Hawai'i WIC's Unique Breastfeeding Initiatives

Hawai‘i has its own unique breastfeeding environment--breastfeeding initiation rates exceed national goals, yet breastfeeding duration decreases sharply after the first few weeks. This manuscript presents a review of three programs Hawai‘i Women, Infant’s and Children’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) of the Hawai‘i Department of Health has instituted to increase the initiation and duration of breastfeeding among its participants. These three projects are: The Breast Pump Program and evaluation, The Nursing Drape Project, and the Pumps in the Schools Program. The WIC Breast Pump Program is an open system and accounts for women in a variety of work/school environments. Success in such a system is more challenging to determine; however, any documented changes in breastfeeding duration may be more significant than in a restricted setting. Consequently, WIC began an evaluation of its Breast Pump Program in 2002. Embarrassment has been shown to be a number one breastfeeding concern for WIC women across the nation so Hawai‘i WIC designed, created, distributed and evaluated their own nursing drape that is both culturally acceptable and inexpensive. Results of this project are presented along with cost saving and implications to other states. The goal of the Pumps in the Schools Program is to increase the teen breastfeeding prevalence and duration for WIC high school students by providing WIC purchased hospital grade electric breast pumps and placing them in a supportive classroom setting. The program serves to decrease at least one barrier to breastfeeding for these high-risk mothers. Hawai‘i WIC is tackling working and schooling issues, duration, and embarrassment about public breastfeeding. In essence, Hawai‘i is changing the image of WIC to be ‘the breastfeeding people’ instead of the ‘formula give-away program’.