Becoming a New Parent
TXST is pleased to offer a variety of family-friendly services and resources to assist employee Bobcats when you welcome a new child into your family.
In accordance with UPPS 04.04.61, several nursing rooms are available throughout campus for nursing mothers to use at their convenience.
Explore the table below to find a nursing room location near you.
TXST Nursing Room Locations:
Nursing rooms are available on a first come, first served basis. For questions, please contact the HR Well-Being team.
| San Marcos Campus Nursing Rooms: | ||
| Building: | Room/Location: | Room Features: |
| J.C. Kellam | Inside 2nd Floor Women's Bathroom | Sink, lockers, refrigerator |
| Evans Liberal Arts Building | Room 135 | lockers, refrigerator, nearby restroom |
| Roy F. Mitte | 2228A (separate room inside women's restroom) | sink |
| Alkek Library | Room 536 | nearby restroom |
| LBJ Student Center | Room 2-6.3 | refrigerator, lockers, nearby restroom |
| Commons Dining Hall | Room 215 | refrigerator, lockers, nearby restroom |
| Child Development Center | Room 112 | lockers, nearby restroom |
| Round Rock Campus Nursing Rooms: | ||
| Building: | Room/Location: | Room Features: |
| 107B (separate room inside women's restroom) | nearby restroom, nearby refrigerator | |
| Avery Building | Room 208C | Sink |
Guidelines & Procedures
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Nursing Room Guidelines
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Requesting Access
Nursing mothers may access the rooms only for the purposes of expressing, storing, and collecting breast milk. Employees may check-out a key to use the rooms as needed. Nursing room locations are available on a first come, first-served basis. For questions, please contact the HR Well-Being team.
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Storage & Cooling
Each of the rooms is equipped with a table, chair, electrical outlet, and key lock. Some rooms contain compact refrigerators, sinks, and lockers. If you use a room where a refrigerator is not provided, we recommend that you bring a cooler to store your breast milk or use another common refrigerator. Texas State University is not responsible for the security or integrity of breast milk stored in or outside of the nursing mother room refrigerator.
Some rooms have lockers in the room for storage. However, each employee is responsible for providing your own personal lock for the locker. Texas State is not responsible for securing personal items left in the rooms against theft or use by others.
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Cleaning & Sanitation
All nursing mother room users are expected to clean up after each use, not only out of respect for the next user, but to prevent contamination and illness transmission. Each user should allow enough time within a visit to clean any breast milk spills and dispose of trash properly. Hand sanitizer/wipes and paper towels are provided. Please contact the HR Well-Being team if the room needs attention.
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Privacy
Upon accessing the room, lock the door and turn the sign to IN USE to alert other users that someone is using the room. Turn the sign back to VACANT when you leave the room where applicable.
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Additional Resources
Explore mother-friendly support resources below
- Breastmilkcounts.com
- CDC Fact Sheets & Infographics
- CDC About Breastfeeding
- CDC Breastfeeding and Returning to your Workplace
- DSHS Moms To Be
- La Leche League
- My Plate Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
- Texas WIC Every Ounce Counts
- Texas WIC Lactation Support Centers and Hotline
- USDA WIC Breastfeeding Support
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health Breastfeeding Information
FAQs
Learn more about benefits, leave, and timekeeping in regards to becoming a new parent:
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Time Away from Work
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Using Short-Term Disability Insurance
Texas Income Protection Plan (TIPP) offers short-term and long-term disability coverage. More information is available on the TIPP website.
For questions about using short-term disability for parental leave, please contact the HR Benefits team with questions at 5.2557 or hr@txstate.edu.
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Requesting & Taking Parental Leave
The following information and more details can be found in the University Leave Policy (UPPS 04.04.30)
Eligibility: Employees with less than a total of 12 months of State of Texas service or who have worked less than 1,250 hours in the 12 months immediately preceding the start of leave may take up to 12 weeks of unpaid parental leave for the birth of a child or the adoption or foster care placement with the employee of a child under three years of age.
Requesting Leave: The employee’s department head must receive the written request for parental leave, along with a corroborating statement from a doctor (if applicable) on an Application for Leave Approval form. The department head will forward the request for approval to Human Resources for processing.
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What is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)? How does it apply to me?
Care for your loved one may be applicable for FMLA. The following information and much more can be found in the University Leave Policy (UPPS 04.04.30).
Please contact the Office of Human Resources with questions regarding FMLA by calling 5.2557 or emailing hr@txstate.edu.
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Benefits Consideration
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Do my benefits change while I'm on leave?
Contact the HR Benefits team with questions at 5.2557 or hr@txstate.edu.
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Enrolling My Child in Benefits
Adoption, becoming a foster parent and child birth are qualifying life events in terms of your benefits. Through the ERS website, you may add a newly acquired or newly eligible dependent within 31 days of the date the dependent became eligible for coverage.
For more information, visit the ERS website. Contact the HR Benefits team with questions at 5.2557 or hr@txstate.edu.
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Mother-Friendly Worksite
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Mother-Friendly Worksite Policy
Read the official Mother-Friendly Worksite Policy (04.04.61)
The Texas Health and Safety Code §165.003 recognizes that a mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location.
Acknowledging the health benefits that breastfeeding offers to both newborns and their mothers, Congress amended the Fair Labor Standards Act requiring that employers provide breastfeeding mothers with “reasonable break time” and private space to express breast milk during the work day.
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Additional Support Resources
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Child Care
Visit Texas State's Child Development Center for information about on-site child care programs.
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Bobcat Balance: Employee Assistance Program
Bobcat Balance is your work life and employee assistance program. Our program provides various free and confidential services and resources to help you through life experiences, including resource information on: child care, counseling, financial planning, legal issues (such as will creation), and much more.
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Health Insurance Coverage of Breast Pump Supplies
As a HealthSelect of Texas member, breast pumps and certain breast pump supplies are covered under the plan if they are purchased within the duration of breastfeeding, as listed in the HealthSelect of Texas – Master Benefit Plan Document. Access the Master Benefit Plan Document and scroll to the section of Preventative Care Services, Breastfeeding Support, Services and Supplies. In order for the breast pump to be covered, it should be purchased no sooner than 30 days from the expected delivery date.
The following breast pump supplies are covered by the plan:
- Tubing for breast pump, replacement, spare membranes, replacements
- Adapter for breast pump, replacement
- Cap for breast pump bottle, replacement
- Breast shield and splash protector for use with breast pump, replacement
- Polycarbonate bottle for use with breast pump, replacement
- Locking ring for breast pump, replacement
For a list of Durable Medical Equipment network providers that supply breastfeeding items, contact a Personal Health Assistant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) at toll-free 800.252.8039, or via secure chat and secure messaging after logging into Blue Access for MembersSM.
As with any benefit, verify covered benefits by the plan for any changes with a Personal Health Assistant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX).
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