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Booklet available in 25 languages about the benefits of reading with your baby.

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Free tips and advice in 25 languages on sharing books with babies.

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Government advice re screen time for babies and under 5s.

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Baby and toddler screen time guidance - Best Start in Life

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Guidance for parents on managing screen time for under 5s. Learn what’s recommended and how to build healthy habits from an early age.

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Videos from The Brazleton Centre UK about your baby's experience of care activites, and what they may be telling you.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Downloadable ideas sheets to help with play, supporting your baby as they grow.

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EiSMART is an evidence based framework to give high risk babies the best start in life. We span all aspects of a child's development: Sensory, Motor, Attention and Regulation, and Relationships. Professionals and parents work Together to support premature and sick infants from birth ( Early I ntervention).

parents

We are here to help. You are the expert on your baby; let us work with you and provide the resources, tools and education that can help fulfil your baby's potential.
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free resources

Our developmental play leaflets suggest activities to support all aspects of a child's development. You can get free access to these resources, plus webinars, posters and more.
DISCOVER MORE

professionals

We are committed to supporting your development. We are working to advance knowledge, skills and practice in early intervention.
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Latest News

Training Courses

Published October 20, 2023

Study Days and Ei SMART Implementation Workshops

The Ei SMART Framework - Foundation Training. This study day provides an in-depth introduction to the Ei SMART framework and is our Foundation level training before progressing to our advanced half days.

Dates for 2024 will be announced soon. Watch this space or subscribe to our newsletter for more information.

Download

Giving Every High Risk Infant The Best Start In Life

EiSMART is a framework for improving developmental outcomes for high risk infants. It is an approach founded in research, which combines multiple disciplines, to address every aspect of development in premature and sick babies. EiSMART is a uniquely collaborative approach, where professionals and parents work T ogether to provide early and more effective interventions for infants and young children with developmental challenges. Click on the balls to learn more.

How We Help

We provide resources to support child development, and deliver training courses to support professional development. We collaborate on research to advance practice in early intervention, and we influence policy on the care of high risk infants.

DISCOVER MORE MEET OUR TEAM

Invaluable For Us & Our Baby

"In the beginning of my NICU journey I cried every day. There is no other outlet for the hurt, the sadness, the fear - especially the fear - of giving birth so early. In NICU, everything about those first weeks is different to how it should be. You emerge from that darkness into an intense, overwhelming, medical world where you feel utterly helpless to do the most natural thing: care for your baby. Stumbling upon EiSMART was like finding fresh air, after a long, dark time under water. It helped me recover purpose; recover focus; recover the ability to care for my baby."
- Parent of baby born at 24 weeks' gestation
DISCOVER MORE OUR APPROACH

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Building A Brighter Future For High Risk Infants: EiSMART is a transdisciplinary approach to early intervention for infants at risk of developmental delays.

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Find out about your baby's milestones, as well as developmental games and activities.

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Pathways.org | Baby Milestones App - Pathways.org

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Download our FREE mobile app! Access resources in our baby tracker app, designed to support parents and caregivers anytime, anywhere

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The Ickle Pickle Children’s Charity aims to give every newborn a chance. We turn donations into specialised equipment, such as incubators and ventilators, to help your local neonatal unit provide incredible levels of care to very sick babies.

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The Ickle Pickles Children's Charity | The Ickle Pickles

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Giving every newborn a chance, One in 8 babies are born sick or prematurely each year in the UK, that's over 95,000 babies every year

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Sophie's legacy are able to help families who need support with bus passes to spend time with their baby in hospital. Please speak to the ward team for help with a referral.

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In memory of a remarkable young girl who touched so many lives Supporting families locally who end up in hospital with their child Funds Raised £ 0 mil Families Supported […]

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During your time on the unit, the parent kitchen is stocked with Tea, a Coffee machine, Squash and milk is located in the fridge for your use. Hot drinks are not permitted in the nursey due to health and safety and infection control.

Snacks are provided by Sophie's legacy who also provide sandwiches on a Monday and a Pizza night once a month.

When Mum's are visiting over meal times meals can be ordered from the maternity kitchen, lunch is ordered in the morning and ready at 12.30, dinner is ordered after lunch and is ready at 17.30. We can collect a sandwich and snacks for you, or ask for a spare hot meal, if you were unable to order food in the morning or afternoon.

Costa coffee is located in the main hospitals entrance. Serving hot and cold drinks along with some hot food.

The League of Friends Cafe and shop is located on the ground floor at the North Wing entrance and is open from 7am-5pm each day serving coffee, sandwiches, pastries and their famous cheese straws!

The Peabody's cafe/ restaurant is located on the first floor near the South entrance. They are open 7.30-6pm (due to extend until 8pm soon) and serve a range of hot meals including pizza and pasta options. They also have sandwiches and snacks.

