INSTITUTE FOR PATIENT-CENTERED DESIGN
LACTATION ROOM DESIGN
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Lactation Room Example -Provided byDeKalb Office
Lactation Room Design Recommendations
The Lactation Room Design Recommendations is Funded in part by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Community Action Grant.
A woman should not have to choose between resuming her higher education or career and providing breast milk for her child.
Currently, many women are deterred from returning to school or work if they are breastfeeding an infant for fear that they will not be able to continue breastfeeding after resuming an education or a career. Those who do return to work are often forced to make the difficult decision to wean their babies earlier than planned due to inadequate accommodations to express milk in a university setting or in the workplace. The goal of this project is to provide tools and inspiration more facilities to become “Mom Friendly.”
According to the CDC, women who work outside the home do not breastfeed as long as stay-at-home mothers. The lack of accommodations for breast milk expression contributes largely to a woman’s decision to wean her baby early or to avoid breastfeeding altogether. In 2010 the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act was amended to require break time and a private lactation space (not a restroom) for mothers who wish to express breast milk in the workplace; however, many facilities are not yet compliant.
This project’s goal is to create recommended standards to be used by building owners, employers and universities to provide sufficient lactation accommodations for women who work, visit, or study in their facilities. The mentoring component of this project will teenage girls to participate in the development of the guide, contributing to an important cause for women and sharpening leadership skills. The goal of this project is to increase lactation accommodations in places where women work, study or visit, while providing valuable mentorship to aspiring designers.
