The College is to introduce a breastfeeding pod in the Arts Block, expanding on the facilities available to new mothers as part of the Healthy Trinity initiative.
The initiative seeks to create a more diverse and inclusive environment for student mothers who wish to breastfeed in a safe, private setting.
Currently, the College has a number of breastfeeding facilities on campus, including Trinity Biomedical Science Institute (TBSI), which holds a private multi-purpose room used for nursing mothers, phlebotomy and a sick bay, a private room on D’Olier St, and the College Day Nursery, where mothers can breastfeed or express milk.
Speaking to The University Times, Tony McMahon, Trinity’s Director of Diversity and Inclusion, outlined College’s rationale for taking these steps. “Trinity should be inclusive of everyone and breastfeeding, as an indication in terms of family status and as an indication of gender, they are two issues we need to tackle”, he said.
“Breastfeeding is not easy for everybody in terms of educating people and supporting them, not just on breastfeeding but having a new baby”, McMahon said. “We’ve made some progress with TBSI but we’ve more to do with the Arts Block because of the traffic there.”
“One of our statements is that Trinity is a breastfeeding-friendly campus which
we are, but we just don’t have the facilities to breastfeed. So that’s where we want to start from.”
A number of policies are already in place to support breastfeeding. Recent legislation allowed staff who are breastfeeding to take one hour per working day to breastfeed or express milk. Although the law requires this entitlement up until a child is six months old, Trinity has extended it for as long as the working mother chooses or until the child is two years of age.
As part of Trinity’s policy on supports for student parents, student carers and students experiencing pregnancy, the College has a La Leche League group led by PhD student Elizabeth Quinn. This voluntary organisation provides information and support to women who want to breastfeed their babies and is held every fortnight.
McMahon said of the the plan to improve the facilities: “I think apart from the practical, it’s symbolic as well. It’s visible and it’s a way of saying that this is what we support.”
