Breastfeeding And WIC
The federal program WIC (Women, Infants and Children) that provides food to low income women and children advocates breastfeeding over formula feeding. Because WIC teaches nutrition to mothers informing that that breastfeeding is the healthy choice is the normal thing to expect from them. Because of budget cuts, parents may have to pay for more of their formula now. So breastfeeding is more economical for women on WIC.
In fact, it is more economical for all women. It is completely free and can save parents up to $2000 a year on formula. When I nursed my younger daughter I remember saving money on bottles as well as formula. There’s an online calculator where you can check the cost of formula for the time your baby will be drinking it. It will surprise you when you learn how much formula costs.
If you decide to formula feed or add formula to breastfeeding and want to still save money, learn about brand name formulas. According to Dr. Barbara Levine, Weill Cornell Medical College:
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.
There’s no need to pay more for brand name baby formula. All formulas go through testing of the FDA and have the same nutritional value. Breastfeeding is best, but if you need to formula feed don’t waste your money on brand name formulas.
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Comments
Love it! I chose breastfeeding for my children almost exclusively for the financial benefits (granted the health and bonding benefits were great as well!). With WIC it really does pay off to stay with the breastfeeding package, especially if you have additional children. One of the greatest benefits was all of the extra milk that we used to get!! At over $3 a gallon, that adds up fast!
Comment by Christina WIC has always advocated breastfeeding haven’t they? When I had my first daughter in 1997, they tried pushing it on me.
They also had breastfeeding packages then, instead of formula the mom received healthy food options. It was similar to the program they offered to pregnant woman.
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Comment by Ginny WIC has always supported breastfeeding but has always enjoyed fewer breastfeeders in the past. The new package makes it even more attractive and I’m all for it! Plus when I beginning supplementing my milk with a formula I know they’re all required to contain the same nutrients. So I’m less inclined to buy expensive formula if I need to supplement.
Comment by Sara When my sister was pregnant with her first baby the people at WIC were so helpful. They answered all of her questions and gave great advice about breast feeding. She was so grateful to them. WIC is wonderful.
Comment by Fionen I love that WIC encourages breastfeeding. I think it is a great way to bond with your baby and definitely a more economical choice than formula feeding. I also like that WIC provides nutrition for the breastfeeding mom.
Comment by Kerrie Mayans Thank you for promoting breastfeeding. I wonder why we give our most precious babies a chemically made artificial product when we have the most complete healthy natural product in our own body. (I breastfed 4 babies)
Comment by Rosanne It is breat to see that breastfeeding is now pretty much the norm 
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Comment by vein Not everyone can provide breastmilk for the duration, but I’d go with the breastfeeding package knowing that store brand formulas at big retailers are a nutritious and economical alternative. Plus Consumer Reports is now recommending store brands over the brand-name overpriced formulas, so get what you can from WIC and be smart with your own dough with a store brand alternative.
Comment by Margie There’s some really good information here in these exchanges and its great to see that more moms are breastfeeding. If you choose to supplement mother’s milk with formula, I would like to add that the store-brand message is more important now than ever because of changes in the WIC program. As of October 1, 2009, a new WIC initiative aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates among families reallocates funding for all currently provided foods, including infant formula, juices, and fresh fruits and vegetables. This program will also mean a reduction of up to 20 percent in infant-formula subsidies. I think it’s great that WIC is encouraging breastfeeding and still providing some infant formula subsidies. If you participate in WIC and your vouchers run out, remember you can switch to a store brand formula because they are nutritionally equivalent to name brands. You can learn more by visiting http://www.storebrandformula.com. Thank you!
Comment by Dr. Barbara Levine Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Connie,
This is great information. My sister-in-law is due this month and has already qualified for WIC in Florida. She said she’s going to choose the breastfeeding package because the benefits outweigh the cost of formula. Even though she probably won’t breastfeed (she wasn’t able to for very long with her last baby on account of her medication) she’ll take the breastfeeding package, receive more food, fresh vegetables and juices, and then buy baby formula for her newborn. And trust me, she’s going to buy store brand baby formula at Winn-Dixie because it saves up to half the price of Enfamil.