Southwest Montana News

The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) is reminding new parents about the benefits of breastfeeding and the support offered by the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program. The program provides resources such as special food packages, peer counseling, lactation experts, breastfeeding aids like breast pumps, access to trained staff, and other referrals.

“As part of the WIC program, moms receive nutritious food packages including milk, juice, cereal, eggs, fruits and vegetables, whole wheat bread and other whole grains, canned fish, beans, peanut butter, and cheese,” said Lacy Little, director of the WIC program. “WIC's goal is to support parents in their breastfeeding journey.”

Parents are encouraged to breastfeed their infants unless advised otherwise by a healthcare provider. WIC staff are equipped to promote breastfeeding and offer necessary support during both prenatal and postpartum periods when families may need assistance most.

According to data from the CDC, 83.5% of Montana children have been breastfed at some point with 63.9% still breastfeeding at six months—figures that slightly exceed national averages.

Breastfeeding parents can participate in WIC for up to one year after giving birth. Those who do not receive infant formula from WIC get more food options than those who do. For babies aged 6-12 months old in these families also receive baby food meats along with greater quantities of infant fruits and vegetables.

“Breastfeeding has many benefits for parents and their babies,” said Little. “We want families across the state to know that WIC is here to help make breastfeeding a little bit easier.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months with continued breastfeeding alongside appropriate complementary foods up until two years or older. However sixty percent of mothers do not continue as long as they intend due to various reasons. More information on tips for breastfeeding can be found at https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov.

Montana’s WIC includes 35 local agencies with over 80 clinic sites covering all counties plus seven tribal reservations serving nearly 14 thousand women infants children yet only fifty-five percent eligible families participate.

Eligibility requires being pregnant postpartum or having children under five meeting income requirements below one hundred eighty-five percent federal poverty level qualifying Medicaid SNAP TANF free/reduced school meals further details available DPHHS website

Established in nineteen seventy-four aims aid family young child development critical growth period providing access healthy foods education health social services remains voluntary doesn’t affect participation other programs like SNAP Medicaid