West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 5.21 Effective Date: 03/01/21 5.21

Use of Breast Pumps

1 of 4 POLICY:

The West Virginia WIC Program provides breast pumps to nursing, postpartum WIC participants to increase breastfeeding duration, and to help maintain breastfeeding.

PROCEDURE:

A. Accountability of Breast Pumps

1. Breast pumps may be disbursed by a Breastfeeding Coordinator, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, Nutritionist/Nutrition Associate (CPA), or another WIC Staff member that has received training in the use and maintenance of breast pumps.

2. The Breastfeeding Coordinator or a designee is responsible for keeping records of breast pump disbursements on file using the following:

a. Document provision of a breast pump on the Crossroads Breastfeeding Support (Breast Pump Issuance) Screen. b. West Virginia WIC Program Breast Pump Loan Agreement (see Attachment #1, 5.21).

3. The Breastfeeding Coordinator will conduct quarterly chart reviews for Breast Pump Loan Agreement return dates and Lost/Stolen Pump documentation.

B. Manual Breast Pump Disbursement

1. Manual breast pumps may be given to all WIC postpartum participants, as needed or as available.

2. Except in cases of severe engorgement, the breast pump should be given after the woman has continued to breastfeed an infant for four (4) weeks to allow her milk supply to become well-established. Early routine use of a manual breast pump in place of nursing will not be encouraged because:

a. Establishment of a milk supply takes three (3) to four (4) weeks; and b. A manual breast pump does not stimulate milk supply, or facilitate milk expression, as well as the baby nursing effectively at the breast.

3. Manual breast pumps may be given to the postpartum participant, but not limited to when she:

a. Returns to school or work b. Is not comfortable with hand expression c. Does not feel that she can continue nursing without a breast pump available

C. Electric Breast Pump Disbursement

1. Electric breast pumps are owned by the State Agency and loaned to the Local Agency as requested.

West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 5.21 Effective Date: 03/01/21 5.21

Use of Breast Pumps

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2. When necessary, the State Agency reserves the right to transfer an electric breast pump from a Local Agency for use by a participant in another Local Agency.

3. Electric breast pumps may be loaned to postpartum participants in, but are not limited to, the following circumstances:

a. When there is a critical situation involving separation of the mother and infant and/or medical problems such as, but not limited to, prematurity, cleft lip or palate, and surgery.

b. When the woman or infant is hospitalized, and the hospital does not provide pumping assistance.

c. When a woman is temporarily on a medication not compatible with breastfeeding and she must pump and discard milk.

d. When a woman has twins, triplets, or other multiple births.

e. When a woman returns to work.

f. If other critical or unusual situations arise, contact your Local Agency Breastfeeding Coordinator or the State Breastfeeding Coordinator.

4. Electric breast pumps must be disbursed with the approval of the Breastfeeding Coordinator and documented on the Crossroads Breastfeeding Support (Breast Pump Issuance) Screen.

a. A Family Alert will be put in the Crossroads record. b. The Breastfeeding Peer Counselor must document the date that a breast pump was disbursed, and instructions given, in the Crossroads Family Care Plan (see below – 7.).

5. The Electric Breast Pump Loan Agreement (see Attachment #1) must be completed by the Breastfeeding Coordinator, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor or designee and signed by the WIC participant:

a. The Local Agency Breastfeeding Coordinator will keep completed breast pump forms on file.

b. The forms will be filed in the participant charts, after the breast pumps are returned, and will be kept for three (3) years, one-hundred-fifty (150) days (see Policy 1.04 Record Retention).

c. The participant must be given a copy of the completed Loan Agreement.

6. An accessory kit should be given with an electric breast pump, if needed. The kit attaches to the electric breast pump and allows for single or double pumping.

West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 5.21 Effective Date: 03/01/21 5.21

Use of Breast Pumps

3 of 4 a. The accessory kit is not to be returned with the breast pump.

7. The WIC participant must be given a demonstration on how to set-up, use and clean the electric breast pump by a Breastfeeding Coordinator, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, Nutritionist/Nutrition Associate (CPA), or another WIC Staff member that has received training in the use and maintenance of breast pumps.

8. The Breastfeeding Coordinator or designee will contact the WIC participant who has borrowed an electric breast pump and document the contacts on the loan agreement (Attachment #1):

a. During the first week after disbursement to see how it is working, and to answer any questions; and b. At agreed intervals, until the breast pump is returned.

9. The electric breast pump must be returned when the situation is resolved.

D. Care and Cleaning of Electric Breast pumps

1. Appointed staff will be responsible for ensuring that loaned pumps are thoroughly disinfected when they are returned to the WIC office.

2. WIC staff issuing an electric breastpump will check that pumps are clean, prior to loaning the pump to a participant.

E. Responsibilities of the Breastfeeding Coordinator

1. Care, security and return of electric breast pumps by the WIC participant.

2. Make efforts to retrieve an electric breast pump when it is not returned by an agreed date. If the breast pump is not returned by the agreed date, the Breastfeeding Coordinator will:

a. Send out Return of Breast Pump Reminder letter (see Attachment #2) to the participant.

b. If a participant does not return the breast pump after the first letter is sent out, the Breastfeeding Coordinator will send out Return of Breast Pump Warning Letter (see Attachment #3) to the participant.

c. If the breast pump is not returned to the WIC clinic, a Collection Agency can assist with the retrieval of the breast pump and/or a police report can be filed for stolen property.

3. Report the loss or damage of an electric breast pump to the State Agency Breastfeeding Coordinator.

4. Food benefits will not be withheld when an electric breast pump is not returned.

ATTACHMENTS:

West Virginia WIC Policy & Procedure 5.21 Effective Date: 03/01/21 5.21

Use of Breast Pumps

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1. West Virginia WIC Program Electric Breast Pump Loan Agreement 2. Return of Breast Pump Reminder letter 3. Return of Breast Pump Warning Letter 4. Overview of Pumps and Indications for Use