Private Lactation Spaces

Portland Campus: There is a private room on campus that is reserved specifically for lactating students. It is in Building 5 in a private room inside the student nurses’ lounge.  It remains unlocked when not in use and may be accessed any time or day of the week. The room may be locked when in use to ensure privacy. Please sign in so that usage may be tracked.

It is furnished with a comfortable chair, electrical outlets, lockers, diaper changing table, refrigerator for milk storage, and wipes for cleaning. A bathroom and sink are near the room.

McMinnville Campus: There is a private, secured room on campus that students may use for pumping milk. The room is furnished with a comfortable chair and electrical outlets. The room is unlocked between 8:00-4:30, M-F unless in use by students. If other hours or days are needed, contact the Human Resources office.

MILK STORAGE

Portland Campus: Students may use the lactation room refrigerator to store their milk.  Students are responsible for labeling, dating, and securing their milk containers – Linfield University is not responsible for milk stored in the refrigerator.

McMinnville Campus: Students may contact the Lactation Liaison to locate a refrigerator to store milk.  Students are responsible for labeling, dating, and securing their milk containers. Linfield University is not responsible for milk stored in the refrigerator. 

LACTATION BREAKS FROM CLASS, LABS AND ON CAMPUS CLINICAL

Portland Campus and McMinnville Campus: 

Students must contact their course or clinical faculty to disclose the need to be excused to breast/chestfeed or express milk. Students should make reasonable efforts to express milk between classes or outside of instruction time. In addition, students should use regular break times for part of lactation breaks.  Milk expression and/or breast/chestfeeding requires varying lengths of time depending on the person and circumstances.  An expected range is between 15 and 40 minutes using a non-hospital grade electric pump. Linfield places no restriction on the amount of time or frequency a student may need if that time is spent in the process of pumping or breast/chestfeeding. 

Students may feel reluctant to excuse themselves to pump or breast/chestfeed for fear of missing information or experiences, or from feeling awkward or disruptive. Students are responsible for communicating needs to course faculty, such as selective seating, class recording (must have faculty consent), bringing baby to class (must have faculty consent), or other strategies for success. Faculty are responsible for offering reasonable accommodations and treating the request in the same manner as requests for any short-term medical need.

Breastfeeding Locations

Breast/chestfeeding in the classroom, labs or campus clinical

Portland and McMinnville Campus: If students desire to breast/chestfeed baby in the classroom, lab, or on campus clinical, they must contact course faculty for permission and logistics. Helpful accommodations include securing a spacious and comfortable seat with ease of entry and exit. Some considerations include safety and setting.

Breast/chestfeeding in Linfield University public spaces

Title IX prohibits harassment related to sex, including breastfeeding.  Oregon state law further protects against harassment when breastfeeding in public. In addition, Linfield University encourages, values, and supports breast/chestfeeding in any of our public spaces.

Breast/chestfeeding off campus during educational experiences (clinical, practicums, internships, etc.)

Portland Campus: The student is responsible for contacting clinical faculty and the IEL coordinator as soon as possible to plan for pumping or breast/chestfeeding at the site.  The IEL coordinator and faculty will work together to provide reasonable accommodations, treating the request as any other temporary medical need. Sufficient breaks and a private room for pumping or breast/chestfeeding are required provisions. This may not be a bathroom. Strategies might include selecting a preferred site and/or shift to improve ease of breast/chestfeeding or pumping and locating key supporters at clinical.

The student is responsible for communicating lactation needs to clinical faculty or RN staff, such as planning pumping breaks, and patient coverage while on breaks.

Milk expression and/or breast/chestfeeding requires varying lengths of time depending on the person and circumstances.   An expected range is between 15 and 40 minutes using a non-hospital grade electric pump. Linfield places no restriction on the amount of time or frequency a student may need if that time is spent in the process of pumping or breast/chestfeeding. As much as possible, students should use regular break times (perhaps combined) and lunch to cover some of the time needed for lactation. Students remain responsible for meeting course outcomes and are encouraged to talk with clinical faculty to discuss strategies for meeting course outcomes and lactation goals.

McMinnville Campus: The student is responsible for contacting course faculty as soon as possible to plan for pumping or breast/chestfeeding at the site.  The faculty will work to provide reasonable accommodations, treating the request as any other temporary medical need. Sufficient breaks and a private room for pumping or breast/chestfeeding are required provisions. This may not be a bathroom. Strategies might include selecting a preferred practicum site and schedule to improve ease of breast/chestfeeding or pumping and locating key supporters.

The student is responsible for communicating lactation needs to appropriate people at the site.

Milk expression and/or breast/chestfeeding requires varying lengths of time depending on the person and circumstances.  An expected range is between 15 and 40 minutes using a non-hospital grade electric pump. Linfield places no restriction on the amount of time or frequency a student may need if that time is spent in the process of pumping or breast/chestfeeding. As much as possible, students should use regular break times (perhaps combined) and lunch to cover some of the time needed for lactation. Students remain responsible for meeting course outcomes and are encouraged to talk with faculty to discuss strategies for meeting course outcomes and breastfeeding goals.

Online : The student is responsible for contacting course faculty as soon as possible to plan for expressing milk or breast/chestfeeding when engaged with in-person learning.  The faculty will work to provide reasonable accommodations, treating the request as any other temporary medical need. Sufficient breaks and a private room for pumping or breast/chestfeeding are required provisions. This may not be a bathroom.

The student is responsible for communicating lactation needs to appropriate people. Strategies might include selecting a preferred practicum site and schedule to improve ease of breast/chestfeeding or pumping and locating key supporters.

Pumping and/or breast/chestfeeding requires varying lengths of time depending on the person and circumstances.  An expected range is between 15 and 40 minutes using a non-hospital grade electric pump. Linfield places no restriction on the amount of time or frequency a student may need if that time is spent in the process of pumping or breast/chestfeeding. As much as possible, students should use regular break times (perhaps combined) and lunch to cover some of the time needed for lactation. Students remain responsible for meeting course outcomes and are encouraged to talk with clinical faculty to discuss strategies for meeting course outcomes and lactation goals.