The Wellbeing & Mental Health Team is here to support you if you become pregnant before or during your studies. If you are not sure what to do, we will not try to influence your decision but we can give you information and will support you whatever you decide. The sooner you let us know about your pregnancy, the sooner we can put appropriate support in place.
If you are an International Student please also contact the Study Visa team at studyvisa@chester.ac.uk as soon as possible if you are pregnant, as this is very likely to impact on the terms of your visa.
Pregnancy Support Plan
When you notify the university that you are pregnant, you will be offered an appointment with a Student Wellbeing Adviser to go through a Pregnancy Support Plan. This will be an opportunity to:
- Meet your Student Wellbeing Adviser, who will be a point of contact throughout your pregnancy.
- Discuss any concerns and ask questions about studying whilst pregnant.
- Explore how you will manage your wellbeing and studies at each stage of pregnancy, including when you return to study.
- Receive information around maternity leave and childcare options.
- Discuss the different types of support that are available to you and how to access them.
- Assess any risk to ensure the safety of you and your unborn baby whilst on campus.
Please note: If you are studying on a Health and Social Care course, a support plan and risk assessment will be carried out by your department – please contact your department for guidance.
Maternity Leave
The University requires you to take a break of at least two weeks after the birth of your child, to ensure your health and safety as a new parent. You may decide to take an Interruption of Studies for a longer break. These are all things that you can discuss as part of your Pregnancy Support Plan.
- If you are on a professional course such as nursing or teaching, please consult your departments about maternity- related leave and placement considerations.
- If you are a research student, you should contact the Research & Knowledge Transfer Office (RKTO) for advice.
- If you are an international student, you should contact studyvisa@chester.ac.uk for further guidance.
Returning to studies
The Wellbeing and Mental Health team will ensure that you feel supported and ready to resume and will meet with you on your return should you wish this.
- You should contact your department or PAT so that you have the most up-to-date information about your course before you return and can also discuss any concerns or questions you may have.
- University of Chester students can check out Parenting and Pregnancy on Portal for more information on support options and funding for student parents.
Expressing, Breastfeeding and Baby Changing Facilities
The Equality Act 2010 explicitly protects students from less favourable treatment because of breastfeeding. Students should not be declined access to public areas of the University because they are breastfeeding or have a baby under 26 weeks old with them. However, students are not allowed to bring their children into lectures, seminars, work placements or any other teaching activities.
You are welcome to breastfeed your baby in any public area of the University including cafes. If, however, you prefer privacy to do this, to express milk or change your baby, the University has a designated lockable room on each site, which is equipped with a chair, sink and a fridge for your use.
