New service available to WIC participants
PRESQUE ISLE — Women Infants and Children (WIC), a service of Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), is a supplemental food program available to pregnant and post partum women and children up to age 5. WIC has always been an advocate for breastfeeding and a support to women who want to breastfeed their baby. This program has recently added a new service and a staff member specifically dedicated to assisting pregnant and post partum women with breastfeeding.
“We know breastfeeding is the healthiest source of nourishment for infants from birth through the first year of life as indicated by numerous studies. However, because formula feeding has become widely accepted in our culture, natural breastfeeding is becoming a lost art. WIC recognizes the need to support mothers who choose to breastfeed and would like to increase the number of women who successfully breastfeed, as well as increase the duration of exclusive breastfeeding,” said Serena Butterfield, the breastfeeding peer counselor.
Butterfield is available to women during pregnancy and to breastfeeding mothers. She is trained in educating mothers about breastfeeding, assisting mothers with things such as technique, management and return to work/school. Butterfield offers support to mothers who may be experiencing difficulties, provides breastfeeding advocacy, is working within the community to provide education about breastfeeding and its benefits and is an active member of the Aroostook County Breastfeeding Coalition. She is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to WIC clients.
If you are a pregnant woman or a family with children under the age of 5 and would like more information on the WIC program, contact the WIC office at 768-3026 or toll free at 800-432-7881.
ACAP provides the people of Aroostook with services and programs in the areas of health, child and family, community services, energy and housing, and employment and training.
