Babies on the Quad: Navigating Campus with an Infant

Sometime in April or May, I found myself on the main quad with my hungry baby daughter. I automatically started running through my mental directory of campus buildings. First I should nurse her, but then she'll need a diaper change—and where do I want to eat my lunch? I was halfway across the quad before I realized that I didn't need to go inside at all—it was one of the first really warm and sunny days of the season, and there were babies and kids everywhere. (Finding a bench was another story!)

Seven months earlier, I was in a very different situation. I had a newborn, a class to take and seminars to attend, and a student husband with his own tight schedule on campus. The Family Resource Center, while wonderfully equipped for kids, was too far away to be a daily resource for us. Through much trial and error, I established a set of favorite places to regroup with my daughter, to tend to her needs and my own, and to hand her off to other caregivers.

The list below should have something to offer all kinds of student parents, but it also reflects the particular priorities I had during this stage, which included a quiet (but not necessarily private) place to sit and nurse, preferably with a reasonably clean place to lay my daughter (since I often wore her in a carrier), a bathroom where I could change her diaper, and a microwave if possible (since I often brought my lunch from home). All the buildings are handicapped-accessible, which is also helpful for those with strollers. I unfortunately can't help much with changing spaces in mens' rooms, though see below for some options in the Reynolds Club and Regenstein Library. 

For other student parents (especially nursing mothers) with small babies, I also recommend thinking creatively about the spaces you already frequent and the people who might be able to help you out. I had a department administrator who was kind enough to let me into a little-used office from time to time, and a friend who lived near campus and offered her spare keys for when I had long breaks but not enough time to go home.

Reynolds Club

In addition to the Hallowed Grounds Cafe on the second floor and the Einstein's on the ground floor, this building has many more-or-less private nooks and crannies to sit and rest or nurse. A personal favorite of mine is the pair of chairs across from the water fountain on the second floor. Before my daughter was mobile, I often laid her in one with a toy while I sat and ate my lunch in the other, after warming it up in Hallowed Grounds. The ladies' room around the corner has just enough space between the sinks for a changing pad, and this was my go-to location until I discovered the Koala Kare stations in the lower level restrooms (mens' included) near the barber shop.

Biological Sciences Learning Center

The ground floor lobby is a high-traffic area, but the large seating area in front of the main lecture halls is surprisingly quiet and comfortable place to sit between classes, as long as there is no special event going on. The ladies' room on this floor has a very large counter (complete with flower pot) next to a bench, making it easy to orchestrate a diaper change. On the lower level, which is usually even quieter, there is a microwave and a bunch of computer stations. The second floor has a cafe with delicious frozen yogurt and other lunch options, plus more seating.

Regenstein Library

The whole ground floor is a "Collaborative Zone" and a "Cell Phone Zone," which means it doesn't matter if your baby makes some noise. The new Ex Libris cafe has nice seating but can get very busy, so I often nursed in one of the chairs along the windows towards the north end of the lobby. Unfortunately this Ex Libris does not have a microwave for your own lunch, unlike its predecessor. There are single-user bathrooms with benches on some of the upper floors, but if you are worried about your baby squawking in a "Quiet Zone" (or just don't want to take the elevator), the new restroom in the corridor closest to Mansueto has a generous counter for diaper changes.

Wiebolt Hall, Third Floor 

The ladies' room in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations on the third floor (accessible by elevator from the ground floor of the Classics building) is is the only restroom on campus in which I really feel comfortable nursing my daughter. It is clean and quiet and has a nice row of comfortable chairs at a decent distance from the stalls. There is also a lot of white noise from nearby machinery, which gives a bit of privacy and helps calm a distracted nurser. It also has a Koala Kare changing station. Harper Memorial Library (featuring a third-floor cafe and seating scattered throughout the second floor) can be reached without going outside.

University of Chicago Bookstore (Barnes and Noble)

The ground-floor cafe has ample seating and is a good meeting or lunch location. Private changing space is lacking, though I was able to fit my daughter and her changing pad next to the sink in the ladies' room until she was four or five months old.

Social Sciences Building, Tea Room

This room (near the main landing on the second floor) is sometimes used for official events, but is often empty or nearly empty at other times. It has an assortment of comfortable chairs and couches. There are offices and seminar rooms nearby, so it's not the best for older kids, but it's fine for a younger baby who needs a quiet space.

Are there any campus locations you especially like to regroup with your baby? Any changing tables, microwaves, or other amenities I haven't discovered yet?