Lactation Support Program

The University of California recognizes the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for both parents and their children. UC Santa Barbara's Lactation Support Program (LSP)is committed to supporting academic employees, staff, students, and visitors who need to express milk or wish to have a private place to breastfeed a child. Lactation accommodations are a right under California law, Labor Code Section 1030-1034.

Please contact Shira Minerd, Work-Life Resource Coordinator for assistance with Lactation Accommodations. 

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Requesting Lactation Accommodations 

Parents wishing to express milk while at work should request and arrange with their supervisor appropriate and reasonable break times for lactation purposes. Generally, lactating parents need 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times per 8-hour day, but this may vary depending on the individual. If you need assistance coming up with a reasonable schedule or finding a place to pump, please register for the Lactation Support Program, or contact Shira Minerd, Work-Life Resource Coordinator.

To accommodate an employee’s desire to breastfeed or express milk, the university will:

• provide a reasonable amount of break time to accommodate an employee desiring to express breast milk for the employee’s infant child each time the employee has need to express milk. The time shall, if possible, run concurrently with an employee's paid rest break.

• make a separate break time available if it is not possible for the lactation break to run concurrently with the employee's existing rest period. For non-exempt employees, this separate break time is unpaid time as it is not considered time worked or time on pay status. (a) The denial of reasonable break time or adequate space to express milk in accordance with Labor Code 1033 shall be deemed a failure to comply for purposes of Section 226.7. An aggrieved employee may file a complaint under this subdivision with the Labor Commissioner pursuant to Section 98.

Pregnancy/breastfeeding accommodations for students may include academic (e.g., a note-taker), employment (e.g., excused absences), and housing accommodations (e.g., Family Student Housing), as well as facility access (e.g., lactation rooms) and childcare assistance. For more information about available resources, visit the following web
pages.

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Designated Lactation Rooms and Creating Lactation Spaces

The University will provide a private, secure, and sanitary area for employees and students to express breast milk.

Lactation Place & the Law 

Supervisors will make a reasonable effort to provide an appropriate space with an electrical outlet, which is in close proximity to the employee's work area. Appropriate locations would include the employee’s own office, another private office not in use, or any available area with a locking door where the employee can have privacy from the view of others. California Labor Code 1031 outlines the basic requirements for lactation spaces, including the following: 

• (a) An employer shall provide an employee with the use of a room or other location for the employee to express milk in private. The room or location may include the place where the employee normally works if it otherwise meets the requirements of this section.

• (b) A lactation room or location shall not be a bathroom and shall be in close proximity to the employee’s work area, shielded from view, and free from intrusion while the employee is expressing milk.

• (c) A lactation room or location shall comply with all of the following requirements:

  • Be safe, clean, and free of hazardous materials, as defined in Section 6382.

  • Contain a surface to place a breast pump and personal items.

  • Contain a place to sit.

  • Have access to electricity or alternative devices, including, but not limited to, extension cords or charging stations, needed to operate an electric or battery-powered breast pump.

• (d) The employer shall provide access to a sink with running water and a refrigerator suitable for storing milk in close proximity to the employee’s workspace. If a refrigerator cannot be provided, an employer may provide another cooling device suitable for storing milk, such as an employer-provided cooler.

• (e) Where a multipurpose room is used for lactation, among other uses, the use of the room for lactation shall take precedence over the other uses, but only for the time it is in use for lactation purposes.

A toilet stall or a room lacking privacy and a locking door is NOT an appropriate space for lactation purposes.

Lactation Room Requirements & Recommendations

Ad Hoc Space

This may be the  employee's own office or a multi-purpose space (such as a conference room, vacant office, storeroom, or someone else's office) adapted on a temporary basis for the purposes of pumping or breastfeeding. The minimum requirements are:     

• Door that locks

• Electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump

• Good lighting and ventilation

• Comfortable chair

• Countertop or table for breast pump and supplies

• "Occupied" sign for the door

• Wastebasket

• Door sign

Dedicated Lactation Rooms

A room designed and used only for pumping or breastfeeding. Basic lactation room/single user (minimum dimensions 4’ x 5’) At minimum:

• Door that locks

• Electrical outlet for plugging in a breast pump

• Good lighting and ventilation

• Comfortable chair, preferably adjustable height with good back support

• Countertop or table for breastpump and supplies

• "Occupied" sign for the door

• Wastebasket, chemical cleaner for surfaces, cleaner for hands, routine maintenance

• Nearby sink for washing hands and pump parts

• Assigned coordinator to help with access and oversight

Recommended lactation room/single user (minimum dimensions 6’ x 8’ or 7’ x 7’)

All the requirements of the Basic Lactation Room (see above) plus:

• Footrest

• Sink for washing hands, pump, and tubing, with soap and paper towels

• Compact refrigerator with freezer compartment to store cold packs and milk

• Multi-user hospital-grade breast pump (mothers provide their own collection kits)

• Reservation system (electronic calendar, sign-in sheet, or dry-erase board)

• chemical cleaner for surfaces, chemical cleaner for hands, routine daily maintenance

• Lockable storage for personal belongings

• Clock, and small mirror to help check and readjust clothing before returning to work

• Décor (artwork, soft lighting), and educational resources (bulletin board, pamphlets, books)

Recommended lactation room/multi-user (minimum dimensions 12’ x 16’)

All the requirements of the Recommended Lactation Room (see above), plus:

• Second chair and footrest

• Screen or partition to section off private areas during peak times

• Second multi-user hospital-grade breast pump

Published Lactation Rooms

There are several published lactation rooms on campus. Many of these rooms differ in the amount of accommodations they provide. At a minimum, each published lactation room has a door that locks from the inside, shades for additional privacy if needed, an electrical outlet for a personal or hospital grade pump close to a chair, good lighting and ventilation, a table or countertop, an "Occupied" sign for the door, hand sanitizer, and a nearby sink for washing hands and pump parts. Please note that hours and locations may be effected by Covid-19 closures and building limitations. If you need a lactation room, please contact Shira Minerd, Work-Life and Lactation Support Programs Coordinator. 

• Davidson Library — Second floor of the Davidson library.
• Education Abroad Program - Located at 6950 Hollister Ave. 
• Ellison Hall — Room 3725A. 
• Gevirtz Education - Room 2217
• Henley Hall - Room 2001- This room is a shared use space. Lactation needs take precedence, however there will be a calendar to reserve space in this new room. 
• Interactive Learning Pavilion - Room 2213
• Kerr Hall — Room 2172C. 
• Kohn Hall - Room 1118.
• Life Sciences — Room 4318. This room is a shared use space. 
• Music Library — Room 2407B (Hours). 
• Noble Hall — Room 2121. 
• Ophelia Children's Center - Infant room.
• RecCen Lactation Room - Request key from the check-in counter. 
• Student Resource Building — Room 1201. 
• UCEN - Mamava Pod next to the Information Desk - 2nd floor. 

If you would like access to one of the lactation rooms listed, please click below to register:

REGISTER HERE

We ask that all Lactation Support Program Members wipe up spills and help keep the rooms clean to ensure a sanitary environment for other users.

We want your pumping experience to be as relaxing as possible, should you encounter a room with maintenance-related problems, unsanitary conditions, or missing supplies, please inform the Lactation Support Program Coordinator.

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Lactation Support & Resources

The following are listed for your convenience; please note that UCSB does not evaluate external services and cannot make any recommendations of quality or service.