If you have walked through SUB lately, and come across this new addition to the hallway around the central elevators, you might have some questions. We’re here today to tell you all about it!

(The Mamava Lactation Station is located on the ground floor of the Students’ Union Building (SUB), just outside the central elevators, near the Campus Food Bank.)

Introducing the Mamava Lactation Station XL: Student-parents’ new space to safely, privately, and quietly breast- or chest-feed, or pump milk while they are on campus.

Thanks to advocacy work from your UASU and research and funding from the Dean of Students Office, this lactation station has been purchased and installed in SUB for students to use. 

What is a lactation pod? 

A lactation pod is a private, clean, and quiet(er) space for parents with nursing children to do what they need to do to feed their babies while out in public. Due to ongoing stigma against breastfeeding and pumping in public, many parents have had to resort to using bathrooms instead—which is less sanitary and more uncomfortable for everyone involved. 

The Mamava Lactation Station XL that has now been installed in SUB includes solid, non-absorbent surfaces for sitting and stowing, making it easy to maintain and sanitize between uses. It has enough space for wheelchair access and/or a stroller to be inside with the users. And it is accessible through the Mamava App or with a special access code, which parents on campus can request by contacting the Dean of Students Office. 

Why did this get installed on campus? 

The average age of students has risen over the years, meaning that increasing numbers of students are also raising children—which is also not taking into account the many other people who might be lactating or breastfeeding while they are on campus for work, too! By providing a designated space for chest- and breast-feeding parents, we are demonstrating our campus’ commitment to supporting parents—whether they are working, studying, or otherwise visiting North Campus. 

We at your UASU are continuing work to create more parent- and child-friendly spaces on campus to support students who are parenting while pursuing their degrees. It was decided that the pod would be installed in the Students’ Union Building for a few reasons:

• The UASU is committed to serving all students and making SUB a space to relax, study, and feel at home while on campus.
• The UASU has agreed to take on the responsibility of maintaining and cleaning the lactation station, so having it in SUB makes it easy to integrate it into existing facilities maintenance protocols.

With the installation of this station, we are furthering work towards realizing recommendations from the UASU’s Aboriginal Relations & Reconciliation Committee (ARRC) related to increasing childcare services and support for parenting students. We are also directly supporting the Sustainable Development Goals related to wellness, equality, and hunger as part of our overall commitments to sustainability.

So whether you are a student parent, or you know someone who is, we hope that you value this new addition to SUB as much as we do. 

For more information about support for parents on campus, check out uab.ca/parent-friendly.