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Pregnant/Expecting Mothers

Lifeline4Moms

Lack of treatment can lead to devastating effects on perinatal individuals, infants, and families. Regrettably, multi-level barriers continue to make it difficult for policymakers, advocates, and caregiving professionals to develop and implement systematic approaches that improve perinatal mental health care access and quality. At Lifeline for Moms, we’ve developed multi-level evidence-based interventions including the population-level, sustainable Perinatal Psychiatry Access Program model to improve perinatal mental health care around the world.

Meeting these challenges requires building the capacity of professionals serving pregnant and postpartum individuals to address perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. Our consultation services work collaboratively with emerging and existing perinatal mental health programs to help them meet the needs of patients, caregivers, and the broader health care community.

Safety Guidelines for Pregnant Individuals in UMass Medical School’s Anatomy Resource Center

Safety Guidelines for Pregnant Individuals in UMass Medical School’s Anatomy Resource Center:

The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School seeks to minimize the risks of working in its Anatomy Resource Center for all employees and students. Minimizing risks for people who are pregnant is especially important due to the sensitivity of the fetus to specific chemicals, biological agents and ionizing radiation. All lab workers should know the hazards of the materials with which they work and it is important to recognize that an individual’s susceptibility to those hazards may change due to factors such as pregnancy.

Information about specific hazardous materials may be found in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), labels, and literature from Environmental and Safety or from the Director of Anatomic Services. All employees, including those who are pregnant, are encouraged to make use of these sources of information. Safe laboratory procedures minimize exposure for all laboratory employees and, if followed faithfully, they also protect the developing fetus.

The federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act prevents UMass Chan from compelling an individual to disclose that they are pregnant, and it prevents them from being assigned to different tasks simply because of the pregnancy. If someone willingly informs faculty of a pregnancy then additional assessments, precautions or other accommodations can be implemented. Colleges, departments and faculty will determine the extent to which a pregnant lab worker or lab student can be excused from lab requirements or what accommodations can be made.

In all cases, a pregnant individual should discuss the laboratory environment with their medical care professional and provide specific information about potential exposures.

  • Request from the Department, an altered assignment within the lab either through a change in lab duties, a reduced time frame within the lab or a change in location*;

  • Request a delay in entry into the academic program requiring the laboratory work*; or

  • Continue to work in a laboratory by utilizing the regular safety precautions that have been developed for

    the laboratory.

Additionally pregnant lab particpants can:

• Request a hazard assessment with Environmental Health & Safety to understand those potential exposures and protective measures that should be utilized;

*Please note that requests for altered schedules might not be able to be honored.

There is conflicting information about the effects of formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy, so the consequences are unclear. The first trimester is the most vulnerable time. There is no safe level of formaldehyde exposure.

Recommendations for Medical Students

Under the advisement and care of your doctors, there are things we can do to minimize your exposure during the anatomy course:

• You will need a respirator from Student Health before working in the anatomy lab and need to follow the instructions to ensure it is working properly
• You should be prepared to wear a respirator whenever in the A-Labs, regardless of activities (eg. radiology, exam, dissection, prosections, osteology)

• We can provide further protection from skin absorption with Tyvek sleeves
• You may choose not to participate in “highest exposure” days – opening the thorax and opening the abdomen
As long as you and your doctors are comfortable with you participating in the labs, and follow the precautions above, you will be able to participate in the anatomy lab dissection portion of the anatomy curriculum.

Room Reservations for Nursing Mothers 

Mother's Rooms

Mother’s rooms are available to any nursing mother who is a student or employee of UMass Chan or UMMHC.

  • University Campus Location: S2-100, S6-100A & S6-100B
    • Access: Send an email to roomreservations@umassmed.edu
    • Equipment: Hospital grade Medela Symphony breast pump
    • Privacy: Only those given badge access can enter the room, when someone is in the room a red light outside the room will indicate that it is "occupied
  • Albert Sherman Center Location: AS3-1010A
  • Lazare Research Building Location: 6-606
  • Ambulatory Care Center Location: ACA-103
  • University Hospital Location: HB-730A
  • South Street Building Location: Second floor of Building 1 (SHR 1-2) To use please book through Resource Scheduler.
    • The room is divided into two private spaces to accommodate two nursing mother’s at one time.  Each space is equipped with a hospital grade Medela Symphony breast pump.
    • Access: Send an email to Southstreet.security@umassmed.edu  to receive badge access.
    • Privacy: The room locks when you close the door. There is a “Privacy” sign that you should put outside the door when in use. When finished, put the “privacy” sign inside the room.
  • BioTech1: Location: Second floor B1-260, Access & Privacy: Lockable Room
  • Medical Center Umass Memorial Location: MB4-049
    • Access: Send email to Arlene.Duhamel@umassmemorial.org to receive badge access.
    • Privacy: Only those given badge access can enter the room
  • Medical Center Hahnemann Campus Location: G-100 (Grosvenor Building)
    • Access: Contact your manager for access as each manager has a key to the room.
    • Privacy: Signage outside the room will indicate that is is "occupied"
  • Worcester Business Center Location: MK1-170, MK3-208, MK4-339
    • Access: Send email to Arlene.Duhamel@umassmemorial.org to receive access
    • Privacy: Only those given access can enter the room, signage outside the room will indicate that it is "occupied"
  • 306 Belmont Street Location: BS1-106, 1st floor
    • Privacy: Lockable room, signage outside the room will indicate that it is "occupied"
  • Front Street Location: UMass Memorial Suite, womens restroom 1st & 2nd floors
    • Access: The room is listed as a conference room in Outlook and can be reserved.
    • Privacy: Signage outside the room will indicate that it is "occupied"
  • HealthAlliance Leominster Campus Location: Maternity and Child Health 
    • Access: Request access from maternity staff
    • Privacy: Only those given access by Maternity staff can enter the room
  • HealthAlliance Clinton Campus Location: Radiology Department, 1st floor
    • Access: Proceed to Radiology main desk and request key
    • Privacy: Signage outside the room will indicate that it is "occupied"
  • Marlborough Hospital Location: 2nd floor near the inpatient nursing directors office
    • Access: Request access from Employee Health/Medworks
    • Privacy: Only those given access by Med/Works will have a key, & signage outside the room will indicate that it is "occupied"
  • Schrafft’s Center: (Charlestown, MA) managed locally
  • MassBiologics: (Mattapan, MA) Location: Mattapan II Building: Room 2034 managed locally

We hope you enjoy these rooms.  For questions or comments please contact roomreservations@umassmed.edu or 508-856-2264.

 To order accessories via the Internet visit the following sites: