Dimond Library Lactation Room
On behalf of the UNH President's Commission on the Status of Women and Dimond Library, we are pleased to announce the creation of a lactation room in Dimond Library. The lactation room is located on the main floor of Dimond Library. A key for the room can be checked out at the main circulation desk. Questions can be answered by contacting
Pam Lehman @ 603-862-1512 or the President's Commissions Office at 603 862-1058.
The Women's Commission has been working diligently on the creation of lactation policy at UNH in response to a need by UNH community members. The Women's Commission is thankful for the overwhelming support of this valued project by the Library Administration, particularly Diane Tebbetts, Barbara Lerch, and Claudia Morner. The library donated physical space for the creation of this lactation room. This project has involved many people along the way, including but not limited to, Dimond Library, all the members of the Women's Commission, President Hart, the President's Office, Joyce Fortier and the crew responsible for construction, Donna Marie Sorrentino who advised with regard to accessibility issues, those who gave voice to the issue and made action possible, Erik Johnson who has generously donated a print of an original piece of his art to hang in the lactation room, and Christine Shea, faculty from the department of Decision Sciences, who donated a glider and ottoman.
Current research exists which support the importance of breastfeeding for the health of infants. "The World Health Organization (WHO) and many other experts encourage women to breastfeed for as long as possible, 1 year or even longer, because human milk provides the best nutrition and protection against infections
1." "The need to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding among women in the labor force is an important global issue that requires greater attention. An increasing proportion of women of child-bearing age are employed outside the home. Women who resume full-time work outside the home when their infants are young tend to have shorter durations of breastfeeding and less exclusive breastfeeding. However, evidence indicates that appropriate breastfeeding policy and support programs can help sustain breastfeeding among employed women. Effective strategies include delayed return to work, working part-time, improved conditions at work for breastfeeding, breastfeeding breaks during work hours, milk expression and storage, and access to breastfeeding counseling."
2
This statement could also transcend to include the student population and UNH visitors. Lactation policy and lactation rooms will not only benefit the labor pool at UNH (faculty and staff) and UNH visitors who may be attending workshops and conferences, but also students of all levels, undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate, who have returned to the college campus after having a child. A lactation room will allow private space to accommodate milk expression or breastfeeding if wanted.
A lactation room in Dimond Library provides a central location on campus with great accessibility because of the Library's extensive hours of operation. The Women's Commission is in the process of identifying other prime locations to serve the needs of the campus. The Women's Commission will keep the community advised as new developments occur on this initiative.
1 Academy of Pediatrics Web Site, accessed 25 January 2005. .
2 Rea MF; Morrow AL. (2004). Protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding among women in the labor force. [Abstract] Advances in experimental medicine and biology. [Adv Exp Med Biol] 2004; Vol. 554, pp. 121-32. Accessed 25 January 2005, from Ebscohost (MEDLINE).
