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Breastfeeding Your BabyHere at WIC, we understand

that the option to breastfeed is a mother’s choice, and it is sometimes not an easy

one.

Visit your local WIC clinic to speak with our specialists

and learn why breastfeeding is an optimal choice for your

baby.

Together, we can give the support you need to

successfully breastfeed your beautiful child!

Why the Best Fed Baby

is a Breast Fed Baby

WIC CEDA400 O’Connor Dr

Des Plaines, IL, 60016

www.wicprogram.org

By choosing to breastfeed, you

choose to give your child the best

nutrition possible!

Choosing to Breastfeed

When Breastfeeding Becomes Challenging:

o Inform friends, families, and coworkers of your choice to breastfeed to help them understand and support you

o Speak with a lactation consultant and WIC staff to learn about your breastfeeding resources

o Understand your options for continuing breastfeeding if busy, or returning back to work (i.e. pumps)

o To get a sense of breastfeeding before your baby arrives, attend classes.

o It is perfectly normally to feel tired and overwhelmed. Just take it one day at a time. Your child will thank you.

Understand that various barriers will arise, such as difficulty

expressing milk, or latching on from baby. There are always resources

available to you, so utilize your WIC clinic!

Did you know?

A mother’s body can alter the amount of breast milk that she produces in direct response to the amount that the baby needs. For example, if a baby is going through a growth spurt and nursing

more often, the mother’s body will make more milk for the hungry baby.

Breast Milk vs. Formula

How long should I breastfeed ?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusively breastfeeding for

6 months, and continuing to breastfeed alongside complimentary foods until the

child’s first birthday. Any longer is up to you and your baby!

While breastfeeding is one of the most natural things about being a woman, it sometimes feels like a hard decision for most mothers. Today’s widespread use of baby formulas has many women forgetting that they possess a free and nutritionally perfect food for their babies: breast milk.

What makes breast milk different from formula?

Unlike baby formulas, human breast milk is a perfect nutritional food for babies. A mother’s milk contains the correct amount of carbohydrates (sugars), fat, and protein that a growing child needs. It contains infection-fighting components called “antibodies” that can protect the child from disease – something formula cannot do.

Breast milk also contains essential fatty acids (such as DHA) that are needed for proper brain growth, as well as necessary hormones, vitamins and minerals.