Occupational Therapy faculty member Bobbie Vergo has partnered with Concordia’s Human Resources department to add a second, more accessible lactation room on campus to help ease the stress of balancing work, studies, and childcare for new moms.
At Concordia University Wisconsin, caring for the whole person isn’t just an idea in the mission statement, it’s a living, breathing part of campus life. And thanks to the initiative of one dedicated faculty member, new moms at CUW are finding an extra measure of physical and emotional support as they balance the demands of work, school, and family.
As an occupational therapy (OT) faculty member and a mom to a 15-month-old herself, Bobbie Vergo, OTD, OTR/L, knows firsthand the subtle—and not-so-subtle—barriers new mothers face when returning to work.
“Being an OT, we are trained to think about accessibility,” she says. “Accessibility applies to anything that limits a person’s ability to fully participate in daily activities, including new moms. If I have to walk across campus every few hours to pump, that’s a barrier to doing my job well.”
Catering to busy moms
For years, Concordia has had an existing lactation room in the hallway below the chapel. With this latest effort, Vergo has advocated for the creation of a second room—one that is closer to classroom spaces to cater to CUW’s graduate student populations.
“It felt important to create a space that was more centrally located, easier to access, and offered a calming atmosphere,” she explains. “Somewhere with natural light, where moms could take a break without feeling rushed or overlooked.”
The new room is located in LO 111, near the art classrooms. In addition to outfitting the new lactation room with a full refrigerator, comfortable chairs, reading material, and welcoming décor, Vergo made sure to request signage, so the room is easy to locate. There’s also a double-door entry to the room with an alert system set up on the second door, so moms can tell if the room is already occupied before they enter.
Above and beyond mere compliance
Her efforts go hand-in-hand with Concordia’s commitment to exceed the minimum legal requirements for nursing mothers. Federal law dictates that workplaces must provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space for nursing mothers to express milk for up to one year after their child’s birth. But interpretation and implementation of these laws are often left up to individual workplaces.
Furthermore, the first provisions for lactation accommodations in the workplace only occurred more recently, in 2010, as an expansion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. As such, many workplace facilities have had to retroactively create spaces for new mothers, explains Vergo.
“The quality and accessibility of the spaces vary so widely,” says Vergo. “You’ll have places that do the bare minimum and some that go the extra mile. Concordia has chosen to go above and beyond what is legally required.”
Lactation room support at a pivotal time
The university’s approach recognizes the personal and professional challenges that come with balancing motherhood and work.
“When you work in healthcare, especially in pediatrics like I specialize in, you see just how important these early months are for both mom and baby,” Vergo said. “Our graduate programs attract many students who are raising families. Supporting them in this season of life is just the right thing to do.”
Want more?
Expecting mothers may request key-card access to either of Concordia’s lactation rooms. Students should file their request in the Student Success Offices (Albrecht 107) and employees should start with the HR department (Stuenkel 104). To learn more about the Occupational Therapy program at CUW, click the link below.