Support for New and Expectant Parents

Prenatal and Postnatal Well-Being Resources


UVA offers services for employees and their spouses on the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Health Plan who are expecting so that you can learn about, plan for, and have the healthiest pregnancy possible. Expenses for having a baby are often a big concern for expecting parents. The HR Medical Scenarios webpage offers several common medical scenarios and their estimated costs, and may help guide UVA Aetna Health Plan Members through understanding health care coverage when having a baby. 

Services & Resources for Expectant Parents

  • Aetna Maternity Program

    For UVA employees and their spouses on the UVA Health Plan: Prenatal and newborn educational materials are available to learn what to expect before and after delivery.

    This program is already included with your Aetna health benefits and insurance plan - there is no extra cost to you.

    Enroll by your 16th week of pregnancy and, if qualified, the UVA Health Plan subscriber should receive $100 in the subscriber’s paycheck (taxable income) by the end of the month after the month of enrollment.

    Your breast pump may also be covered by your insurance provider. Please call the Aetna One Advocate team for details 1-800-987-9072

    Delays can occur due to payroll cycles and other issues. Please contact the HR Solution Center if you have questions. Call 800.272.3531 or visit the Aetna website for more information.

    Visit Aetna's Website
  • Prenatal Nutrition Counseling

    You want the best for your baby. Come see a registered dietitian with Northridge Nutrition Counseling Center for individualized guidance on how to nourish yourself during and after pregnancy. 

    Employees and spouses on the UVA Health Plan or UPG Anthem Health Plan are offered two free visits!

    To learn more, contact HWNutrition@virginia.edu or 434.243.4749. 

Services & Resources for New Parents

UVA supports all employees who are lactating. Below you can learn more about lactating as a UVA employee and resources available for your support.

If you have questions or need assistance, please reach out to HR: askhr@virginia.edu.

  • UVA Breastfeeding Program

    The Breastfeeding Program offers lactation consultants and pediatricians who can provide you with the support you need to breastfeed your baby.

    Prenatal visits are available where a parent can meet one-on-one with a lactation consultant. Call 434-982-3316 UVA Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic to schedule a visit.

  • Legal Support for Lactating Employees

    In March 2010, The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act amended the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to require that employers provide reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom area for those who wish to express (pump) breast milk for their child to have when they are apart.

    Specifically, the Act requires that we provide a reasonable amount of break time (two or three lactation breaks per eight-hour shift may be reasonable) and a space as frequently as needed by the lactating employee, for up to one year following the birth of the employee’s child. The space provided by the employer cannot be a bathroom, and it must be shielded from view and free from intrusion by coworkers or the public (though the space can be temporarily created or converted for the duration of the mother’s need). Be aware that the frequency and length of breaks will vary.

    Employers are not required under the FLSA to compensate lactating employees for these breaks. However, where we already provide paid breaks, a lactating employee who uses that break time must be compensated in the same way that other employees are compensated for break time, and they must be completely relieved from all duty during those breaks.

    While this law specifically refers to non-exempt employees, the Department of Labor encourages employers to provide breaks to all lactating employees regardless of their status under the FLSA.

    If you have not done so already, identify a private, non-bathroom space that can be used for lactation breaks, and train managers and supervisors about the requirements.

    It is in all of our best interests to comply with these regulations. Breastfeeding not only helps keep moms and children healthy, it also helps families save money through reduced medical costs, lost time at work, and costs for formula and feeding supplies, which can total over $1,500 each year. Employers who support lactating employee describe the return on their investment as including lower health care costs, absenteeism and turnover rates, as well as higher productivity, improved morale, and greater job satisfaction.

    To read more about these requirements you can read the Department of Labor’s Fact Sheet and its FAQs.

    Additional Resources:

    U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

    Wage and Hour Division, U.S. Department of Labor

  • Resources for Lactating Employees

    UVA's Breastfeeding Program suggests the following resources for education and encouragement:

  • Inclusive Language related to Lactation

    UVA will use and promote inclusive language to ensure all in need are able to access the resources available, including:

    • Transgender Individuals
    • Nonbinary Individuals
    • Cisgender Females
    • Those who have lost a child (during pregnancy, birth)
    • Surrogates
    • Adoptive Parents
    Previous Language Proposed Language
    Mother’s / Moms / Women Parents and Team Members
    She / Her / Hers They / Them / Theirs
    Nursing Mother Lactating Individual; Lactating Parent; Those Needing to Express Milk
    Breastfeeding Lactation
    Mother’s Rooms / Nursing Mothers Rooms Lactation Rooms
    Breastfeeding Breastfeeding; Chestfeeding; Lactating; Expressing; Pumping; Human Milk Feeding
    Breastmilk Expressed Milk or Human Milk
    Nursing Expressing Milk
    Maternity / Paternity Parenthood

     

    References:

    NIH - Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Language | National Institutes of Health (NIH)

    Johns Hopkins Lactation Support Program

     

  • University Medical Center’s Lactation Policy Summary

    In 2022, improving team members’ lactation experience was one of projects to come out of the Spark Innovation Competition. This policy is one of several initiatives from the project and formalizes and reinforces the University Medical Center’s commitment to providing a supportive environment for expressing milk in the workplace for the Medical Center employee, and facilitating compliance with applicable laws. The full policy is available on PolicyTech.

