TROY, Ala. (TROJANVISION) — Troy University is working to create more spaces for breastfeeding and pumping mothers who have returned to work.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 55% of women return to work after they complete their maternity leave. For mothers who choose to breastfeed or exclusively pump after returning to work, accommodating spaces can be limited.

“We expect mothers to come back to work pretty quickly as a society, and a lot of times, that really hinders their ability to feed their baby like they want to feed their baby,” said Title IX Coordinator Grace Wagstaff. “What we do is just make sure that while they are back here at work, they have a space to also do that, so that being a mother never feels like a punishment while they are back at work. They can handle what they need to handle, while they are also handling work.”

With rooms in Wallace, John Robert Lewis, the Stadium Tower, Hawkins, and a new one being made in the Trojan Center, Wagstaff says it has made it easier for students, faculty, and visitors to care for newborn children.

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“Every lactation room is outfitted with a comfortable chair close to a plug so that if they needed to plug in a pump they could,” Wagstaff said. “They all have tissues and cleaning wipes. They all have lactation-friendly snacks that are gluten-free and nut-free for people with allergies and some bottles of water, as well. There is also a door hangar that says do not disturb. “

Some faculty members have already begun using the rooms.

“I am very thankful to Grace and to the university for allowing this flexibility with my schedule to be able to provide for my son that was something when I came back to work I was a little nervous about,” said Jessie Gurlaskie, who is the Assistant Director of Graduate Admissions. “It’s been a much easier transition than I expected it to be.”

Wagstaff said that the Troy Resilience Project donated over a dozen pumps to the University, and if anyone is interested in one to contact her.