Duke recognizes the importance and benefits of breastfeeding for infants and has made special accommodations to support new nursing parents as part of its commitment to providing a family-friendly work environment.
- Lactation Rooms
- Mobile Lactation Pods
- Benefit Coverage for Lactation Services
- For Assistance Locating Lactation Spaces
Lactation Rooms
Duke provides lactation rooms for faculty and staff to support nursing parents as they balance returning to work with caring for young children. These rooms offer a secure and user‑friendly environment for expressing breast milk during the workday. In addition to centrally managed spaces, some lactation rooms are maintained by individual departments.
Getting Started
To use a Duke lactation room, please complete the following steps:
1. Request DukeCard Access
Submit the lactation room access request form to have your DukeCard ID programmed for entry.
- Please submit your request at least 10 days in advance.
- Staff & Family Programs will forward your information to the Duke Card Office or Medical Center Card Office for processing.
- You will be notified via email once your card has been activated for room access.
2. Bring Breast Pump Attachments
Most lactation rooms are equipped with a Medela Symphony Preemie+ electric breast pump.
- Users must bring their own personal pump attachments.
- Visit the Medela website for information on purchasing compatible accessories.
- You may also wish to review the Symphony Preemie+ Quick Start Instructions prior to your first visit.
3. Plan for Milk Storage
Refrigeration and storage are not provided in lactation rooms. Please plan accordingly to store or transport breast milk safely.
Scheduling Time in the Lactation Rooms
To schedule lactation room time, you must provide your Duke email address when submitting the access request form. This is required to enable Outlook calendar reservations.
Once you have been notified your DukeCard has been processed, you may reserve time in a lactation room using the Outlook calendar associated with the room.
- You will be provided calendar(s) invitation(s) via email. Open the invitation email and select Open This Calendar (calendars may take a moment to load).
- Important: Close all other calendars, including your own, and open only the lactation room calendar you wish to reserve.
- Select New Event and enter:
- Title: First and last name and phone number (please do not use initials)
- Start/End Time: Date and time of use (maximum of one hour)
- For recurring reservations:
- Confirm future dates are not already reserved
- End dates cannot extend more than 30 days in advance
- Select Save & Close. Your reservation is now complete.
If you have questions about scheduling or calendar access, contact staff-family-programs@duke.edu.
Privacy GUIDELINES
To ensure a respectful and private environment for all users:
- Slide the door sign to IN USE upon entering and return it to VACANT when leaving.
- Always knock before using card access to enter a room.
- Do not prop open doors at any time.
Cleaning & Sanitization
All users are responsible for cleaning the space after each use.
- Allow sufficient time during your reservation to clean pump equipment and surrounding areas.
- Cavicide wipes and paper towels are provided, when available, to clean breast milk spills on shared equipment and surfaces. These cleaning supplies are not recommended for sanitizing personal pump parts.
- Dispose of all trash properly.
Maintaining cleanliness helps prevent illnesses and ensures the space is safe and welcoming for the next user.
LACTATION ROOM GUIDELINES
- All use must be scheduled in advance; walk-in use is not permitted.
- Only one person may be scheduled per room unless the room is designated for multiple users*.
*For rooms with multiple pumping stations, reservations may overlap up to the number of available pumps. For example, a room with two pumps may be scheduled by two users at the same time. - Reservations may be 30 minutes to one hour, per session.
- Reservations may not be made more than 30 days in advance.
- Improper use of the calendar may result in removal from the schedule.