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An invitation to our community group for babies up to 1 years old corrected gestation.

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Here are some wellbeing resources from the psychology team at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

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See all the wonderful things neonatalpsychology has made

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Safer sleep information - The Lullaby Trust

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Our expert safer sleep information helps to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and gives you peace of mind.

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Please see our emotional support leaflet attached.

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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Emotional Support - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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This information is about the emotional support that is there for you if you have a baby who needs special care in hospital.

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Information collected by staff on neonatal units are used to create the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD). The information within the NNRD is called the Neonatal Data Set. This information is used to support research, surveys, quality improvement programmes and management reports aiming to improve newborn care and health outcomes. Any use of this information for research requires approval from a National Research Ethics Committee. No details that might identify you or your baby would be revealed unless you have provided your explicit permission to do so. The NNRD is created and held at the Neonatal Data Analysis Unit at Imperial College London where research is also carried out.

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Information collected by staff on neonatal units are used to create the National Neonatal Research Database (NNRD). The information within the NNRD i…

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Understanding your preterm or sick baby now that you are home.

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Understanding your preterm or sick baby now that you are home.

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Having a preterm or sick baby cared for in a hospital can be an overwhelming experience, filled with uncertainties, fear, and stress. Returning home and caring for your baby without the support of the medical team you’ve become used to can also be a challenging transition. This online course has been designed to help you learn about your baby’s development, understand their needs and read their cues, but also to support your emotional wellbeing.

Understanding your preterm or sick baby now you’re home is for all parents, grandparents and carers of babies who have experienced neonatal care, now settling them in at home. It has been designed to help you develop a strong and connected relationship with your baby and includes both practical information about caring for your baby as well as information about their developmental needs and guidance for feeding, sleeping and crying.

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Understanding your Preterm or Sick Baby *Online Videos/ Course*

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Understanding your preterm or Sick Baby- Online videos and Course

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Understanding your preterm or Sick Baby- Online videos and Course

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About this course

Having a preterm or sick baby cared for in a hospital can be an overwhelming experience, filled with uncertainties, fear, and stress. This online course has been designed to help you learn about your baby’s development, understand their needs and read their cues, but also to support your emotional wellbeing as parents or other relatives.

Understanding your preterm or sick baby in hospital is for all parents, grandparents and carers of babies experiencing neonatal care. It has been designed to help you develop a strong and connected relationship with your baby and includes both practical information about caring for your baby as well as information about their developmental needs and guidance for feeding, sleeping and crying.

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A Padlet about breastfeeding from the UHS infant feeding leads.

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Bottle feeding resources - Baby Friendly Initiative

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These resources cover a range of issues around bottle feeding, including making up feeds and responsive bottle feeding.

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Published by Better Health Start for Life and the Baby Friendly Initiative and updated in 2022, this leaflet provides mothers and health professionals with key information about breastfeeding.

The leaflet is a teaching aid for health professionals when discussing the benefits and management of breastfeeding with pregnant women, and when teaching new mothers how to breastfeed. Health professionals may also find our breastfeeding assessment tools and practical skills review forms useful when talking to new mothers.
To enquire about printed copies of this leaflet, please visit the Department of Health & Social Care campaign resource centre. The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative is unable to assist with printed leaflets for this resource.

Off to the Best Start leaflet - A guide to help you start breastfeeding

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Off to the best start leaflet - Baby Friendly Initiative

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This leaflet from the Department of Health and the Baby Friendly Initiative provides key information about breastfeeding.

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Please see this link for information about the National Neonatal Audit Programme.

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You can download the guide (in English or Welsh) below, or view below:

The photos and quotes in Your baby's care were sent by families who entered our photo competition. We'd like to say a huge thank you to all those who shared their experiences of neonatal care and beautiful images with us!

You can find out more about how we use information about babies experiencing neonatal care and their mothers on our privacy notices for England and Wales, Scotland and Isle of Man.

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Your baby's care - measuring standards and improving neonatal care

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This is our parent and carer guide to the summary report of the National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP) on 2022 data. NNAP data helps neonatal units to give better care to babies. We assess whether babies have had the health checks recommended for them to reduce the risk of complications, and we check how well babies are doing following this care.

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How to apply for access to your baby's medical notes

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How to apply for access to your baby's medical notes

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Whilst on the ward you are able to read your baby's cotside nursing folder. To access your baby's full medical notes please see the website link above.

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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We'd like to set additional cookies to understand how you use https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/, remember your settings and improve our services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

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Access to health records - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Your health information is stored safely and securely and shared with you through the My Health and Care Record or you can ask for a copy.

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Find out more about the power of positive touch with your baby.

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Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the weight conversion chart.

