Breastfeeding is the natural choices to nourish babies, but sometimes lactating moms can feel overwhelmed when they lack support or have questions. The Florida Department of Health in Pinellas County (DOH-Pinellas) WIC program has breastfeeding peer counselors to assist them, but sometimes issues arise after hours or on weekends.

To make sure breastfeeding moms have the support they need to continue helping their babies grow, DOH-Pinellas created the Warm Line that is answered by a peer counselor on call. Dial (727) 824-6997 with questions or breastfeeding issues. (The service is called the Warm Line because it offers caring services, but is not a hotline for health emergencies. Counselors do not make WIC appointments or address issues with WIC vouchers.)

Moms, especially those without a strong support system at home, may have questions about the baby’s feeding habits, about the baby’s ability to latch on or about nourishing more than one baby at a time. The Warm Line is designed to fill in gaps in information and to offer advice from a trusted and experienced counselor.

For information about DOH-Pinellas, go to https://pinellas.floridahealth.gov/index.html or follow us on Twitter @HealthyPinellas.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.