It’s not always easy being a mother or a student, but to be both is nothing short of a challenge.

To help make it easier for those mothers who attend Tennessee’s campus, lactation rooms for nursing mothers have been implemented in various locations across campus. The move comes as UT seeks to install gender neutral bathrooms in every building on campus by 2019, in accordance with an SGA bill passed in June of 2015.

Currently, there are no reservations required to use the lactation rooms. The only exception that exists is that mothers must be buzzed in by the front desk staff to use the room in TRECS. The space offers mothers on campus easy access to privacy for those women currently nursing children. Women are expected to bring their own breast pumps.

Additional lactation rooms will soon expand to different locations throughout campus, including: the fourth floor women’s restroom in the Bailey Education Complex, the new Student Health Clinic and the Student Union.

Andy Powers, director of design services at UT, began work on the lactation room in HSS in the fall of 2014. Powers explained that unlike a regular restroom, lactation rooms have the potential to be used for a variety of reasons.

“The rooms are considered more of a health room (and are) used for anything for private health issues,” Powers said. “We have many students and staff in child bearing years, and it’s a good use for them.”

As of yet, Powers has received no negative feedback or complaints from students concerning the lactation rooms. Citing a desire to “create an environment of inclusion” on campus, Powers hopes to implement future lactation rooms in more general use buildings for future renovations.

As part of this inclusion, Powers said some gender-neutral restrooms may double as lactation rooms if needed.

A full list of lactation rooms on campus is included below:

Tyson Alumni Center: Room 116 – lactation room and gender-neutral restroom

Austin Peay 412 – lactation room

Ayres Hall 201B – lactation room

Jane and David Bailey Education Complex – A403A – lactation room

James A. Haslam II Business Building – 6631 – lactation room

McClung Tower and Plaza – any unused room

Morgan Hall – 212D1, 211, 105 – lactation room

Veterinary Teaching Hospital B214A, B229C – lactation room

Student Recreational and Fitness Center 115 – lactation room