WIC Breastfeeding

WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors are paraprofessional women who have experience breastfeeding and are enthusiastic about sharing their breastfeeding knowledge with other moms. Peer counselors are current or past WIC participants and work closely with WIC staff to promote breastfeeding in their communities. Peer counselors are available outside of regular WIC clinic hours and provide phone, text messaging, and in-person breastfeeding support. 

The use of breastfeeding peer counselors adds value to WIC’s efforts to help women initiate and continue breastfeeding. WIC breastfeeding peer counselors provide a valuable service to their communities by offering breastfeeding education, support, and role modeling. Peer counselors are familiar with the resources available to WIC families, can address the questions a breastfeeding mother may ask, and recognize when to refer mothers to other resources during critical periods when mothers may experience difficulty.

All 15 local WIC agencies in Iowa offer peer counseling services, providing coverage across the entire state. Nearly 40 trained peer counselors are serving over 6,000 pregnant and breastfeeding mothers each year. 

The Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program is available to all pregnant and breastfeeding women participating in WIC. Contact your local WIC office if you are interested in receiving support from a breastfeeding peer counselor. 

Premiere:

• Pottawattamie County (2025)
• MATURA Action Corporation (2024)
• Operation Threshold (2022)

Gold:

• North Iowa Community Action Organization (2025)
• Mid-Iowa Community Action (2024)
• Broadlawns Medical Center (2023)
• Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (2023)
• American Home Finding Association (2022)
• Webster County Health Department (2022)

• Iowa WIC 2025 Breastfeeding Report and Addendum
• Iowa WIC 2023 Breastfeeding Report and Addendum

• USDA WIC Breastfeeding Support
• Iowa Breastfeeding Database
• Iowa HHS Breastfeeding Resources