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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Welcome to the Trevor Mann Baby Unit - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Information about the Trevor Mann Baby Unit.

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Information about Kangaroo Care / Skin to Skin care

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Parent resources

Skin-to-skin with your premature baby

Free

An information guide about skin-to skin with a baby in neonatal care, available to download by clicking the button below.
More...

You may also be interested in

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This site uses cookies to help us provide you with the best possible online experience. By using this site you agree to our use of cookies.Learn more about our cookie policy and usage.

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Our Midwifery Counsellor can provide a psychological support session to you whilst you are on the unit, please ask the team for information on how to access this service.

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Read a step-by-step guide to washing and bathing your new baby, including how often to do it and how to top and tail.

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Read about how newborn hearing screening is carried out, what is screened for, and when you can expect to get the results.

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All parents are offered a thorough physical examination for their baby within 72 hours of giving birth.
The examination includes screening tests to find out if your baby has any problems with their eyes, heart, hips and, in boys, testicles (testes).

What is the newborn physical examination?

The newborn physical examination is usually carried out in hospital before you go home.

Sometimes it's done at a hospital or community clinic, GP surgery, children's centre or at home. Ideally, both parents should be there when the examination is done.

The healthcare professional doing the examination should explain what it involves. This could be a doctor, midwife, nurse or health visitor who's been trained to do the examination.

Some parts of the examination may be a bit uncomfortable for your baby, but it will not cause them any pain.

The aim is to spot any problems early so treatment can be started as soon as possible. Usually, nothing of concern is found.

If the healthcare professional doing the examination does find a possible problem, they may refer your baby for more tests.

You'll be offered another physical examination for your baby at 6 to 8 weeks, as some of the conditions it screens for can take a while to develop.

This 2nd examination is usually done at your GP surgery.

How is the newborn physical examination done?

The healthcare professional will give your baby a thorough physical examination.

They'll also ask you questions about how your baby is feeding, how alert they are, and about their general wellbeing.

Your baby will need to be undressed for part of the examination.

During the examination, the healthcare professional will also:

look into your baby's eyes with a special torch to check how their eyes look and move

listen to your baby's heart to check their heart sounds

examine their hips to check the joints

examine baby boys to see if their testicles have descended into the scrotum

What does the newborn physical examination check for?

The examination includes an overall physical check, plus 4 different screening tests.

Eyes

The health professional will check the appearance and movement of your baby's eyes.

They're looking for cataracts, which is a clouding of the transparent lens inside the eye, and other conditions.

About 2 or 3 in 10,000 babies are born with cataracts in one or both eyes that need treatment.

But the examination cannot tell you how well your baby can see.
Find out more about childhood cataracts
Heart

The healthcare professional will check your baby's heart. This is done by observing your baby, feeling your baby's pulses, and listening to their heart with a stethoscope.

Sometimes heart murmurs are picked up. A heart murmur is where the heartbeat has an extra or unusual sound caused by a disturbed blood flow through the heart.

Heart murmurs are common in babies. The heart is normal in almost all cases where a murmur is heard.

But about 8 in 1,000 babies have congenital heart disease that needs treatment.
Find out more about congenital heart disease
Hips

Some newborns have hip joints that are not formed properly. This is known as developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH).

Left untreated, DDH can cause a limp or joint problems.

About 1 or 2 in 1,000 babies have hip problems that need to be treated.
Find out more about developmental dysplasia of the hip
Testicles

Baby boys are checked to make sure their testicles are in the right place.

During pregnancy, the testicles form inside the baby's body. They may not drop down into the scrotum until a few months after birth.

Around 2 to 6 in 100 baby boys have testicles that descend partially or not at all.

This needs to be treated to prevent possible problems later in life, such as reduced fertility.
Find out more about undescended testicles

Does my baby have to have the examination?

The aim of the examination is to identify any of the problems early so treatment can be started as soon as possible.

It's strongly recommended for your baby, but not compulsory.

You can decide to have your baby examined and screened for any or all of the conditions.

If you have any concerns, you should talk to your midwife or the healthcare professional offering the examination.

When will we get the results?

The healthcare professional who does the examination will give you the results straight away.

If your baby needs to be referred for more tests, they'll discuss this with you there and then, too.

The results will be recorded in your baby's personal child health record (red book).

You'll need to keep this safe and have it to hand whenever your baby sees a healthcare professional.

If you have any concerns, you can discuss them with your midwife or the healthcare professional who does the examination.
Download a leaflet about screening tests for you and your baby from GOV.UK

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All new parents are offered a newborn physical examination for their baby. Your baby's eyes, heart, hips and, in boys, testicles will be checked.

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Details of screening tests for you and your baby

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STFYAYB provides information about the screening tests offered during and after pregnancy.

