A Welcome to Lady Mary Ward When Your Baby is on the Neonatal Unit

Welcome to Lady Mary Ward. We know that having a baby requiring care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a worrying time and here on Lady Mary Ward we endeavour to do our best to support you through your journey.

Wherever possible we avoid you having to share a bay with other people’s babies, as we know that this can be distressing and that sharing a bay with others who have a baby on NICU can be beneficial. However, if we have not been able to accommodate this then we are very sorry.

Going to see your baby

If you would like to be with your baby and need support to get there, please ask the team caring for you, we are happy to help.

Pain Relief

It is important to take pain relief regularly. To make this easier, it is often possible for you to self-administer much of your medication. Please ask the midwife caring for you if this is appropriate. You will be provided with a medicine locker key which you will be required to keep with you at all times.

Mealtimes

Breakfast – self-service buffet. The staff will show you to the dining room.

Lunch at 12.15 and Dinner at 17.15 are both brought to the bedside by the team after you make your menu selection. If you miss your meal please bring this to the attention of your midwife, they can arrange an alternative for you.

Expressing milk

We encourage the expressing of breastmilk whilst your baby is in NICU and we can provide you with equipment to assist this. Please see the “Golden Rules of Expressing” information sheet which gives advice on maximising your milk supply. Milk can be stored in the ward fridge or taken directly to NICU. The ward fridge is locked so please ask a member of staff to put this into the fridge or remove it for you. When you leave Lady Mary Ward please don’t forget to take any remaining milk with you. Milk left behind will be destroyed.

Going home

We aim to reunite families as soon as possible. Some babies will return quickly to the ward. Other babies will have a longer journey. Once you are well enough to be discharged from hospital care you may be required to return home and to visit your baby daily for the remainder of their stay. In some circumstances hospital accommodation may be available but this cannot be guaranteed.

Some babies require “transitional care” and will be transferred to Charles Wolfson Ward. A single resident parent (usually the mother) may stay with their baby 24 hours a day until your baby is ready to be discharged home. Charles Wolfson Ward is staffed by a team of paediatric nurses and not midwives.