Convincing University to Support BFing/Pumping Students?

[MeepyCat]

Some background: I started a business school program at a large university in Massachusetts last month. My son is three months old. When I was admitted, I discussed my need for a place to pump breastmilk with the administrators of the program, and they were very supportive. The program assistant has been lending me her office when I need to pump. The problem is that the office itself isn't always available - if the staff goes out to lunch, they lock up, and the office is completely closed on Fridays (when there are usually no classes). On top of that, she often has to ask me to wait while she puts away confidential student papers. She's always very sweet about it, but this really should not be her problem.

Today, the program office was completely closed, and I had to go to about five hours of student presentations. I wound up begging the student health center to let me use an exam room to pump.

I am so freaking tired of this mamas. It shouldn't be up to one assistant in one university office to support me by lending me her office. The university (which tries very hard to attract non-traditional students, and which employs thousands of people) should provide a space. I'd settle for a utility closet with a lock on the door.

I talked to the assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs, and at her request, I wrote her a long, polite letter regarding the need for the university to support breastfeeding students and employees. There is no law regarding employer support for breastfeeding in MA (there are some bills up in the state legislature, but nothing passed or enacted). I have sung the university the siren song of reduced absenteeism and health care costs and improved employee retention. I have pointed out that I can't be the only breastfeeding mother in the student body. Do any of you have suggestions for other persuasive points I could hit?

[Janice in Canada]

Get in touch with this woman, and compare notes. I know her - tell her Janice Reynolds sent you to her!




Dear all:



I am presently employed on a contractual basis with Memorial University for the purpose of developing a breastfeeding policy for faculty, staff and students. In that regard, I would be interested in hearing if members are aware of current breastfeeding policies in universities or colleges across Canada.

Thank you for assisting me with this project!

Warm regards,

Janet





Janet Murphy Goodridge RN,MN,IBCLC
53 Rennie's Mill Road
St. John's, NL
A1C 3P9
709-753-2052
[e-mail]

[Janice in Canada]

Here's a Canadian University that supports breastfeeding:


New breastfeeding friendly space available at Laurentian



http://www.northernlife.ca/News/Life...-Breastfeeding



Date Published | Apr. 5, 2007










The Sudbury & District Health Unit has announced the Laurentian Association of Mature and Part-Time Students (LAMPS) Room A-127 as the newest official “Breastfeeding Friendly” space within the Sudbury & Manitoulin Districts.

LAMPS is helping to make students with young children more comfortable in their establishment by recognizing a woman’s right to breastfeed anytime, anywhere.


“We need to increase society’s awareness that breastfeeding is the best start you can give your child. It’s the natural way to feed your infant,” says Mélanie Boulais, public health nurse with the Sudbury & District Health Unit, in a news release.

“Breastfeeding mothers are telling us that they feel there is no reason to hide breastfeeding from the rest of the world. They report that while some places are very supportive of breastfeeding families, others are less accommodating.”

The health unit's Breastfeeding Friendly Spaces initiative recognizes establishments that support a woman’s right to breastfeed a child in public areas.

These include educational institutions, hospitals and health services, recreational centres, malls, parks, public transit, stores, and restaurants.

LMAPS is the most recent organization in the Sudbury & Manitoulin Districts to be officially recognized as Breastfeeding Friendly. Other establishments are also taking steps to provide a supportive environment for breastfeeding families.

“A simple yet effective breastfeeding policy can make breastfeeding mothers feel welcomed anywhere, anytime,” says Boulais.

Richard Paquette, President of LAMPS, is aware of the important role that breastfeeding plays in the healthy development of infants.

“We believe that breastfeeding friendly spaces are important," he said. "We realize post-secondary study is highly compatible with parenthood and feel that by helping to make the campus more accessible for parents we are improving their chances to realize their dreams of post-secondary education, which are too often put aside because of family responsibilities.”

For more information on Breastfeeding Friendly Spaces, or if you would like to develop a Breastfeeding Friendly policy for your establishment, call the health unit's Family Health Promotion Team at 522-9200, ext. 427.

[Janice in Canada]

Here's another Canadian University



Western gives students a place to breastfeed babies



http://charlatan.ca/index.php?option...8708&Itemid=27



Written by Heather Sutherland

Thursday, 29 March 2007

The University of Western Ontario is making better efforts to accommodate breastfeeding mothers on campus.

The issue came up when a group of nursing students decided to ask the school for private space to use on campus as part of a political action project they were doing.

One of the students is a mother herself who had to express her milk on campus because it was the only way to keep breast feeding, said group member Christine Clifford in an e-mail interview.

"Breastfeeding is a very private thing for some women, and it is important that they be able to have somewhere at campus where they can feel comfortable expressing their milk," Clifford said.



(see link for full article)



Janice

[waawa]

While I totally, totally agree that you should be accommodated if that is your preference (is there a Women's Room or women's club/department that could help?) - have you thought about solving the problem in the short-term by getting a cover, either a blanket or a hooter-hider type cover, and just pumping wherever you like? I found this rather freeing when I was EPing!

[MeepyCat]

Waawa, I'm just really uncomfortable hooking myself up to machinery in public. Even if I had some kind of cover, I'd have to take my shirt off to get stuff set up and the public indecency laws in this state don't make exceptions for breastfeeding (there are bills in consideration, but nothing in force).

And my letdown is pretty chancy if there's more than my husband in the room.

[Twilight]

Meepycat, I'm glad you wrote them a letter. They need someplace on campus for mothers who pump. You may emphasize that it can be done very cost-effectively. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. They could take an existing restroom and partition-off an area with a sofa and outlet, and call it good.

I thought LLL used to have info on their website for employers wanting to create a lactation room... but I can't find it now. Medela does have a good page on establishing a lactation program. maybe you can refer the dean to this page:
http://www.medela.com/NewFiles/corplactprgm.html

A nice, clean, private place for mothers to pump is the #1 priority, and the article probably contains other info the dean hasn't thought of. The article makes it sound like the workplace needs to provide a pump... obviously they don't, but if the university determines they have a critical mass of nursing mothers on campus, it's an attractive option.

That said - I'm a student right now and my department has nicely offered to let me use an empty office for pumping. but if i'm here on weekends (as I am now), I go to the student center... they have ballrooms upstairs, and the bathrooms across from the ballrooms are very posh. they have a little lounge area with sofas, chairs, mirrors, and outlets, semi-private and separate from the toilet area, so I'm totally fine with pumping there. do you have any restrooms like that on campus?

[cutekid]

When you figure it out let me know. I was a pumping student mama, and I pumped before I left for class. My classes were schedule so I wouldn't be out of the house more than two hours at a time. I also lived about 5 minutes from the university at the time so it wasn't that big of a deal.

I have found on my campus, that going to each department you have classes and has for permission to use the rooms. Recently my department was displaced. We didn't have a designated set of class rooms because our building was having asbestos removed. My department used the classes of other departments, so it was up to those departments to allow use of the rooms. Does that make sense. LOL

As for the employees. I have sent information directly to department chairs about promoting breastfeeding at work, if I know they have a pregnant woman working for them. I also send them info about pumping in the bathroom, and why that's probably not the most supportive solution for a place to pump. From what I understand that information did work for the SCR, who had several pregnant women working. The Supervisor, set up a "pumping cubicle" it was a space for pumping mamas.

Denise