    Key elements of the new policy are outlined below:

    1. Breaks, including frequency and duration
      Employees are provided reasonable paid lactation breaks. Employees are responsible for notifying their supervisor of their requested schedule of break times to express milk. Breaks shall be scheduled in coordination with supervisors. Per policy, the recommendation is to provide at least one break every three hours for no less than 30 minutes. However, the frequency and duration needed to express milk varies from parent to parent depending on their physical needs. Thus, employees and supervisors are expected to work together to determine when breaks occur.
    2. Designated areas are provided. Lactation rooms will:
      • Be within reasonable proximity to the employees’ workplace (primary workstation)
      • Be located near a sink with running water and soap for washing hands and cleaning pump parts.
      • Have a waste receptacle for clean-up.
      • Have an electrical outlet, chair, and a flat surface suitable for holding a pump.
      • Be in proximity to a refrigerator.
      • Be clean, shielded from view and free from intrusion (the space may be for more than one person if safeguards are made for privacy, for example with curtains or a screen).
      • See Support for New and Expectant Parents.
    3. Pumping and Storage
      Employees are responsible for supplying their own personal pumping parts. Employees may store expressed milk in Medical Center refrigerators (except those used to store patient nourishment or medications) or in the employee’s personal cooler. Expressed milk kept in Medical Center refrigerators must be in sealed containers.
    4. Complaint Process
      Failing to provide an employee the opportunity to express milk may constitute a failure to provide reasonable accommodation for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, which is a form of potential discrimination under the PADH Policy. Per policy, employees may file complaints with the University's Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights (“EOCR”); see procedures on EOCR’s website. Employees may also file a complaint with the external agency authorized to accept such complaints or pursue other remedies available to them under state or federal law.

Lactation Rooms

Below you will find a list of lactation rooms (commonly called "nursing rooms" or "pumping rooms") available across the University. 

UVA Health On Grounds - Lactation Rooms

Current list of lactation rooms on Grounds.

  • Medical Center On Grounds

    Main Hospital

    1. Basement - Room G441
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    2. Basement - Room G454
      • Department/Division: Graduate Medical Education
      • Key Access Needed: GME Trainees ONLY
      • Scheduling: N/A. First come first serve. Nearby room: G441.
    3. 8th Floor - Room 8542
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    4. 8th Floor - Room 8543
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: N/A. First come first serve. Nearby room: 8542.

    South Tower

    1. 1st Floor – Room 1136
      • Department/Division: Emergency Department
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    2. 2nd Floor – Room M243
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    3. 2nd Floor – Room M245
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: N/A. First come first serve. Nearby room: M243.

    Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center

    1. Ground Floor – Room G064
      • Department/Division: Radiation Oncology
      • Persons of Contact: Kaitlin Tolley
      • Phone Number: 434.297.4239
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.

    Education Resource Center

    1. 3rd Floor – Room 3515
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.

    Battle Building

    1. 3rd Floor – Room 3260
      • Department/Division: Departments of Pediatrics
      • Persons of Contact: Breast Feeding Medicine Program
      • Phone Number: 434.982.3316
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.

    West Complex

    1. 2nd Floor – Room 2734
      • Persons of Contact: Bruce Shifflett
      • Phone Number: 434.924.8409
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
  • Claude Moore Health Sciences Library

    1. 1st Floor – Room 1505 (Cabell Room)
      • Department/Division: Health Sciences Library
      • Persons of Contact: Abbey Heflin
      • Phone Number: 434.924.9998
      • Key Access Needed: Key from front desk
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
  • Leake Building

    Room: Temp
    Department/Division: Human Resources/Training
    Address: 575 Alderman Road
    Persons of Contact: Customer Support Desk
    Phone Number: 434.924.1777
    Key Access: Yes

  • School of Nursing (McLeod Hall)

    1. 4th Floor – Room 4020
      • Department/Division: School of Nursing
      • Persons of Contact: Becky Bowers
      • Phone Number: 434.924.0133
      • Key Access Needed: Key code needed from Becky Bowers
  • Medical Research Buildings

    1. MR-4 – 1st Floor – Room 1104
      • Punch code for access: 2-5-1
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    2. MR-6 – 2nd Floor – Room 2909
      • Persons of Contact: Jessica Gallimore
      • Phone Number: 434.924.1107 (Contact via email for faster response)
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please check UVACollab for scheduling process.

     

UVA Health Off Grounds - Lactation Rooms

Current list of lactation rooms off Grounds.