Details

This information is about the screening tests you will be offered during your pregnancy and after your baby is born. It explains the different types of test and what the tests are looking for.

Easy read versions of this leaflet are available. Additional information is also available for parents of babies who are in a special care baby unit, neonatal intensive care unit or paediatric intensive care unit.

We hope this advice will help prepare you for discussions with your midwife or doctor so that you can ask the questions that are important to you.

It is your decision whether or not to have any of the tests described.

In this publication, we use the terms 'woman' and 'women' to refer to anyone able to become pregnant, including trans men. Trans men who are pregnant should be offered the same antenatal and newborn screening tests as other pregnant individuals.

The information is available in 12 other languages: Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Somali and Urdu.

See how to print digital leaflets if you want to print any sections of this guidance.

Free printed copies of this leaflet are also provided for local screening providers to give to women who cannot access the internet. Screening services can view the full PDF of the printed leaflet and order printed copies on the APS online ordering portal (requires login).

Contact the screening helpdesk with any queries about this publication, making sure you include its full title.

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Screening tests for you and your baby (STFYAYB)

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STFYAYB provides information about the screening tests offered during and after pregnancy.

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Explore other Kent, Surrey and Sussex neonatal units 

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Explore other Kent, Surrey and Sussex neonatal units 

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Click on the hospitals below to find out more about the units within our network and to view each unit's individual website. To find out more about where each unit is situated across our region, you can also visit our interactive map.

Accessibility Toolbar

close Toggle the visibility of the Accessibility Toolbar

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Unit Information - Neonatal Network South East

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Click on the hospitals below to find out more about the units within our network and to view each unit's individual website. To find out more about where each unit is situated across our region, you can also visit our interactive map.

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Explore the special care baby unit

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Worthing Hospital - Special Care Baby Unit

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Matterport 3D Showcase. Lyndhurst Rd, Worthing BN11, UK.

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Portland House
Richmond Road
Worthing
BN11 1HS
01243 642122

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Domestic abuse support and advice

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Video title: Refuge's 24-hour, Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline
Video duration: 1 minute 20 seconds
Description: Information video on what it is like to call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and who can call it.

Refuge's 24-hour, Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline 'Transcript'

[Background music plays]

Soft down beat music

[Animated sequence]

Animation in hand-drawn style showing a woman in a house standing behind a man on a sofa. The woman looks worried and the man appears angry, a speech bubble comes out of the man's mouth.

[Text displays]

!*!!*!!

[Female voice over]

I was walking on eggshells around my partner didn't know where to turn.

[Animated sequence]

The door in the background slams shut. We zoom in on it and it turns into a smart mobile phone in the women's hand. The phone displays the details of the National Domestic Abuse Helpline Number and a green phone icon. Her finger hovers over the phone icon.

[Text displays]

Refuge National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247

[Female voice over]

I'd read about refuges National Domestic Abuse Helpline, but I was hesitant to call.

[Animated sequence]

The scene transitions to the woman sitting on a couch to the left of the screen, and another woman, the Helpline adviser, sitting on the right on a computer. They are facing each other. The screen is split into two different backgrounds with a window in the background that crosses over both.

[Female voice over]

The woman I spoke to really understood my situation though, it was such a relief just to talk.

[Animated sequence]

The woman begins to smile. The blinds in the window open up to show a sun and both rooms become brighter.

[Animated sequence]

Scene transitions to a top down view of the Helpline worker writing on lined paper.

[Female voice over]

I was reassured that it was a confidential and non-judgmental service run by a charity.

[Text displays]

Confidential

Non-judgemental

[Female voice over]

She said I could ring at any time, even if I just wanted to talk about what I was going through

[Text displays]

Any time

Just talk

[Female voice over]

It's free and open 24 hours a day.

[Text displays]

Free

24 hours

[Animated sequence]

Scene zooms out to show a group of five women of mixed races and ages including the Helpline adviser from the earlier scene.

[Female voice over]

It was comforting to know that the helpline is staffed by an all female team of experts,

[Animated sequence]

Scene zooms out to show smart mobile phone showing an animation of the live chat page on nationaldahelpline.org.uk. The women's finger begins to type.

[Female voice over]

and that I can also contact them using live chat.

[Sound effect]

Keys tapping

[Animated sequence]

The phone fades away and four framed picture swing into view. They show four women of various ages and races, one of who is pictured with a child, including the women from the first scene.

[Female voice over]

I was told that the helpline is open to any woman who is afraid of her partner,

[Sound effect]

Glass cracking

[Animated sequence]

The glass in one of the picture frames cracks

[Text displays]

[Female voice over]

whether you're being physically abused or not

[Animated sequence]

The picture of the woman from the first scene is zoomed in on. She picks up her mobile phone as the frame turns into a circle. Another circular frame, showing the Helpline adviser, comes into view and begins to merge with the woman's frame. The woman and the Helpline worker turn to face each other and hold hands.

