Indiana University aims to support lactating employees, students, and guests. For IU employees, the time needed to express milk is paid time if it occurs during work hours, and supervisors must allow reasonable break time and flexibility to accommodate the employee’s needs.
Healthy IU coordinates this information for resource sharing and does not manage the spaces. Click on your campus below to learn more:
Lactation support, supplies, and counseling are covered under IU-sponsored medical plans as preventive care with no member cost.
Lactation Medical Benefits
One breast pump is covered under all IU-sponsored medical plans at no cost during pregnancy following delivery when purchased from in-network providers.
Steps to obtain a qualified breast pump:
- Obtain a prescription from an OB/GYN for the breast pump (pediatricians do not provide a prescription for breast pumps),
- Purchase a pump through a local in-network Durable Medical Equipment (or DME) provider, or
- Purchase a pump through an online or national in-network DME provider.
*Sometimes, the OB/GYN provider will not provide a breast pump prescription until the baby is born, but it is good to have this conversation ahead of time to know how to get a prescription from their office.
Obtaining a Pump
The breast pump is considered durable medical equipment (DME), under an IU-sponsored medical plan. The prescription should be filled through an Anthem in-network DME provider. This can be the hospital, an approved local brick-and-mortar, or an online DME provider. Employees can find an in-network, DME provider by clicking here.
Alternatively, many employees order breast pumps through national online providers that are part of the Anthem network:
The time needed to express milk is paid time if it occurs during work hours. Supervisors must allow reasonable break time and flexibility to accommodate the employee’s needs. Providing a private space and a flexible work schedule that allows returning lactating employees time to express milk, when needed, supports them in their choice to breast or chest feed their baby and helps reduce anxiety they may experience when returning to work.
Privacy: Lactating individuals need a quiet, private space for expressing milk. Restrooms are unsanitary and not appropriate areas for lactation. An ideal space is 4’ x 5’ with a door that locks from the inside, a comfortable chair, a small table or shelf, an easily accessible electrical outlet, a trash can, and proper room signage is needed. It is ideal that the room be near a source of hot and cold water for washing hands, pump supplies and containers if there is no sink in the space. A refrigerator is not required in the space for lactation. If one is available, those should use it with caution, as the temperature may not be consistently monitored and items stored inside could potentially be accessed or altered by others using the space.
Flexibility: Allowing ample paid time to express milk during the workday provides a welcoming environment for returning lactating employees. During the workday, lactating employees need to express milk about two to three times or every three hours. The act of expressing milk takes about 15-30 minutes. However, there are other factors to consider when determining a reasonable break time.
- The time to travel to and from the designated lactation area;
- Pump set-up, clean up and storage;
- Locating and accessing a sink to wash hands and supplies, if not available in the space.
IU provides accommodations and resources to support students and employees through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery, and pregnancy related medical conditions.
Find out more information about Pregnancy at IU HERE.
