Taking Care of Your NICU Baby

Eight Things You Can Do For Your Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) Baby

• Gather information. Learn as much as you can about the NICU, the equipment used to monitor your baby and your baby’s medical condition. Get to know the NICU staff and feel free to ask questions about your baby’s care.
• Be involved. Ask your baby’s nurses how you can participate in your baby’s care, such as changing diapers, giving baths and feeding.
• Get acquainted. Even though your baby is tiny and struggling to get well, your baby has a unique personality. Spend time getting to know your baby’s personal preferences by watching for her reactions to your voice and your touch.
• Pump breastmilk. Though many premature or critically ill babies are not able to breastfeed right away, their mother’s milk is vital to their growth and development. Even moms who don’t plan to breastfeed are encouraged to pump their breastmilk while their baby is in the NICU. This can help a mother deal with the stress of having a baby in the NICU, knowing she is providing something for her baby that no one else can.
• Comforting sounds. Your baby will be comforted by the sound of your voice. Read to your baby. Make recordings of soothing music or of mom and dad talking softly to the baby.
• Decorate baby’s space. The hospital environment isn’t as cozy as home, so ask your nurses if you can make the baby’s space more inviting with a few pictures or small toys. Encourage older siblings to draw pictures that may be placed in baby’s bedside area.
• Soothing touch. Offer comfort to your baby through gentle touches on the head, hands or legs. Watch the baby’s reaction to find out which touches he prefers.
• Kangaroo Care. This technique of holding the baby skin-to-skin (baby in a diaper against mom or dad’s bare chest) helps the baby maintain warmth while allowing parents to develop a strong bond with their infant. Babies cuddled closely by their parents are better able to maintain healthy heart rates and breathing patterns, sleep better and cry less. The technique has benefits for the parents, as well, including building confidence in parenting skills and improving the mother’s breastmilk production.

We have more information for NICU parents.