[Female voice over]

The Helpline advisor helped me realise I'm not alone and reassured me it wasn't my fault.

[Text displays]

I'm not alone

[Animated sequence]

Scene scrolls across to show the woman looking in a mirror and hugging herself. She begins to smile.

[Female voice over]

That was really empowering and I began to believe in myself again.

She made me feel like I had choices.

[Background music plays]

Music becomes more upbeat

[Animated sequence]

Scene zooms in on mirror until the frame is not visible. The background transitions to show a countryside scene with rolling hills, trees and butterflies. The woman lifts a hot drink to take a sip and closes her eyes.

[Female voice over]

From that moment on, I could see a life free from violence and fear.

That phone call was the beginning of the rest of my life.

[Animated sequence]

The woman opens her eyes and looks up.

[Animated sequence]

Scene fades to show black text on a white background below the Refuge pink and black logo.

[Text displays]

Refuge's Freephone, 24 hour, National Domestic Abuse Helpline.
Call us on 0808 2000 247
Or visit wwww.nationaldahelpline.org.uk for information and support, including our live chat and secure online contact form.

We know our lines are often busy but we really want to hear from you.

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Video title: Refuge's 24-hour, Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline Video duration: 1 minute 20 seconds Description: Information video on what it is like to call the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and who can call it.

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It's ok not to be ok
We know that many parents struggle with their mental health after having a premature baby or sick baby on the neonatal unit. Whatever you might be feeling, you are not alone. Find out more about how to get help and support.

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We know that many parents struggle with their mental health after having a premature baby or sick baby on the neonatal unit. Whatever you might be feeling, you are not alone. Find out more about how to get help and support.

It's OK to not feel OK

Having a baby is a big life event, which alone can trigger changes in people's emotional well-being. When you have also faced trauma, unexpected challenges and upsetting situations, it is common for you to see some changes in your mental health and how you feel able to cope.

Often parents don't feel they can talk to anyone when they are suffering with their mental well-being on the unit. This can be because they are worried that they'll be seen as 'not coping', or that people might think they're not able to care for their baby. It could also be because they feel guilty, or that they feel they should be worrying about their baby instead of themselves.

You are not alone

Knowing that you are not alone, and that you can talk to someone about what you're experiencing, can be the first step to getting support. Being aware that what you're feeling is common with parents who have been through what you have experienced might give you some comfort.

The first thing you can do to help yourself is to be kind to yourself. There is no expectation of you to handle things in any particular way.

How you feel may change day to day, and throughout your time in neonatal care and once you go home. And it is OK to not feel OK.

Opening up about how you feel is not a sign of weakness - in fact, it takes great strength to face what you are experiencing.

Talking to someone

You may feel that talking to someone makes your feelings feel 'real' and that might feel quite scary to begin with. However, talking to someone can often be a first step to finding what might help you.

It might also feel hard for you to notice or recognise changes in the way you are, so someone close to you might start a conversation about helping you instead.

However these conversations happen, it might be hard at first to talk about what you are facing. You might find it hard to put your feelings into words, or it might be overwhelming to open up. But sharing how you are feeling with someone else will mean that they have the information to be able to help you find the best support, whatever that might be for you.

You may find that over time it becomes easier to talk to someone and be open with how you feel. It is important to take things at your own pace.

Who should I talk to?

You might want to talk to someone very close to you who knows you well, like your partner, a parent or a close friend or family member. Many parents get a lot of support from opening up to someone they know and trust.

It might be that you are facing challenges in a very different way to your partner. That can make it harder for some people to talk to each other.

You could also feel that you don't want to burden someone close to you, or that you don't want to worry them.

Because of this, some people find it easier to talk to someone they don't know so well, like a health professional on your unit or your GP. There might be a counsellor available on your unit for you to make an appointment with.

Hospitals also have chaplaincy services which offer support to parents of any or no religion. Some parents find it useful to talk to someone who is removed from their situation, who can listen to what they're experiencing.

You can ask a nurse on your unit about how you can talk to the chaplaincy team. Someone from the chaplaincy team might also come around the unit to see if you would like to talk.

These are just are a few of the different people you could talk to. You might have other options available to you.

Different people will find support in different places. It might be that you find talking to a few different people will help you in different ways.

Take time to think about who might offer support in a way that's right for you.

You might not feel ready to talk to someone in person yet. There is a lot of online support available which many parents find very helpful in letting them know that they are not alone, and that other people are facing what they are facing. You might want to try:

This kind of support is available day or night, when you need it.

