For NICU Parents

During Your Baby's Stay

During your baby’s stay in the NICU, a team will work closely with your baby. Included in this team are nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists, occupational and physical therapists, nutritionists, pharmacists, infant educators, social workers, chaplains and YOU, the most important member of the healthcare team. We welcome your suggestions and ideas about the care of your baby. Our goal is to make sure you are well informed and feel like a partner in the care of your baby in the NICU.

Parenting in the NICU

Before your child was born, you probably did not expect your baby to arrive early or with medical problems. Having a premature or sick newborn can be a shock to families. You may feel helpless and powerless to help your baby. You may feel scared, depressed, guilty, worried, exhausted, stressed-out and a lot of other things.

You may have urgent questions:

• Will my baby survive?
• What is really wrong with my baby?
• Will my baby grow up normally?
• How will all this care be paid for?
• How can I be both with my baby in the hospital and with my other children?
• What about all of my other responsibilities?

Almost all parents who have had an infant in the NICU have expressed these thoughts and feelings. We encourage you to talk about these feelings with someone.

The NICU staff will be available to help you. Small or sick babies are easily stressed. We know some ways to make babies more calm or comfortable. Your baby will like certain kinds of touching and holding. Ask your nurse to share this information with you.

You can continue to learn about your infant’s special personality while they are very small or sick in the NICU. Babies can continue to learn about their very special relationship with their parents, too.

Often parent’s enjoy taking pictures and videos of their infant, bringing booties, blankets, clothes, and even family photographs and toys for their baby. Your baby knows you by your smell and the sound of your voice. Babies need your love and your personal touch. Your visits are very important.

As your infant’s condition stabilizes he/she may be transferred to a different bed spot in the NICU, sent to the transitional nursery or transferred back to the referring hospital.

Protection of Privacy and Confidentiality

Since you may not be able to always be with your infant while in the NICU we have developed the following guidelines to protect your family’s and baby’s privacy and uphold confidentiality. As your baby’s parents and/or guardians you will be given your baby’s UVA medical history number that you will use when calling and visiting. We also ask that parents and guardians carry some form of identification when visiting.