When Marion County mother Diane Smith became pregnant with her fourth child, she learned about a resource she wished she had known about sooner: Oregon’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program and its breastfeeding support.
Smith had struggled to breastfeed her first three children. But with help from WIC lactation coaches and nutrition staff, she successfully breastfed her two youngest children.
“I just didn’t have the knowledge of breastfeeding then,” Smith said. “But as soon as WIC staff found out I was pregnant and what my concerns were, they were like, ‘Oh, we have an amazing breastfeeding program!’ ”
During National Breastfeeding Month, Oregon Health Authority (OHA), is highlighting how WIC’s breastfeeding services and other programs helping families access nutrition support.
More than 97% of Oregon WIC participants choose to start breastfeeding. Internationally board-certified lactation consultants, designated breastfeeding experts and peer counselors support them.
“I wish more women had the information I had from the lactation coaches and from the nutrition information,” Smith said. “It made me have more confidence and not be afraid to even do it out in public. It was just a great support system.”
Oregon WIC served 119,464 women, infants and children in 2025, up from about 114,000 in 2024.
Making WIC easier to use
“WIC continues to modernize to make it easier for families to get the nutrition and breastfeeding support they need,” said Oregon WIC Director Tiare Sanna, M.S., RDN. “We’re listening to participants and finding new ways to make WIC more accessible, flexible and responsive to families’ lives.”
In recent years, Oregon WIC has expanded technology options that allow participants to:
- Attend appointments remotely.
- Communicate with WIC staff by text.
- Sign documents securely online.
- Complete flexible online nutrition education.
- Choose from a wider variety of healthy foods that reflect cultural preferences and dietary needs.
This story is based on submitted information and has not been verified by our news team.
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