Many dads tell us that they find it hard to reach out for support while their baby is on the neonatal unit. The Bliss Facebook group and Netmums forum are places for all parents, and we encourage everyone, including dads, to access support when it's needed.

The main feeling was shock, like reality was distorted. Time was moving strangely. I remember crying, hoping and wishing. I didn't feel I had control - I had to put all my faith in others.

Support from mental health charities and organisations

There are many charities and organisations there to support you. Here's a list of some that might be helpful to you.

NHS Choices Moodzone - practical information, interactive tools and videos from the NHS to help you look after your mental health

Mind - the mental health charity, providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem

PANDAs Foundation - a support service for families suffering prenatal, antenatal and postnatal mental illnesses

Mental health helplines - a list of mental health helplines from different organisations, collected together by NHS Choices

Young Minds - providing support for young peoples' mental health

Sands - the stillbirth and neonatal death charity, supporting anyone affected by the death of a baby

Twins Trust - providing support for parents with multiples

Child Bereavement UK - a charity supporting families when a child dies or grieves

OK Rehab - a support service for people that may be struggling with alcohol or substance addiction

Do you need urgent help with your mental health?

If you have had thoughts of self-harming or suicide, get help right away. Contact your local A&E department, emergency GP service, or call The Samaritans on 116 123.

The information in this section is due for review in September 2022.

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Getting support with your mental health | Bliss

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We know that many parents struggle with their mental health after having a premature baby or sick baby on the neonatal unit. Whatever you might be feeling, you are not alone. Find out more about how to get help and support.

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Listen to the experience of other neonatal families, talking openly about their mental health and neonatal experiences

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Listen to Your stories on Spotify. We're Bliss, the UK's leading charity for babies born premature or sick. Our podcast presents the voices of parents who have been through a neonatal experience. It's their their thoughts, feelings and advice for other parents, in their own words.

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West Sussex Talking Therapies is a free self referral service that can help you feel better. this service is available to all families with a West Sussex GP.

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NHS West Sussex Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression

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Search our A-Z listing of our clinical services

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Understanding your baby's cues

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This site uses cookies to help us provide you with the best possible online experience. By using this site you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about our cookie policy and usage.

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Supporting your babies development (EiSMART)

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Supporting your babies development (EiSMART)

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Use our free age-appropriate play leaflets to support your child or patients' development - available in multiple languages. Access our free podcasts, publications, posters and articles to learn more about EiSMART in practice.

Learn more about the EiSMART approach in our video

Learn more about the EiSMART approach in this video, where Anna Basu and team discuss their paper, 'Early intervention programmes for infants at high risk of atypical neurodevelopmental outcome'.

PLAY VIDEO

Free Resources To Support High Risk Infants

Our Leaflets

Read Our Publications

Early intervention programs for infants at high risk of atypical neurodevelopmental outcome

A presentation of the EiSMART framework published in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology.

LISTEN TO PODCAST

support us

Give high risk infants the best start in life by supporting EiSMART
SUPPORT US

join our mailing list

Receive the latest newsletters, updates and resources from EiSMART
JOIN NOW

get in touch

We would love to answer any questions you may have about EiSMART
CONTACT US

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Building A Brighter Future For High Risk Infants: EiSMART is a transdisciplinary approach to early intervention for infants at risk of developmental delays.

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Skip to main content

Chat, play, read!

Babies and young children love it when you chat, play and read with them, even if you think they're too young to understand. You can turn almost anything into a game. And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school.

Tips to help with speech development

Here are some tips and activities to help your baby develop their speech skills:

try playing with things your baby is interested in, and be at their level physically while you're playing together

as soon as you notice your baby looking or pointing at something, talk about it before their attention moves on to something else - that might be within a couple of seconds for babies

use picture books to introduce your baby to new things - point to the pictures and say what you see

take turns to make noises or speak with your baby, even with young babies, as you can respond to their babbling by copying back the sounds you hear and then waiting for them to take another turn

make reading, singing and playing fun by using lots of actions and different voices

use the same song or book - babies and young children learn a lot when they are familiar with particular songs and books

talk to your baby in short, simple sentences, as it helps them understand what you are saying and makes it easier for them to have a go at copying when they are ready

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Tell us what you think about this page - complete our quick survey to be entered into a prize draw. Terms and conditions apply.

Video: Copy your baby!

Watch this video of a dad copying the noises of his newborn baby. They are having such a good chat!

Ideas to help your baby learn

Here are some ideas to help your child learn by chatting, playing and reading with them.

At bath time you could talk about the water and the sounds it makes.

Spend time talking to your baby face-to-face about anything and everything.

See if your baby can copy you when you stick out your tongue or blink your eyes.

Respond to your baby when they make noises - try saying things like "Wow, you can make loud noises!".

