One thing that I knew was important to me when I found out that I was pregnant was breastfeeding my baby or at least trying to. At first I wasn’t sure that it was something that was going to stick but I ended up loving the bond with my son and appreciate all the wonderful health benefits it provides as well. We are still going strong at 10 months old.
Baby's First WIC Appointment
We had our first WIC appointment with our son about 2 weeks after he was born. It was my first time out in public by myself with him. Honestly, I was so nervous and didn’t really know how things were going to go. Our son has been an easy going baby but new mom jitters were getting the best of me. I arrived definitely way too early for our appointment and checked in. They wanted to weigh him and see how tall he was, pretty standard.
We went over to the scale and she said 14 pounds...14 pounds. What?
Yeah you must think my son was born at over 10+ pounds, well he wasn’t.
He was born at 9 pounds 10 ounces. My first instinct was to think that, since he had gained so much weight that I was feeding him too much. But the WIC counselor assured me that he was healthy and that there was no way that I could be nursing my baby too much.
"As a new mom, I looked to others for reassurance and to make sure I was doing everything correctly. "
Talking with the WIC counselor that day gave me the confidence that a lot of new moms lose or lack at the very beginning. I appreciated having the service of a professional tell me that everything is okay and that I was doing a good job. As we had more WIC appointments, I really looked forward to them, getting to see my son’s growth more frequently than doctor’s appointments was nice and reassuring.
Making the Leap
Another opportunity I was thankful to have was when I was meeting with a WIC counselor and she was talking about an upcoming “leap” my son would be going through. She also mentioned that my body would most likely be going through some changes as well, especially my milk supply. She brought it up as if she could read my mind.
At this appointment it was the first time I had heard about growth leaps and suddenly understood why sometimes my son’ s schedule would change for no reason. Leaps are growth spurts that babies go through that can affect their sleep, eating and behavior.
"I am so thankful for the resources that WIC provides for women and children outside of just nutrients. I have learned so much about breastfeeding, taking care of my son and myself. I believe more women should take advantage of this wonderful resource!"
I am Alexis Freeto. I am the mother of a 10 month old little boy and wife to an active duty service member. We are originally from Washington State but have been residing in San Diego for the past two years!
Alexis, California
