We understand that handling complex emotions and parenting in the NICU can be very challenging and adapting might take time. Our aim is to help you navigate through your complex emotions so that you can care for your baby effectively.
Expressing
Colostrum plays a vital role in helping your baby build their immunity. It provides your baby with essential protection against infections and supports their development. We are here to support you with expressing and providing colostrum for your baby.
These tips are designed to support you in expressing and providing colostrum for your baby effectively:
- Start expressing your colostrum as soon as possible after your birth, ideally within 2 hours.
- Your colostrum will be given to your baby as mouth care to ensure they receive the benefits of breastmilk straight away.
- Your midwife or NICU nurse will show you how to use the breast pump and hand express to collect the small volumes in the first 48 hours.
- Meet the Infant Feeding Team and come along to the weekly drop-in sessions.
Golden rules for expressing your milk if your baby is not latching at your breast yet.
Resources for siblings
It’s natural for children to have questions or worries about their sibling’s care and what it means for their family. Including and informing them helps build their bond with their new sibling and offers reassurance.
To help explain what’s happening in a way children can understand, we’ve created a short stop-motion animation that introduces the NICU, explains why babies need extra care, and helps children learn about their baby brother or sister.
We also have a helpful book called “When my baby sister, Bella, came to NICU”. Please ask your nurse for a copy.
CUH NICU Lego animation
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sze4GPaMKbo
Family Integrated Care Programme (SEED)
Content coming soon.