Sing songs and rhymes with actions and lots of repetition, like "Row, row, row your boat".

Play together with fabric books that have different textures and talk to your baby about how the book feels.

Read to your baby.

Learning activities

Your local council may offer activities to help your child improve their communication, language and literacy skills.

Learning more than one language

It's important to talk to your child in the language or languages you use.

A child learning more than one language should babble and say their first words in the same way as a child learning one language.

It is important not to confuse this slight delay with language difficulties - most children quickly catch up.

For more help on languages, have a look at the parent's questions on the National Literacy Trust website.

Help and advice

Your baby's eyes and hearing will be checked while you're still in hospital, or within a few weeks after the birth.

Your midwife will support you for a week or so after your baby is born and then a health visitor will take over. Your first appointment will be around 10 to 14 days, then at 6 to 8 weeks. You can discuss your baby's development and ask any questions you might have.

Ask your health visiting team for support whenever you need it, they will be able to provide tips and advice. Remember, children learn to talk at different ages. If you are worried, speak to your health visitor or nursery key worker. Or contact your local speech and language therapy service for advice.

For more ideas on how you can help your child, visit:

Did you know?

Babies start to recognise their mother's voice during pregnancy. Ask your midwife for tips on helping your baby learn to communicate after they're born.

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Get more tips and advice on your pregnancy, baby and parenting sent to your inbox.

Sign up now for our pregnancy, baby and toddler guide

Get personalised emails for trusted NHS advice, videos and tips on your pregnancy week by week, birth and parenthood.
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Skip to main content Babies and young children love it when you chat, play and read with them, even if you think they're too young to understand. You can turn almost anything into a game. And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school.

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Positive touch is a way of communicating your love and reassurance to your baby and hearing your baby's needs in return. Babies do communicate, and by watching and listening to your baby you can learn what kind of touch to use and when it is appropriate, safe and pleasurable for your baby.

It's harder for your baby to communicate when exposed to too much noise, too much light, too much cool air, or an uncomfortable lying position. See whether the environment can be calmed down first. In time, you will get to know your baby's individual ways and you may find your baby responding more often and for longer.

Comfort holding

Comfort holding is one of many ways for you and your baby to get to know each other. Your baby may be more comfortable lying in the incubator than being held. In this case, the staff may suggest that you try comfort holding if they think your baby is well enough. Comfort holding is 'still touch'. Cradling your baby with still, resting hands can be more comforting than stroking or massage, which are more stimulating.

Comfort holding can:

soothe your baby during uncomfortable procedures.

settle a restless baby.

help your baby to get back to sleep after feeds and care.

encourage your baby to be quietly awake and responsive.

Comfort holding is a way to experience loving touch when your baby is not ready to be held.

Talk to your baby's nurse about comfort holding. Together you can watch for signs from your baby that will guide you as to when and how to do it.

Be careful to:

Remove watches and jewellery, pull your sleeves up to the elbows, and wash your hands and lower arms. This reduces the risk of infection inside the incubator.

Always make sure that your hands are warm before touching your baby.

If your baby has difficulty keeping warm, make sure there is a layer of fabric (a hat, vest or blanket) between you.

Speak to your baby before touching, so that they are aware of your presence before you start.

Cradle one or both hands around your baby's feet, head or body, and keep them still. Your baby may also like to grasp one of your fingers.

Wait and watch for signs that tell you that your baby is relaxed.

You can continue for as long as you are both comfortable. When you finish comfort holding, move your hands away from your baby very slowly.

Kangaroo Care

Kangaroo Care is skin-to-skin contact when a baby is placed against the parent's chest. Benefits include improvements with lactation and with establishing breastfeeding, and better weight gain for the baby. In the longer term, it helps parents to feel closer to their babies and more confident in caring for them. Kangaroo Care can be used with babies with high medical needs, but this will require careful planning and collaboration with the neonatal staff.

Talk to staff and plan a good time and comfortable place for you to try Kangaroo Care.

While Kangaroo Care is based on direct skin-to-skin contact, removing your baby's clothes is not vital if this is upsetting for him or her. A hat and a blanket for extra warmth might be necessary for very small babies.

Hold your baby chest-to-chest tucked inside your clothes, enclosing him/her to keep his/her temperature stable. Check that the head is well supported and if you can't see your baby easily, try using a hand mirror.

Explore what you both like to enjoy together. Some babies like to have their eyes shielded, others like to be sung to softly or while having a tube feed. Allow time for your baby to settle and get the full benefit.

If you baby is happy, you can cuddle for as long as you are both comfortable. Lie back, relax and enjoy.

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Premature and sick babies undergo many medical procedures that can cause them some discomfort. As your baby's parents, you are the best people to balance this with a positive, reassuring touch.

