Tulane Breastfeeding Program

 

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Objectives

  • Increase awareness on Tulane's campus of the importance of breastfeeding to the child, mother, infant, workplace, and society.
  • Implement and evaluate strategies necessary to create a breastfeeding-friendly environment and encourage exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant's life, with continued breastfeeding for at least one year.

History

The Tulane Breastfeeding Program began with Dr. Jeanette Magnus, former Chair of the Community Health Sciences Department and Director of the Mary Amelia Women's Health Education Center (MAC). Several years ago, Dr. Magnus designated two rooms on Tulane's downtown campus as pumping rooms for faculty, students, and staff. Each room, one located in the Tidewater building and one in the Mary Amelia Center, was equipped with a multi-user breast pump.

In an effort to increase Tulane's support for breastfeeding and the number of lactation rooms campus-wide, a group of interested faculty, students, and staff was created to discuss the university's needs and to develop a plan. In the summer of 2008, an MPH student took on this initiative to increase breastfeeding support at Tulane. During that time, the Louisiana Infants and Children's (WIC) Program was offering a grant opportunity to provide businesses that were establishing workplace breastfeeding programs with a chair, breastfeeding educational materials, including posters, pamphlets, a multi-user breast pump, and attachment kits.

The Tulane Provost's Office was contacted about the need for increased breastfeeding support at Tulane and the grant opportunity. After meeting with Deans in the Provost's Office, additional space for lactation rooms on campus was identified, and the WIC grant was pursued for two specific sites.

Tulane University was the recipient of the WIC grant and was able to furnish two additional rooms on campus (in the law school and medical school) with chairs and multi-user breast pumps. Other rooms and spaces for breastfeeding mothers were identified throughout campus at the Reily Fitness Center and the Student Health Center uptown. A brochure detailing all the locations was created and distributed across campus. Current efforts include raising awareness of the program.

We're on Facebook! Search Tulane Breastfeeding Support to join our group!

Have questions about the Tulane Breastfeeding Program? 

Contact TUBenefits@tulane.edu.

Additional Information 

Mothers are encouraged to breastfeed anywhere on campus and pump wherever they feel comfortable. The following rooms are designed for your convenience and are available to all faculty, staff, and students. Some of the amenities in our rooms are made possible through the Tulane University Women's Association. 

Downtown Locations

Tulane University Hospital and Clinic

Address and Map: 1415 Tulane Avenue, Room 4420, New Orleans, LA

  • This private room is equipped with chairs and a table with nursing magazines and is designated for employees, patients, or guests who are breastfeeding and/or pumping. The room is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and no key is needed to use the room, but it will lock from the inside. It should always be unlocked when not in use. 
  • For more information, please get in touch with the Tulane Breastfeeding Program at TuBenefits@tulane.edu.

Tulane Tidewater Building 

Address and Map: 1440 Canal St, New Orleans, LA 70112

  • Room Number: 1219 

Hutchinson Memorial Building, Tulane Health Sciences Center

Address and Map: 1430 Tulane Avenue, Room M064, New Orleans, LA

  • This private room is equipped with a chair, a refrigerator, and a table with nursing magazines and is located near a women's bathroom.
  • This room does not require a key to access. If the room is locked for some reason, security on the 1st floor of the building by the main entrance can open the door for you.
     

Uptown Locations

Howard-Tilton Memorial Library (HTML)

Address and Map: 7001 Freret St

  • This is a private, locked lactation and changing room in the HTML basement at the bottom of the front stairs, near the student lounge. The room is labeled "Changing Room/Mothers Room".
  • The room is equipped with a sink, chair, bench, power, and lockers, which can also be locked from the inside.
  • Accessible with a Key Card that can be requested at the Circulation Desk.

