Lactation spaces on UNL campus will provide privacy, support for mothers

A new policy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln underscores the university's commitment to creating a family-friendly environment for students, faculty and staff. Beginning Sept. 10, dozens of lactation spaces will be available to nursing mothers campuswide.

"The University of Nebraska-Lincoln recognizes the importance of supporting new mothers who want to continue to breastfeed while they work or attend school," said Chancellor Harvey Perlman. "Acknowledging the health benefits of breastfeeding, the university should make private, accessible, and comfortable lactation rooms available to its employees and students who want to express milk while on campus and away from their infant."

Two types of lactation rooms are located around campus, so that a person wanting to use a room is always within a 5- to 10-minute walk from a designated room. Several spaces on campus are semi-private lactation rooms. These are located in areas that through the use of screens and other devices, are semi-private but do not require a key or any form of permission for entry. Each space is equipped with a comfortable chair, a table, and an electrical outlet.

Private rooms will also be available in many campus buildings. A student or employee wanting access to a private room can schedule use of the room, arrange access to the key and obtain a privacy door-hanger. Additionally, University Housing will offer a limited number of small refrigerators that may be borrowed for milk storage during the period of lactation. Under the new policy supervisors of faculty and staff are to provide flexible scheduling to accommodate workers' lactation.

Ultimately, there will be 14 semi-private and 38 private rooms available on campus. Lactation room locations and a list of contact individuals for the private rooms will be available online soon. As new buildings are constructed, UNL will identify rooms that can be scheduled for lactation rooms as part of the planning process.

"This is good policy for many reasons," Perlman said. "The university's efforts to become family friendly are critical to our recruitment of faculty, staff and students. And, parents who have these simple comforts will make better employees and students, and their babies will be happier for it."