Lactation Room Locations
| Site | Room # | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 705 Broad St. | Suite 201 | 2nd floor (ask staff for assistance accessing this space) |
| 710 W. Main St.* | 106 | 1st floor, adjacent to the mail/copier room |
| Bryan Research Center* | 344 | 3rd floor of the Bryan Research Center |
| Carl Building* | 0102 | Take the passenger elevator in Carl Building to the first floor. Within the elevator lobby find room 102, the lactation room is located between the public restrooms. |
| Chesterfield Building* 701 W Main St. | 5113 | Take the passenger elevators to the fifth floor. Take a left into the main corridor and then take your first left into the smaller corridor. That hallway turns to the right and you will find the lactation room is the first door on your right, just after the turn. Look for room 5113. |
| Duke Cancer Institute (formerly Duke Cancer Center) | 3N71 | Enter Cancer Center from the Level 2 Concourse entrance. Take elevator to Level 3. Lactation room is directly across the hall. |
| Duke Cancer Institute (formerly Duke Cancer Center)* | 3N72 | Enter Cancer Center from the Level 2 Concourse entrance. Take elevator to Level 3. Lactation room is directly across the hall. |
| Duke Central Towers* | 2 B 62 | Take the elevator to 2 DCT. The lactation room is located in the hall adjacent to the Patient Transport lobby. From the lobby turn left and then into the hallway on the left. The lactation room is directly across from the Stairwell. |
| Duke Central Towers* | 9 B 62 | Take the elevator to 9 DCT. The lactation room is located in the hall adjacent to the Patient Transport lobby. From the lobby turn left and then into the hallway on the left. The lactation room is directly across from the Stairwell. |
| Duke Central Towers* | 10 B 62 | Take the elevator to 10 DCT. The lactation room is located in the hall adjacent to the Patient Transport lobby. From the lobby turn left and then into the hallway on the left. The lactation room is directly across from the Stairwell. |
| Duke Central Towers* | 11 B 51 | Take the elevator to 11 DCT. The lactation room is located in the Staff hallway with the On call rooms. From the Patient Transport lobby turn left and enter the Staff hallway across from room B 47. Once in the Staff hallway the lactation room is the 1st door on the left. |
| Duke Medical Pavilion* | 2W01A | 2nd floor - proceed through hall entrance marked "employees only". Turn left at end of hallway. |
| Duke Medical Pavilion | 2W01B | 2nd floor - proceed through hall entrance marked "employees only". Turn left at end of hallway. |
| Duke North (2nd floor)* | 2000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (3rd floor) | 3000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (4th floor) | 4000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (5th floor) | 5000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (6th floor) | 6000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (7th floor)* | 7000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (8th floor)* | 8000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke North (9th floor)* | 9000E | Beside the visitor elevator bank. |
| Duke Regional Hospital, Emergency Dept.* | 2nd Floor, Main Hospital, Near Staff Entrance & Auditorium | |
| Duke Regional Hospital, Main Hospital* | 4th floor, to the left of Staff/Transport Elevator #7 | |
| Duke Regional Hospital, Behavioral Health Center (2 spaces)* | 2nd Floor, BHC, Close to Behavioral ED | |
| Duke Regional Hospital, Behavioral Health Center (2 spaces)* | 3rd Floor, BHC, Next to Elevator | |
| Duke South Clinic (2 pumps) | 5007 | Take yellow elevator to 5th floor. Turn left at corner. |
| The Durham Centre 300 W. Morgan St. in downtown Durham | 703 | Our reception desk can buzz them onto the floor when needed throughout the day. To get to the room from the elevators, enter on the side toward the conference room and turn right. Walk halfway around the floor until they reach the restrooms on the interior core, and the room will be on the left-hand side near the restrooms. |
| The Durham Centre 300 W. Morgan St. in downtown Durham | 1103 | Our reception desk can buzz them onto the floor when needed throughout the day. To get to the room from the elevators, enter on the side toward the conference room and turn right. Walk halfway around the floor until they reach the restrooms on the interior core, and the room will be on the left-hand side near the restrooms. |
| Erwin Square* 2200 West Main St. | 1037A | 10th Floor, Room 1037A (across from break room 1029) |
| Fitzpatrick Building* | 3595 | 3rd floor, across the hall from the women's bathroom |
| French Science Family Room (2 pumps) | 1230 | Take the stairs down to the bottom floor, turn right and pass the elevator. Room is at the end of the hallway. |
| Friedl Building (Formerly East Campus Building) | 235 | Take stairs to the second floor and the room is straight ahead. Or turn left after exiting the elevator on the second floor. |
| Fuqua School of Business | E141 | In Keller East, if you enter from the circle (front of building) immediately turn left, the room is the last door on the left. |
| Fuqua School of Business* | E143 | In Keller East, if you enter from the circle (front of building) immediately turn left, the room is the last door on the right. |
| Hudson Hall Engineering Annex Research Drive | 190 | Enter Hudson Hall, follow hallway on right, turn left at stairs, room is on the left at the end of hallway. |
| Levine Science Research Center (LSRC) 450 Research Drive | B305 | Take main stairs or elevator to third floor, turn left, room is on your left. |
| MSRB 1 (4 spaces/1pump)* | 0025D | Enter the building from the Research Drive side. Take elevator down one level. Go through double doors. Make the first left down the hallway. |
| MSRB III* | 1002 | First floor on the left side of the main lobby (just before the main auditorium) |
| North Pavilion* | 4107A | 4th floor key access required for entry (see security officer for access to the floor) |
| North Pavilion | 6015 | 6th floor key access required for entry (see security officer for access to the floor) |
| Perkins Library | Women's Restroom (room 117) | Within the first floor women's restroom |
| RTP* 27 Alexandria Way | 4N07 | 27 Alexandria Way, Node, 4th Floor |
| Sands Building* 303 Research Dr. | 447 | Take the elevator to the 4th floor - Room 447 is at the opposite end of the center hallway, within sight of the elevators. |
| Seeley G. Mudd* | 104B | First Floor- proceed into area marked 104: Staff Offices, Computer Classroom, Vending Machines. 104B is the next to last room on your right inside this suite. |
| Scott Family Athletic Performance Center* (connected to the Murray Building and across from Cameron Indoor Stadium) | 385B | 3rd floor, located inside the women's restroom, 385T |
| Smith Warehouse Bay 6 | 167 Family Room | After entering Bay 6, turn left, room is on the left. |
| Wadsworth Building* | 331 | 3rd floor, near the vending machines |
| Wilkinson Engineering Bldg.* | 408 | 4th floor. Turn right off elevator, pass blue walled conference room, head towards stairwell, pass through the first door then take a right and head towards the room. |
*Pumps are not provided for this room.
