Matura WIC receives Premier Breastfeeding Award

Earlier this month, Creston’s Matura WIC was awarded the Premier Breastfeeding Award for their Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program. Program coordinator Astra Jennings and peer counselor Katie Cooke were presented with the award Aug. 13.

The Premier Breastfeeding Award is given by the USDA to a select few organizations to honor them for the work they do in helping breastfeeding mothers. According to the USDA, the program works “to recognize local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support activities.”

In the Midwest region this year, only five premier awards were given out among four states. Matura WIC was the only Iowa location to receive this award. Last year, only two Midwest locations received premiere awards.

Through the peer counselor program, new and expectant mothers are able to get information and support from other knowledgeable and experienced mothers in the community.

Iowa WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator Nicole Newman said the work done in Creston with the peer counseling program has drastically raised the number on mothers in the area breastfeeding.

“When they looked at the data from 2018 to 2022, they were seeing 20% higher rates of initiation for moms that have help during pregnancy and postpartum from peers,” Newman said. “Not just the initiation, but the longevity of breastfeeding has been impacted.”

Nancy Ranieri, the USDA’s lead program specialist in good and nutrition services, said these numbers are extraordinary in the world of breastfeeding.

“In breastfeeding, we’re so used to talking about a half of a percent or 1%, so 20% is huge in breastfeeding talk,” Ranieri said. “We know how effective the breastfeeding program is and your peers.”

More information about the services Matura WIC provides can be found at maturacommunityaction.com. Those wishing to become a peer counselor can contact their local WIC office.