Campus Lactation Rooms
Are you a nursing mother on campus in need of a private place to use a breast pump or to nurse your baby?
Here are some places on campus that have space available. Rooms are available to all members of the campus community and guests on campus. All of the rooms have at a minimum an electrical outlet, a locking door, chair and desk/table, and a clean and private space. Other features are listed for each room. Please note that the contacts listed below will do their best to work with your needs but availability cannot be guaranteed.
While some people prefer to nurse their babies in a private, quiet, distraction-free environment, it is important to stress that this is a choice, not a requirement. Kansas law (K.S.A. 43-158) gives women the legal right to nurse her baby in public.
KU cares about helping nursing mothers feel welcome on campus and have the resources they need to balance work, school and family. In addition, new laws state that the nursing mothers who are subject to the overtime requirements of the FLSA be provided reasonable break time to express milk. For more information, please consult the KU Policy on Lactation Support and FLSA Requirements (http://www.dol.gov/whd/nursingmothers/ or http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs73.htm).
Looking for community breastfeeding resources? Some options:
Breastfeeding Coalition of Douglas County Resource Guide
Lawrence- Douglas County Health Dept. (includes BIBS – Breast is Best support group)
Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition
Links to information about your rights as a nursing parent:
Questions and Answers about the Request for Information
OPM Guidance on Nursing Mothers in the Federal Workforce
Room Locations by Campus Building
Please contact the individuals listed below for more information and to make arrangements. Rooms highlighted in RED are DEDICATED spaces, meaning they are only used for one purpose- as a lactation site. All other rooms are available to nursing mothers by appointment as they are also used for other purposes.
Lawrence Campus KU Med Edwards Campus
beschuyler@ku.edu
785-864-3591
Other features: access to refrigerator; sink nearby
Contact Bridget Patti or check whiteboard on outside of door for availability
Contact: Bridget Patti
bridgetp@ku.edu
785-864-9775
Does your building (or a building you frequent) need a lactation room? Here are some steps you and/or your building manager can take to get started.
- First check the current listing of Lactation Rooms on campus. Is your or an adjacent building listed?
- If a lactation room does not exist in your building and there is not a room close by, you can start with the chair or dean; or you could also contact spacemanagement@ku.edu. You can also contact the ETC to discuss options and get the ball rolling (email: emilytaylorcenter@ku.edu; phone: 785-864-3552).
- You may know of some rooms to consider. Here are the minimum requirements:
- The room should be a safe, private space with…
- No windows (preferred) or windows that provide privacy and complete coverage (blinds, drapes, shutters, etc...)
- A chair with a small table or shelf on which to set the breast pump.
- An electrical outlet.
- A door that can be locked from the inside.
- Access from a main hallway (rather than through an office suite)
- The following items are useful, but not required
- A sink in the room or nearby
- A refrigerator in the room or located nearby
- A trash can
- Want to go a step further in creating a comfortable space? Check out this link
- The room should be a safe, private space with…
Do you currently oversee/manage a lactation room? Here is some helpful information.
Thank you for offering this much needed space to the university community!
- In order to maintain the room, please review that the space meets the minimum requirements:
- The room should be a safe, private space with…
- No windows (preferred) or windows that provide privacy and complete coverage (blinds, drapes, shutters, etc...)
- A chair with a small table or shelf on which to set the breast pump.
- An electrical outlet.
- A door that can be locked from the inside.
- Access from a main hallway (rather than through an office suite)
- The following items are useful, but not required
- A sink in the room or nearby
- A refrigerator in the room or located nearby
- Trash can.
- Want to go a step further in creating a comfortable space? Check out this link.
- The room should be a safe, private space with…
- Rooms referred to as “dedicated” spaces are used for one purpose only – as a lactation room. Rooms used for other purposes can also be used as lactation rooms as long as they meet the requirements listed.
- Do you have a clear process for the use of the room? For instance, does a user need to make an appointment? check in at a front desk? check out a key? Be sure that this information is posted so it is visible for all and is shared with key staff who may encounter those needing the space. Also inform the ETC of the process so it can be posted on the website.
- It is highly recommended that the room is stocked with the following supplies: paper towels, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes. The ETC has these items available for you. Drop by the ETC at 1040 Burge Union to pick them up or let us know if you’d like us to drop them off to you.
- Please make sure the room is clean and maintained.
- Please help us keep track of the use of these rooms. It helps us know how we’re doing, providing a snapshot of areas where there are gaps and opportunities to expand. Here is the tracking sheet - fill out by the end of each month.
- Other resources that may be useful can be found at: https://emilytaylorcenter.ku.edu/resources
