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California WIC Innercare Request Appointment

Breastfeeding Support

We know it is hard work making milk for your baby. WIC is here to help you reach your breastfeeding goal, and breastfeeding moms and babies get more food on WIC!

Breastfeeding services at WIC

The California WIC Program promotes, supports and protects exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding for at least the first year.

All WIC staff support breastfeeding as the normal way to feed an infant. As part of our WIC family, you can meet with a WIC Nutrition Counselor to talk about your breastfeeding goals and challenges. Our counselors are trained to help with a wide range of breastfeeding situations and problems.

Benefits of breastfeeding

For babies and children

  • Lower risk of becoming overweight or obese, even as adults
  • Research has linked breastfeeding with higher IQ
  • Lower risk of diabetes
  • Supports healthy vision development
  • About half as many ear infections, less diarrhea, and a lower risk of bacterial meningitis, colds and flu
  • Less chance of allergies, asthma and eczema
  • May lower the risk of inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and childhood cancers
  • Better teeth and jaw development
  • Lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

For moms

  • Helps the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and reduces bleeding after delivery
  • Moms who breastfeed for at least 2 months may lose more weight
  • Periods often return later for moms who breastfeed exclusively
  • Lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer
  • May lower the risk of osteoporosis

Support during pregnancy

Did you know your body starts making small amounts of breastmilk as early as 14 weeks of pregnancy? This early milk, called colostrum, has exactly what your new baby needs in the first days at the hospital. It is thick, sticky and often golden-yellow. You make it in very small amounts (think a spoonful at a time), but your newborn's tummy is tiny. Colostrum is full of antibodies that help keep your baby healthy, which is why some people call it your baby's first vaccine!

We offer a prenatal class for each trimester of pregnancy, including our Let's Talk breastfeeding class. Each class includes nutrition and breastfeeding information, and a WIC Nutrition Counselor will be there to answer your questions. If you're worried about breastfeeding or have struggled before, asking questions at each prenatal appointment gives us the chance to help. Don't be shy!

Your baby's first year with WIC

We'll see you several times during your baby's first year. Breastfeeding a newborn is very different from breastfeeding a 6-month-old or a 1-year-old, and we want to help you prepare for each stage. Tap each appointment to learn what to expect.

Infant enrollment

At this appointment we enroll your baby in WIC. To get the most from WIC, enroll your baby as early as possible. To support breastfeeding, WIC does not routinely give formula to breastfed babies.

Breastfeeding can be harder than expected! If you're having trouble, your WIC Nutrition Counselor will talk with you about common early problems and how to solve them, and whether a breast pump could help (we have a variety of pumps for different needs). If your newborn needs formula, we'll help you figure out just the right amount while you both get better at breastfeeding.

One-month follow-up

About one month after enrolling your baby, we'll have a quick check-in to see how breastfeeding is going. If it's going well, we'll celebrate with you and be your cheerleader. If it isn't, we'll help you get back on track. It's also a great time to ask about breastfeeding when you return to work or school.

3 months old

At this visit you'll take a class about starting solid foods. You'll learn the signs that your baby is ready, though WIC starts providing baby foods at 6 months. Ask us how to keep up your milk supply once you start solids. Three-month-olds are much more wiggly than newborns, so your counselor can also show you new breastfeeding positions for older babies.

6 months old

We'll weigh and measure your baby, and you'll meet one-on-one with a WIC Nutrition Counselor. We'll also talk about the food packages available once your baby is 9 months old. Many moms have new questions now: maybe your baby is biting, or your period has returned and you notice a dip in your milk supply. Whatever your concern, we can help.

9 months old

At this age there are two food package choices for your baby: the classic package, with mostly jarred baby food, or a package with less jarred food plus a cash-value benefit to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, so you can make your own baby food. Along with your nutrition class, we're happy to answer breastfeeding questions, and we'll definitely be cheering you on!

12 months old

It's a double graduation day! As a postpartum mom, you graduate from WIC after your baby's first year, and your baby moves up to the child category. Many parents have questions about weaning now. Whether you're ready to finish your breastfeeding journey or choose to continue, we're here with answers, tips and encouragement.

Pumping & storing breastmilk

Every mom's pumping needs are different. Our WIC Nutrition Counselors can help you decide what's right for you. WIC can:

Hand expression

Hand expression is a great skill for every breastfeeding mom. No equipment is needed, it's always available, and there's nothing to clean but your hands.

Watch: How to express breastmilk by hand (opens in a new tab)

Manual pumps

Manual pumps are a good choice if you'll pump for a short time or only once in a while. They're small, easy to carry, and have just a few pieces to wash. WIC carries two models, the Medela Harmony and the Hygeia EnHande, and your counselor can show you how they work.

Electric pumps

Electric pumps are a good choice if you'll pump often. They're larger and heavier, and WIC has several models available to borrow. Your WIC Nutrition Counselor will help you choose the one that fits your needs:

  • Symphony: designed to help get breastfeeding off to a good start when your baby is too small or sick to breastfeed directly.
  • Lactina: the "go-to" WIC breast pump for years. Popular and easy to use.
  • EnDeare: similar in design to the Lactina and just as easy to use.

If you've needed a breast pump for several months, or plan to return to work or school while breastfeeding, you may qualify for a pump to keep. Ask your WIC Nutrition Counselor!

Storing breastmilk

Ask your WIC Nutrition Counselor for the latest California WIC guidelines on how long breastmilk can be kept at room temperature, in the refrigerator and in the freezer.

Breastfeeding events

Every year from August 1 to 7, World Breastfeeding Week highlights the benefits of breastfeeding for babies' health and welfare, along with maternal health, good nutrition, poverty reduction and food security. The week is organized by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), a global network that protects, promotes and supports breastfeeding.

Innercare WIC proudly hosts World Breastfeeding Week events each year. Check back in the summer for this year's events.

Regional Breastfeeding Liaison program

Our Regional Breastfeeding Liaison (RBL) promotes WIC as a trusted source of breastfeeding information for families and community professionals, and works with health care providers, hospitals and employers to support breastfeeding.

  • Health care providers: Helping community clinics and public health programs learn about WIC and refer families to WIC for breastfeeding support.

  • Community building: Building relationships with community partners to reach families who qualify for WIC and improve continuity of care.

  • Lactation accommodation: Helping employers, schools, child care providers and businesses provide a space to breastfeed or pump.

Student Pump Loan program

We partner with local high schools to place a hospital-grade electric breast pump on campus, so teen moms can keep breastfeeding when they return to school. Partner schools include:

Brawley Union High School

480 N. Imperial Ave., Brawley, CA 92227

Desert Valley High School

104 Magnolia St., Brawley, CA 92227

Calexico High School

1030 Encinas Ave., Calexico, CA 92231

Aurora High School

619 Rockwood Ave., Calexico, CA 92231

Central Union High School

1001 W. Brighton Ave., El Centro, CA 92243

Holtville High School

755 Olive Ave., Holtville, CA 92250

Students can ask their school's Title IX Coordinator about the program.

Contact our Regional Breastfeeding Liaison

Health care providers, employers, schools and community partners can reach our Regional Breastfeeding Liaison, a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE), at (760) 344-9606 or wic@innercare.org.

Ask a breastfeeding question

Send us your question and a WIC Nutrition Counselor will get back to you.

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