Lactation / Quiet Rooms

Lactation/Quiet Rooms (LQR) are available for use by students, faculty and staff of The University of Texas at Austin who are nursing mothers or who require rest for medical reasons. The rooms are NOT intended to provide space to rest for those with medical conditions that are highly contagious from contact with contaminated surfaces, e.g. influenza, stomach viruses, common cold, pink eye, etc. Individuals with those types of medical conditions should rest at home and seek medical care, as appropriate. The University sponsors lactation/quiet rooms in various buildings campus-wide to promote work/life balance for greater morale, satisfaction and productivity within the University community. Additionally, under the Affordable Care Act, employees may take reasonable break time for purposes of breast feeding and be offered a private setting for this purpose.

How to Access

To gain access to a Lactation/Quiet Room, see the contact person for the LQR most conveniently located for you.

Scheduling

To find out about room availability, check with the contact person for the LQR most conveniently located for you. In some cases, you can reserve a room for specific times; in other cases the rooms may be available on a first come, first serve basis. If your needs conflict with someone who has already reserved the room, you may decide to negotiate with that person for use of the room when you need it.

Department policies will vary regarding use of the rooms and how to account for your time. Please be sure to consult with your supervisor before making arrangements to use a room.

Note: Counselors in Work/Life & EAP can help you plan how to discuss requests for use of a Lactation/Quiet Room with your supervisor. Please consult with them (471-3366) if you would like help making your proposal or if you are uncomfortable about addressing this need at work.

Available Resources

Resources in individual rooms will vary depending on new construction, renovations, or the repurposing of an existing space. All rooms will have a chair, counter or table space, electrical outlets, a door lock and bathroom facilities nearby. Some rooms will have a sink and/or refrigerator. Check the specific room you will be using to see if you need to bring supplies or a way to refrigerate your milk. For rooms equipped with an Ameda Elite breast pump, users will need to bring their own compatible collection kits. In rooms that are not equipped with pumps, users will be responsible for bringing their own. Under the Affordable Care Act, breast pumps are a covered benefit for employees enrolled in the UT Select Medical Plan.