Mussafer Hall

Address and Map: Near Gibson Hall, Room 108, New Orleans, LA

  • This room is open to anyone from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Monday through Friday

Reily Student Recreation Center

Address and Map: 31 McAlister Drive, New Orleans, LA

  • The Reily Center has several locations within the building that are comfortable for breastfeeding moms. In addition, the gender-assisted changing room is equipped with a changing station, shower, and toilet.

  • Please get in touch with the Member Services Office at reilyctr@tulane.edu or 504-865-5431 if you have any questions.

Weinmann Hall, Tulane Law School

Address and Map: 6329 Freret Street, Room 1RRA, New Orleans, LA

  • This private, locked lactation room is in the first floor's women's restroom. The room includes seating, a table, a Medela Lactina Electric Breast Pump, and easy access to bathroom amenities.  

  • Please note that the Law School is Key Car access only after 7 pm. The mailroom (open 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m.)  has a key and is located on the first floor in Room 120. 

Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC)

Address and Map: 20 McAlister Place, New Orleans, LA

  • This room is located on the 2nd floor of the LBC in a private women's single-stall bathroom. The room is labeled "Lactation Station" and is equipped with a sink, chair, and table with literature. Like the LBC, this room is available 24 hours a day, and no key is needed to use the room, but it will lock from inside.   

  • Contact our staff at TuBenefits@tulane.edu with any questions or concerns.   

Newcomb Institute (The Commons)

Address and Map: 43 Newcomb Place, 3rd Floor, New Orleans, LA

  • This is a private, locked room located in the restroom suite of Newcomb Institute on the 3rd floor of the Commons. The room is labeled "Mother's Room."
  • The room is equipped with a chair, sink, lap desk, large counter, drying rack, changing pad, and outlets, and is stocked with unscented dish soap, hand lotion, baby wipes, and disinfecting wipes.
  • Accessible with a key that can be checked out at the front desk in suite 301.
  • Contact Newcomb Institute at 888-327-0009 or newcomb@tulane.edu if you have any questions.

A.B. Freeman School of Business 

Address and Map: 7 McAlister Dr, New Orleans, LA 

  • The first-floor women's bathroom changing room near classroom 180 has been converted into a lactation room. 
  • Accessible with a key that can be checked out from room 421; employees may keep a key, and students can check out a key and return it.
  • Contact Alysia Loshbaugh at akravitz@tulane.edu if you have any questions. 

Before your Maternity Leave

  • Plan your maternity leave strategically. If you have more time after the baby comes, then you will have longer to initiate breastfeeding. Research shows that a longer time at home after you give birth improves breastfeeding success.

  • Explore your maternity leave options. Visit Tulane's Leave of Absence webpage. Can you get a more flexible schedule? Maybe work from home sometimes?

  • Talk to your supervisor and explain your breastfeeding intentions and what that will mean at work. The new law and Tulane's Staff Handbook secure a reasonable break time, and though this varies from woman to woman, about 30 minutes every 3 hours is a good place to start.

  • Select a place to pump when you get back. You can pump wherever you feel comfortable, but you'll want to look for a place with an outlet, fridge, and sink close by. Tulane's lactation rooms have a variety of amenities in each. 

  • Time the walk to your pumping location and factor that into the time needed during your break.

  • Select a pump (see resources for help in selecting a pump)

  • Plan childcare for your baby after you return to work/school. If you decide to use a childcare center, ensure they support breastfeeding!

While on Leave

  • Establish a good milk supply. If you have any trouble, contact a lactation consultant before you go back to work.

  • Practice using your pump. This will reduce troubleshooting disturbances upon your return.

  • Establish backup milk. While practicing using your pump, freeze the milk you pump so you'll have plenty stored for when you return to work. La Leche League recommends pumping once or twice a day after breastfeeding a few weeks before you return to work. It will probably take a few days to increase your supply, so don't be discouraged if you don't get much milk at first.

  • Introduce a bottle shortly before returning to work, but wait until breastfeeding is well established (when the baby is about four weeks old). Your baby might not take a bottle from you, so let your partner or a friend in on the fun!

