Williamson County Health, TX

August kicks off National Breastfeeding Month, with the theme “Breastfeeding is Out of This World” to call for all people to come together to support, promote, and protect breastfeeding and breastfeeding mothers and babies.

The 2023 Williamson County WIC Family Celebration will be a drive through event for the whole family with fun activities and prizes for all. The event will be held on August 5 at 355 Texas Ave. in Round Rock from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Information will be provided about WIC and breastfeeding support, along with information about the benefits of breastmilk and breastfeeding and will have representatives from the community who offer services that new moms, moms to be, and those thinking about motherhood in the future can benefit from.

“In August, as in every month, WIC encourages and supports communities to make breastfeeding a normal part of day-to-day life and provide on-going support for all of the families we serve,” said Alissa Orozco, WCCHD WIC Director.

Successful breastfeeding takes teamwork to support new moms. Texas WIC provides mom-to-mom support by employing over 250 breastfeeding peer counselors who provide personalized counseling and local support groups through local WIC agencies. Texas WIC also helps mothers learn about breastfeeding through BreastmilkCounts.com and live, online or click-and-learn classes.

WIC also offers Certified lactation consultants that are available at the local WIC clinics and via the Texas Lactation Support Hotline at 855-550-6667 to answer questions about breastfeeding. The hotline is available for free 24/7 and receives approximately 100 calls per week.

Lactation Support Centers are in Austin, Dallas, Houston, McAllen, and San Antonio. Staffed by certified lactation consultants and peer counselors, the Lactation Support Centers act as a community training site for WIC staff, dietetic interns, and health care professionals to train local doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in breastfeeding best practices.

The WIC and Community Nutrition program provides nutrition education, healthy foods and breastfeeding support for pregnant women, new mothers, and families with children younger than the age of five. WCCHD WIC program offers services in Cedar Park, Georgetown Liberty Hill, Round Rock and Taylor.

More information about WIC can be found at www.wcchd.org/WIC.