Lactation Room

Options for Lactating Students & Employees

Walla Walla Community College recognizes the breastfeeding needs of new mothers by providing a Lactation Room for students and employees. Numerous studies and healthcare recommendations point to breastfeeding for the promotion of optimal infant health. However, it can be a very difficult process for the postpartum professional or collegiate mother returning to work or school. The Lactation Rooms include a mini-fridge, comfortable seating and side table, sanitary supplies, and electrical outlets for breast-pumps. These secure locations provide students and employees the ability to ease back into work or school without having to sacrifice the healthy practice of expressing milk.

Location of Lactation Rooms

Walla Walla Campus: The Lactation Room is located in the Professional-Technical Building (J), Music room #303C-1. To schedule, call Sherry Nally at 509-527-4201.

Clarkston Campus:  Contact Chad Miltenberger at 509-758-1711 or Katie Peterson at 509-758-1701.

WSP & CRCC:  Faculty and staff that require use of a lactation room at WSP or CRCC should contact their Corrections Education Dean for the specific location of that room.

Guidelines for Use

The Lactation Room is for use by nursing mothers only and may be used by employees and students.

  • Registration with the appropriate person/department at each site is required for use on an ongoing basis.
  • The Lactation Room is available on a first-come, first-served basis, Monday-Friday, during business hours and as scheduled, though drop-ins are allowed if the room is available. The person whose name appears on the schedule at a designated time has priority use of the room at that scheduled time.
  • If you need to see when the room is available or you would like to be added to the schedule, please contact the appropriate person/department at your location. If you use the Lactation Room, it is your responsibility to keep yourself on schedule and notify the appropriate person at your location of any changes in your schedule and/or discontinued use of the room.
  • Mothers using the space are responsible for providing personal breast pumps and accessories.
  • It is the responsibility of everyone using the Lactation Room to clean up after themselves. This is not only out of respect for the next user, but to prevent contamination and illness transmission. The custodial staff will clean the rooms nightly as part of the regular cleaning schedule.
  • Milk stored in the Lactation Room should be properly labeled with the mother’s name and date, so it is not inadvertently confused with another mother’s milk. Each person is responsible for proper storage of expressed milk. The College will not be responsible for stored milk and milk left in the refrigerator. Any milk not retrieved within three (3) calendar days will be properly discarded.

Other Institutional Support for Employees

Breaks during work hours: The College allows sufficient break time for breastfeeding mothers to express milk at work.  Breastfeeding employees are allowed to breastfeed or express milk during work hours using their normal break and meal times. For time that may be needed beyond the usual break times, employees may use personal leave or may make up the time as negotiated with their supervisor.  Supervisors are encouraged to consider flexible schedules to accommodate an employee’s needs as work demands allow.  Breastfeeding support is provided up to one year after the child’s birth.

Although the Lactation Room is available to employees, an employee may also use their assigned office space if preferred.

For questions or comments, please contact: Business Services at 509-527-4201. To schedule use of the room please contact Sherry Nally at 509.527.4201 or email: [email protected].