Linda Seed is the current president of the Bitterroot Breastfeeding Coalition, a longtime volunteer organization in the Bitterroot.
Each year, according to Seed, the coalition promotes World Breastfeeding Week with some local activities and publicity. This week emphasizes creating sustainable support systems for new moms and their babies. The week starts on Friday, August 1 and runs through Thursday, August 7.
During that week, a youth librarian at the Bitterroot Public Library will be reading a special story at their story hour on Friday, August 1 at 10:30 a.m. about animal mothers and babies, with an age appropriate activity to go along with the story. The library has done this each year for several years. Also Chapter One Book Store will have a display table of family and health-related books during that week.
Locally, Bitterroot Health is making more frequent classes for expectant moms available, providing classes every two months rather than the three month intervals in the past. The hospital has a new birthing center coordinator, Michelle Yotter. Coalition board member Ronda Kulczyk works on call at the birthing center and will be helping with the prenatal education classes.
Another board member, Sheehan Ednie-Rosen, is a local midwife. Nicole Helgert, another board member, is Health Manager at Early Head Start. The Coalition’s newest member, Amanda Lassiter, is a local physical therapist specializing in women’s health. As a member of the Pelvic Health Network, she will be hosting a training session, Breastfeeding Strategies for Professionals, in mid-September, with Ann Croghan, about improving experiences in the first 0-6 days.
Linda Seed, president of the Bitterroot Breastfeeding Coalition, was awarded a scholarship in memory of Patricia Hennessy to attend the statewide annual breastfeeding learning collaborative. Hennessy was a lifelong advocate for children’s breastfeeding and nutritional health.
This year at the Ravalli County Fair, which runs August 25-31, breastfeeding moms will have a special area where they can feed their babies, or use their breast pumps, in the Medic building located past the grassy area near the grandstand in the north area off the main walkway.
Recently two board members, Ronda Kulczyk and Linda Seed, attended the statewide annual breastfeeding learning collaborative at Fairmont Hot Springs. Seed was awarded a scholarship for the event in honor of Patricia Hennessy, a lifelong advocate for children’s breastfeeding and nutritional health, who recently passed away.