  • Culpeper

    1. Room 104
      • Address: 501 Sunset Lane, Culpeper, VA 22701
  • Fontaine Research Park

    1. Building 400 – 3rd Floor – Room 3319
      • Address: 400 Ray C Hunt Dr, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed: TBD
    2. Building 450 – 2nd Floor – Room 2317H
      • Department/Division: Aurbach Medical Research
      • Address: 450 Ray C Hunt Dr, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    3. Building 480 – 2nd Floor – Room 217
      • Address: 480 Ray C Hunt Dr, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed:
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    4. Building 560 – 4th Floor – Room 4005
      • Address: 560 Ray C Hunt Dr, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
  • Northridge Medical Park

    1. 1st Floor – Room 1018A
      • Address: 2955 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
  • Ortho Center @ Ivy Road

    1. 1st Floor – Room 1102
      • Address: 2280 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Fridge Access Code: Look for “Staff” sticker on the cabinets. Inside cabinet is instructions and fridge access code.
      • Scheduling: Please schedule a room HERE.
    2. 2nd Floor – Room 2101
      • Address: 2280 Ivy Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22903
      • Key Access Needed: No
      • Fridge Access Code: Look for “Staff” sticker on the cabinets. Inside cabinet is instructions and fridge access code.
      • Scheduling: N/A. First come first serve. Nearby room: 1102.
  • UVA Nephrology Lynchburg

    1. Room 123
      • Address: 103 Clifton St Suite B, Lynchburg, VA 24501

University Academic Buildings Lactation Rooms

Current list of lactation rooms within Academic Buildings.

  • 2400 Old Ivy

    Room: TBD
    Department/Division: Training Area
    Address: 2400 Old Ivy Road
    Persons of Contact: Michael Phillips
    Phone Number: 434.982.5549
    Key Access: No

  • 2420 Old Ivy

    Room: 3014
    Department/Division: Human Resources
    Address: 2420 Old Ivy Road
    Persons of Contact: Front Desk
    Phone Number:
    Key Access: Yes

  • Carruthers Hall

    Room: TBD
    Department/Division: Finance
    Address: 1001 N Emmet St
    Persons of Contact: Stacey Rittenhouse
    Phone Number: 434.924.4294
    Key Access: TBD

  • Chemistry

    Room: 303
    Department/Division: College of Arts & Sciences
    Address: 409 McCormick Road
    Persons of Contact: Aimee Steussy
    Phone Number: 434.924.4027
    Key Access: Card Reader. Contact POC for Access

  • Clemons Library

    Room: 311
    Department/Division: University Libraries
    Address: 1 Newcomb Road
    Persons of Contact: Public Services
    Phone Number: 434.924.3021
    Key Access: Check-out key from Clemons 4th floor desk

  • Darden School of Business

    Room: Abbott Center Wellness Rooms 1 and 2
    Address: 100 Darden Boulevard
    Persons of Contact: Office of Student Affairs
    Email: OSA@darden.virginia.edu
    Phone: 434.924.3655

  • New Cabell Hall

    Room: 053A
    Department/Division: College of Arts & Sciences
    Address: 1605 Jefferson Park Avenue
    Persons of Contact: Aimee Steussy
    Phone Number: 434.924.4027
    Key Access: Card Reader. Contact POC for Access

  • Rice Hall

    Room: 201
    Department/Division: School of Engineering and Applied Science
    Address: Engineers Way (at Whitehead Road)
    Persons of Contact: Computer Science Department Office
    Phone Number: 434.982.2226
    Key Access: Key in Rice Hall 527

  • Ridley Hall

    Room: 257
    Department/Division: School of Education and Human Development
    Address: 405 Emmet St
    Persons of Contact: Kelly Korrington
    Phone Number: 434.243.9226
    Key Access: No

  • School of Law

    Room: TBD
    Department/Division: Student Affairs
    Address: 580 Massie Road
    Persons of Contact: Lisa Napier
    Phone Number: 434.924.3737
    Key Access: Call to receive room number and access code

  • Student Health & Wellness Center Level 1

    Room:
    Department/Division: Wellness Suite
    Address: 550 Brandon Ave
    Persons of Contact:
    Phone Number:
    Key Access: No

  • Thornton Hall

    Room: A013
    Department/Division: School of Engineering & Applied Science
    Address: Thornton Hall 351 McCormick Rd.
    Persons of Contact: Engineering Dean’s Office
    Phone Number: 434.924.3310
    Key Access: Key in Thornton A124 Dean’s Office

  • Women’s Center

    Room: Floating Space
    Department/Division:
    Address: 1400 University Ave
    Persons of Contact: Latoria White
    Phone Number: 434.982.2252
    Key Access: No

  • Zehmer Hall

    Room: TBD
    Department/Division: School of Continuing & Prof. Studies/ Conference Center
    Address: 104 Midmont Ln
    Persons of Contact: Kathy Roy
    Phone Number: 434.982.5282
    Key Access: TBD