WIC program reported breastfeeding in any amount. This increase in breastfeeding has coincided with an overall increase in WIC participation, with more than 21,000 active participants at this time, working with MPHD's dedicated WIC team at sites across the county.
Those who are interested in learning more about the WIC program can contact their nearest WIC clinic or fill out a WIC interest form.