Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace
UNSW has achieved Best Practice accreditation as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace.
UNSW recognises the importance and benefits of breastfeeding, and understands that many parents will return to work while they continue to breastfeed. UNSW also supports parents in the LGBTIQ+ community in breastfeeding, chest feeding and human milk feeding for their babies.
The University is a Best Practice accredited Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace, and UNSW's Breastfeeding Guidelines seek to accommodate the needs of employees within the context of the needs of the University and individual work units.
UNSW is committed to providing employees with flexibility to take lactation breaks during their workday. These can be negotiated between the employee and their manager. Learn more about Flexible Work.
In Australian Federal Law breastfeeding is a right, not a privilege.
Australian Federal Law makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person because they are breastfeeding. A person who is breastfeeding may do so anywhere they like.
At UNSW, a person who is breastfeeding may also choose to access one of the parents' rooms located at our Kensington and Canberra campuses
Kensington campus
- Morven Brown, Building C20, Ground Floor, Room G51
- Electrical Engineering, Building G17, Ground Floor, Room G08
- Ainsworth, Building J17, Level 1, Room 1Q09
- Biological Sciences South, Building E26, Ground Floor, G003
- Science and Engineering, Building E8, Basement, Room B40
Find all these rooms on the Estate Management Interactive Maps.
Please arrange access in advance:
- To arrange access to the rooms above, please contact id.cards@unsw.edu.au.
- Provide your staff/student zID
- Note: visitors (as well as staff and students) can request a temporary access pass
The above rooms have restricted access to ensure privacy and security. Each room contains a comfy chair, access to a refrigerator, convenient power point, hand washing facilities and a breast-pump storage area.
UNSW Canberra
A parents' room is located on the top floor of the Academy Library.
Contacts for support
Contact for Access, Supplies and Queries
The National Breastfeeding Helpline
- Provides free phone counselling
- Is available 7 days a week
- Is staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors who answer calls on a roster system in their own homes
Phone number: 1800 mum 2 mum (1800 686 268)
Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
The ABA website has news and information on breastfeeding, flexible work, links to useful resources and much more.
The website also provides useful information for partners, including:
- The benefits of breastfeeding
- Things partners need to consider
- The different ways partners can provide support
LGBTIQ+ families
The Australian Breastfeeding Association and Rainbow Families have created a comprehensive guide on breastfeeding, chest feeding and human milk feeding for LGBTIQ+ families.