  • Do a trial run: set the alarm clock, nurse, shower, eat breakfast, and get yourself and your baby ready and out the door—it will be harder than you think! But then you can return home and adjust for the real first day.

Returning to Work

  • Babies tend to eat about 2-4 oz. at a time after they reach six weeks of age. For a full work day, send six 2 oz. containers/bags to the daycare. Stay in contact with your daycare provider to see if more or less is needed. You may want to send extra the first day or two to establish a backup.

  • Label your breast milk with the date pumped and the baby's name. The amount of milk needed is different for a formula-fed baby who constantly needs more formula as they grow due to differences in metabolism. Don't be surprised if your breastfed baby's milk needs to stay constant, but watch out for growth spurts.

  • Choose nursing or pumping-friendly clothes, such as two-piece outfits rather than dresses, for easy access to the breasts.

  • Consider returning to work on a Wednesday or Thursday so that you only have to face two or three days away from your baby the first week back.

  • Try to get as ready as possible the night before - pack your lunch, the baby's bag, etc.

  • Remember that short pumping and nursing sessions are better than no sessions. Breastfeeding is a supply-and-demand thing; if you skip too many sessions, your supply will dwindle.

  • The CDC does not list breast milk as "a body fluid for which most healthcare personnel should use special handling precautions," so you can store your breast milk in shared refrigerators. 

  • The Gift: The Gift is a quality improvement and certification program for Louisiana birthing facilities based on the best practice model to increase breastfeeding initiation, duration, and support. Is your birthing center certified?
     
  • GNOBAC: The Greater New Orleans Breastfeeding Awareness Coalition is an organization of persons with breastfeeding interests aimed at increasing awareness of the benefits of and support for breastfeeding in the New Orleans area.
     
  • Louisiana Breastfeeding Coalition (LBC): The LBC is a member organization that aims to make breastfeeding the norm in Louisiana. The LBC's website links mothers, families, and all sectors of the community to breastfeeding information and resources.
     
  • Mom-to-Mom Breastfeeding Support: La Leche League of Jefferson: La Leche League holds meetings to discuss breastfeeding with other moms. Anyone is invited to a meeting!
     
  • Partners for Healthy Babies: A list of Louisiana and New Orleans-specific resources for breastfeeding mothers.
     
  • Women, Infants & Children (WIC): WIC provides certain additional foods for pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age. 
     
  • ZipMilk.org: Enter your zip code for a list of all breastfeeding services in your area! Listings include lactation consultants, community breastfeeding educators and counselors, support groups, and WIC coordinators/clinics. 
     
  • ZukaBaby: A natural parenting boutique located in New Orleans, Louisiana. ZukaBaby specializes in breastfeeding accessories, cloth diapers, baby slings, and natural toys.

     

Hospital Breastfeeding Centers/Lactation Consultants

  • East Jefferson General Hospital: (504) 454-4323
  • Ochsner Medical Center Kenner: (504) 464-8345
  • Ochsner Medical Center Main Campus (504) 843-5210
  • Ochsner Medical Center West Bank: (504) 391-5195
  • Touro Infirmary: (504) 897-8260
  • Tulane-Lakeside Hospital: (504) 780-4365
  • West Jefferson Medical Center: (504) 349-6004

  • theBump.com: All you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding on one site. 
     
  • Kellymom.com: Breastfeeding and Motherhood Support and Evidence-Based Information from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
     
  • BestforBabes.org: A fantastic website committed to improving the "booby traps"—the b barriers to breastfeeding.
     
  • LowMilkSupply.org: Information and Support for Breastfeeding Mothers.
     
  • InfantRisk.org: This website has great information about what breastfeeding helps to prevent in regards to health issues.
     
  • WomensHealth.gov: The federal government's source for women's health information, specifically about breastfeeding.
     
  • USBreastfeeding.org: is the United States Breastfeeding Committee's website. 
     
  • DrugWatch.com: High-Risk Drug during pregnancy