About Us
The Lactation Advocacy Committee (LAC) is a volunteer coalition of University employees and students dedicated to supporting breastfeeding parents at the University of Minnesota. The Committee was formed by the Women’s Center and the Student Parent Help Center in 2009. Only three public lactation spaces existed on campus at the time. With significant effort from the LAC and from departments across campus, more than thirty additional lactation spaces have been created since 2009, and support for the needs of breast/chestfeeding students and employees continues to grow. In the decade since its formation, the LAC has played an important role in assessing and documenting the need for additional lactation support on campus and advocating for changes to better accommodate lactation needs.
The Lactation Advocacy Committee is currently led by three Co-Chairs: Hope Savaria (Department of Psychology), Mikaela Robertson (Boynton Health), and Melanie Soland (Student Parent Help Center).
The Committee includes representatives from the Women’s Center, the Student Parent Help Center, the School of Public Health, and Boynton Health, as well as departmental representatives and campus community members.
Get Involved
All interested students, staff, and faculty are welcome to join the Lactation Advocacy Committee! There are several ways to get involved:
- Sign up to receive email updates from the LAC
- Attend an open LAC meeting. Virtual meetings are currently held twice a semester. First-time attendees are always welcome.
- Fall 2024 Open LAC Meetings will be held in mid-September and mid-November, exact dates TBD. Email [email protected] to request the Zoom link.
- Attend a Lactation Affinity Space. Do you have current, recent, or upcoming embodied lactation experience? Do you want to connect with others on their lactation journeys? Join the lactation affinity space, a dialogue group for lactating folks to share resources, discuss joys and challenges, and find community.
- The next Lactation Affinity Space will be held in December 2024, exact date TBD. Email [email protected] to RSVP and request the Zoom link.
- Have an idea for a project? Want to complete a capstone project or class assignment related to breastfeeding support on campus? We welcome partnerships with students! Reach out to us at [email protected] to ask about current Committee needs or discuss your idea.
Contact Us
The best way to reach us is by email at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!
Share Your Story
We want to hear your lactation story!
Baby Breastfeeding