Lactation Spaces and Resources
Boston University Medical Group supports our breastfeeding colleagues, and is committed to meeting the needs of mothers returning to work and ensuring that managers have the information they need to support them.
Campus Lactation and Breastfeeding Spaces
There are several lactation rooms for nursing parents located throughout the campus. Pumps and pump kits are not available, so please bring your own from home.
- BMC Lactation Rooms – For badge access to a locked room, contact BMC Human Resources at HRConnect@bmc.org or 617.638.8585, option 2.
- BU Medical Campus Lactation Rooms – BU Human Resources will notify the ID Office to grant badge access to medical campus lactation spaces for one year upon return from maternity leave. For more information on lactation spaces at Boston University, contact lactroom@bu.edu
BUMG Lactation Support Benefit
This benefit will allow your department to maintain your salary and your reported productivity while blocking 12.5% of your clinical schedule for lactation breaks for a maximum of 6 months. This may correspond to the equivalent of two 30-minute break periods per 8-hour clinical day for individuals who require time during work hours to express breast milk. For more information or to apply please visit: https://www.bumc.bu.edu/bumg/resources/human-resources/
Breast Pumps for Blue Cross Blue Shield Members
If you are enrolled in any of the BU medical plans with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), your covered services per birth include one breast pump that you buy or rent from a network appliance company or from a provider who is designated by Blue Cross Blue Shield to furnish breast pumps. No benefits are provided for a hospital grade pump.
BMC Employee Lactation Program
The BMC Employee Lactation Program was created to educate new parents on the benefits of breastfeeding and provide them with breastfeeding support, tips for pumping at work, and other helpful resources.
Boston Baby Cafés
The Boston Baby Cafés are free, weekly breastfeeding support groups to receive help from an Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and volunteer lactation peer counselors. You also receive resources around child development, parental stress and coping skills, and help finding diaper banks. For a Zoom link to the BMC Baby Cafe, as well as a listing of other virtual breastfeeding support groups, visit https://bostonbreastfeeding.weebly.com/virtual-support-groups.html
You can also call the Warmline at 857.301.8259 to have your breastfeeding questions answered by volunteer lactation peer counselors and IBCLCs. The phone line is staffed from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm, and you are free to leave a message at any time.
Additional BU Resources
For More Information and Support
Contact your BU HR Business Partner, Louise Gant, at louiseag@bu.edu for information about returning to work after birthing or adopting a child, or supporting an employee who is returning to work.