Congratulations! UWA has a range of services available that are free of charge for students. The UWA Medical Centre offers a comprehensive range of GP and nursing services, including pregnancy and antenatal care. More information can be found here.
UWA also provides counselling services, through the Guild and also Student Support Services. Click here for more information. If you have specific requirements, such as needing regular toilet breaks during an exam, or any other issues relating to your pregnancy, please make an appointment with UNIAccess. It’s also a great idea to notify your unit coordinators of your pregnancy, so that they are aware of your situation in advance. There is specific advice relating to pregnancy safety on campus, including possible harmful exposures, available here.
As per the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, your rights to breastfeed and/or express milk without discrimination are legally protected. Outdoor breastfeeding under a shady tree on the beautiful UWA campus is highly recommended!
For those wanting privacy or needing to express milk, two parents’ room facilities with feeding chairs are available on the Crawley campus, in the Barry Marshall and Reid Libraries. Arrangements can also be made with other UWA campuses if a private room is required, using the following contact details:
Albany: [email protected]
Nedlands: TBA
QE2: TBA
The university has a specific policy for when it is acceptable to bring children on campus. You are permitted to bring your child to campus for the purposes of breastfeeding, as a last minute option (ie childcare falling through), or when a child is in your care and a “brief visit” to the campus is required. The UWA Guild Equity & Diversity and Committee is currently recommending an amendment to this policy. We believe that close parental care for very young babies should be universally encouraged regardless of whether they are breastfed or formula fed, and parents of babies wishing to continue their studies should not be discriminated against based on the method of feeding.
There are some areas on campus where children are not permitted, including “high risk” areas such as laboratories and workshops. Children who are sick with any type of infectious illness are also not permitted on campus, so carers must make alternative arrangements for childcare or arrange their own absence from classes to take care of their child. Children are also not permitted in exams under any circumstances.
If you will be bringing your child to any classes or lectures, it is advisable to notify your unit coordinator in advance. You will find that most staff are accommodating and accepting of students with parental responsibilities.
Change tables on the UWA Crawley, Nedlands and QE2 campuses can be found here. Albany campus also has one universal toilet with a change table.
There are two well-appointed Parents’ Rooms on the Crawley campus. The Reid Library Parents’ Room (Level 1) has plenty of seating and tables, a microwave, sink facilities, a fridge, many children’s toys and books, an enclosed playpen, and two private feeding chairs. The Barry Marshall Library Parents’ Room (Level 1) has a desk, desktop computer, some seating, a feeding chair, a fridge, and children’s toys. Both Parents’ Rooms have a power source located close to feeding chairs for plugging in a breast pump. To request access to either of the rooms, please present to the Library front desk.
The UWA Student Guild has recently re-established the UWA Student Parents on Campus Collective.You can request to join the Facebook group here . We aim to capture more of the student population who are parents, or have parental responsibilities, so that we can better cater to the needs of the cohort, and organise social activities. The current Student Parents Collective Convenor is Emily Wainwright, who can be contacted at [email protected], and is available to help you with any individual questions or issues.