Nursing mothers at Oswego State now have the option to breastfeed or pump in private inside the newly opened lactation rooms around campus.

Over the summer the process of designing and building the rooms began, but the idea to create them began to take form in the summer of 2015, with discussions about working mothers between Gwen Kay, Diana Boyer and Kristen Eichhorn, former senators of Oswego State’s Faculty Assembly.

The three sat down with Oswego States President Deborah Stanley to discuss the challenges working mothers face on campus and she was on board with the idea and creation of the lactation rooms, Eichhorn said.

“We did hear stories of the challenges working mothers had on our campus that included trying to find space that provided privacy,” Eichhorn said. “Mothers resorted to whatever resources they had.”

These resources included borrowing private offices, small closets, rest rooms or their cars.

Eichhorn partnered with Mitch Fields, associate vice president of Oswego State’s Facilities Services, Linda Paris, planning coordinator of Facilities Services and project manager of the lactation rooms, and Amy Plotner, assistant vice president of human resources.

“The rooms are intended to provide an inclusive space to support all mothers,” Eichhorn said.