Creating Lactation Rooms (FOR DEPARTMENTS)
The goal of each lactation room is to provide a private, clean, and comfortable space for nursing parents. The following guidelines are provided to assist departments that are considering establishing additional lactation rooms within their buildings.
Guidelines & Recommendations
Because space is often limited, departments may need to think creatively when identifying suitable locations. The following requirements and recommendations should be considered:
- Bathrooms may not be used as lactation spaces.
- The identified space should:
- Be at least 7 ft x 7 ft
- Be ventilated and have at least one three‑prong electrical outlet
- Be accessible to employees with disabilities
- Be available on a regular basis, in 30‑minute intervals, at least three to four times daily
- Have a door that locks
- Include blinds or shades if windows are present
- Be shielded from public view
- Be free from interruptions by coworkers
- Provide a comfortable environment, such as a couch or comfortable chair, desk and small table or shelf
Appropriate spaces may include private offices or conference rooms that can be reserved regularly. Spaces that should not be used include janitorial closets, supply closets, and bathrooms.
aSSISTANCE WITH SPACE IDENTIFICATION
If your department needs help identifying or planning space for a lactation room, please contact Staff & Family Programs:
- Phone: 919‑684‑9040
- Email: staff-family-programs@duke.edu
Mobile Lactation Pods
Mamava Pods provide a private, clean, and calming space to pump or nurse when at work. The pods come equipped with two benches, occupancy-activated lighting, a fold-down table and mirror, ceiling vents and exhaust fan, mobile app secure access, and dual outlets and USB ports for plugging in breast pump and charging devices.
| Site | Room # | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Bryan Student Center | Lower Level | 125 Science Drive |
| Duke Regional Hospital | N/A | 2nd Floor, Main Hospital, Next to Auditorium |
To Locate a Mamava Lactation Pod at Duke:
- Download the Mamava App (App Store or Google Play)
- Make Sure Your Bluetooth Is Turned On
- Follow Instructions Within The App
Departments interested in purchasing a pod for their location should contact Staff & Family Programs at staff-family-programs@duke.edu or 919-684-9040.
Benefit Coverage for Lactation Services
Breastfeeding can bring with it a lot of questions and challenges. Lactation consultants can help answer questions and teach breastfeeding techniques to support new nursing parents, including establishing a good latch, identifying your baby's hunger cues, and increasing milk supply.
The Duke Select health plan for active employees provides coverage when a participating provider is used. Details can be found in the Member Guides for each plan available on the Human Resources website.
In addition, Duke's health plans now provide coverage for breast pumps as durable medical equipment. Consult the Member Guide for your health plan for additional information.
For Assistance Locating Lactation Spaces
For assistance with locating a lactation room, please contact the following:
- Duke University: Contact Staff & Family Programs at staff-family-programs@duke.edu
- Duke Regional Hospital: Contact Nurses Station (4th Floor) 919-470-4337
- Duke Raleigh Hospital: Contact Ky'arra Rogers at 919-307-0350
The Benefits of Breastfeeding and Pumping
Breastfeeding and pumping lead to a decreased risk of illnesses for babies and nursing parents. Duke purchased several freestanding lactation pods for use in its three hospitals.