The Snohomish Health District’s mother-child nutrition program is teaming up with Edmonds Community College to celebrate the opening of a lactation room for breastfeeding student moms with a “Latch on to Your Community” event.

The event, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 28 in Triton Student Center, Brier Hall, will include speakers, information tables and prizes for participation.

The lactation room will be open for the celebration as well.

The private room, specially outfitted with comfortable chairs and couches, is in Brier Hall Room 246. For directions, see http://www.edcc.edu/campus/.

“Having a quiet, comfortable place to breastfeed or pump helps student moms, and gives babies a healthy start in life,” said Snohomish Health District Breastfeeding Coordinator Lily Sheremeta.

The Health District provides services through the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program at its clinic near the college in Lynnwood, as well as in downtown Everett.

“Breastfed babies get sick less often, which means fewer missed classes and better education for student moms,” added Sheremeta.

Helping WIC mothers to breastfeed - and continue for at least six months - is the highest health priority of the WIC Program. Trained staff and peer counselors help pregnant mothers plan for breastfeeding and support them through the beginning stages of breastfeeding. WIC also loans breast pumps to mothers so they can continue breastfeeding when they return to work or school.

Kristina Madden attended Edmonds CC as a breastfeeding mom and working mother of three. She spearheaded the effort to get a lactation room on campus by working with student leaders and the college’s Center for Student Engagement and Leadership.

Madden excelled at the college, where she studied the immunobiology of breast milk in her honors classes and earned a prestigious national scholarship.

She also worked as a breastfeeding peer counselor for WIC.

“It was important to me to know I was continuing to give my child the best nutrition as well as helping keep both of us healthy. It was also an important way for me to stay connected to my child through a rough transition back to school,” said Madden, now a nursing student at the University of Washington.

Thirty-three percent of students at Edmonds Community College have children in their care. The college serves more than 20,000 students annually.

Learn more about WIC at the Snohomish Health District website: http://www.snohd.org/Shd_CH/Wic.aspx.

Established in 1959, the Snohomish Health District works for a safer and healthier Snohomish County through disease prevention, health promotion, and protection from environmental threats. Find more information about the Health District at http://www.snohd.org.