Love and Care for Your Preterm Baby
You can be a part of your baby’s growth and healing journey in the NICU
Babies born before 37 weeks are usually taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for special medical care. Depending on the gestational age and baby’s development, he or she may need assistance to continue to grow and develop outside the womb.
Preterm babies are usually placed inside an incubator where they are kept warm. The type of care your baby will receive and whether he or she will need to be monitored by other specialised machines in the NICU, will be determined by your baby’s health at the time of the birth. This will also determine how long your baby will stay in the NICU.
Support for Parents
Having your baby earlier than expected can come as a shock to parents. This can be a stressful and emotional time. You may be coping with your own health challenges, healing after the birth and concerned about your baby. Many parents experience a sense of loss – of the plans for your last weeks of pregnancy, how you envisioned your baby’s birth and bringing your new baby home.
The first step to understanding more about your baby’s prognosis, is to get to know the NICU healthcare team. A paediatrician, a children’s doctor, will head up the care team and specially trained NICU nurses will provide care for your baby through the day and night.
Open lines of communication with the team and ask questions about your baby’s care, tests that may need to be done and the protocols for your visits to the NICU. There may be additional health and safety protocols to follow during the COVID-19 pandemic. You will need to keep your mask on and clean your hands often with sanitiser.
If you have your own paediatrician for your other children, you can also let him or her know about your baby’s birth, so the hospital paediatrician can keep them informed on your new baby’s progress.
Support for Your Baby
Seeing your baby in the incubator, and possibly connected to machines, can be overwhelming and you may feel helpless as to how you can provide care and love for them. There is much that parents can do and staff on the unit will assist and guide you.
Start bonding right away. Even if you can’t yet hold your baby, you can spend time with him or her. You may be allowed to touch his or her hand through an opening in the incubator. Through this closeness, you can start to bond with your baby. Take photographs of your baby and document the first days and weeks, just as you would if your baby was born at term.
Get involved in your baby’s care. Ask hospital staff about the daily schedule, so you can plan your visits and be there when your baby is bathed and changed. Depending on your baby’s health, you may be able to assist with these. Very tiny babies may only wear a nappy in the incubator, but bigger babies may be dressed. Ask hospital staff if you can bring your baby’s clothes and blankets to use in the NICU. This will depend on their protocols.
Start feeding baby as soon as you can. Your baby may initially be tube fed, but your breastmilk is still the best nutrition for him or her. Start expressing your milk as soon after the birth as possible, to help stimulate production and supply. If you plan to breastfeed your baby later on, let the staff know so they can assist you to get started once your baby is able to latch and suckle at the breast. If you aren’t able to breastfeed and your baby is being bottle fed, be there to give him or her as many feeds as possible. Alternate with your partner, so he or she can bond with baby too.
Hold your baby. Parents will be encouraged to spend as much time as possible with the baby and when baby is strong enough, to hold him or her. Speak quietly, read or sing to your baby to help him or her learn the sound of your voice. Ask the healthcare team about practising kangaroo care. To learn more about the practice, read our article Kangaroo Care for Preterm Babies in this month’s e-newsletter. Skin-to-skin contact may even be possible if your baby is connected to machines or on a ventilator, so ask the staff if you want to try.
Celebrate milestones. Your baby will pass a number of milestones in the NICU – gaining weight, learning to breathe on their own and to suck – as he or she gets healthier and stronger. Celebrate these and document them to help you remain positive as you look forward to taking your baby home.
As you start this journey, you may feel unsure and anxious. There is no right or wrong way to get involved with your preterm baby’s care. Take small steps to start off with and your confidence will grow daily. Care in the NICU is family-centred and staff will be happy to assist you as you get to know your baby and provide the love and care that only a parent can give.
Contact your midwife or healthcare provider for support, advice and counselling.
Resources: https://www.parents.com/; https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/; https://www.healthychildren.org/; https://www.bliss.org.uk/; https://medlineplus.gov/; https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/