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Sensory Beginnings - Supporting you baby in the neonatal environment 

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Sensory Beginnings - Supporting you baby in the neonatal environment 

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Please see the Human Behaviour leaflet for more information on your baby's cues.

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Resources for nurturing sensory environment | Sensory Beginnings

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Resources for you in our nurturing sensory environment domains, to support your knowledge of the role of sensory processing.

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Watch Small Wonders videos here
Supporting you when your baby is sick or premature
More than 1 in every 10 UK babies is born prematurely or sick. As well as professional support there's so much that only you as a parent can do to make a real difference to your baby's chances of growing up fit and strong.

It can be very distressing to be told when you're pregnant that your baby is likely to be born prematurely, however there are so many ways you can make a real difference to their health and wellbeing.

Small Wonders are 12 bite-size films following families and their journey in neo-natal units.
Topics covered:

Birth

First hours

Expressing breast milk

Holding your baby

Your time in hospital

Feeding independently

Preparing for home

First months at home

Twins and triplets

Bereavement

What is Small Wonders?
Seeing how other parents have coped in a similar situation can be comforting. Seeing them become involved in their baby's care can help you feel more confident to get involved in your own baby's care.

The films, endorsed by seven Royal Colleges and many charities, aim to support families of sick and premature babies through their experiences and form the heart of a National Change Programme.

Best Beginnings has supplied Small Wonders DVDs to around 150 neonatal units in hospitals across the UK. The films address sensitive situations, some of which may not be right for you at this time. If in doubt, ask the advice of your hospital staff before watching.

We have worked closely with over 200 families, experts and endorsing organisations to produce these films and the DVD has been endorsed by over 20 organisations, including UNICEF and RCPCH.
How do I watch Small Wonders?
For a quick look at the Small Wonders, click . You can also watch online on the Baby Buddy app , on our YouTube channel, and on the desktop version of Baby Buddy. You can buy copies of the Small Wonders DVD, which comes with the supporting booklet, from our online shop. If you are a parent of a sick or premature baby you can receive a copy of the DVD for free through your hospital.
Ways parents can participate in their baby's care:

Regular skin-to-skin/kangaroo care. Skin-to-skin contact reduces susceptibility to infection and can help to stabilise a baby's temperature and reduce the length of hospital stay. It also improves awareness and helps mother to produce milk

Providing and feeding breast milk to your baby, for example through expressing. Breast milk is very important because it reduces infections and advances mental and emotional development

Providing comforting touch and comfort holding. Time spent holding or touching your sick or premature baby allows you to bond, which increases your baby's responsiveness and lets you get to know one another

Day-to-day care such as nappy changing or bathing your baby

Best Beginnings collaborates with other organisations to ensure that families receive the best possible support. For more information regarding premature and sick babies, visit the Bliss website or call their Family Support Helpline for free on 0500 618140.
What mums and dads think of Small Wonders
"I found the films useful as I am in a similar situation as some of the parents and it gives a good idea of what to expect."

"I have had a premature baby but I learnt a lot from watching these films. There are a MUST for parents who haven't had previous experience of a neonatal unit. Really good!"

"Absolutely fantastic films. Very informative and a great insight into what's to come when having a premature baby. So glad that I got a chance to watch these as it really helped myself and my partner."
Want to know more about Small Wonders?
Visit the Small Wonders Impact and Evaluation page.
To find out how Best Beginnings can work with you in your are and use our Small Wonders resources email Nilu, our Head of Evaluation and Impact at [email protected]

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Supporting you when your baby is sick or premature. Small wonders project include 12 bite-size films following families and their journey in neo-natal units. Learn more here.

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Screening for retinopathy of prematurity - information for parents and carers

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You have been given this leaflet because your baby was born at less than 31 weeks of pregnancy (very premature birth) or had a birthweight under 1501 grams and is at risk of developing ROP. It will give you more information about ROP, clarify what happens during screening and how you can support your baby and explain what happens after screening.

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What is NNAP and what do we do with the information 

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What is NNAP and what do we do with the information 

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Please take a look at our information booklet

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- Unit information
- Your baby
- Feeding
- Health and wellbeing
- Financial support
- Being transferred
- Screening
- Going home
- Local information
- Unit Charities
- Useful information
- National charities
- Bereavement support
- Feedback

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The padlet is a hub of information that we feel will be useful to you during your stay on the neonatal unit.
You can scroll left and right to the heading you would like to explore.
Then scroll down - When you double click on the information you would like to know more about, it will re direct you to a leaflet, website or short video, simply click the X in the top right hand corner if you wish to come back to the page.
The information is here for you to explore in your own time. Please don't forget the nursing and medical team are hear to answer all of your questions and support you through your journey also.

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Necrotising Enterocolitis | Nec Uk | England

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NEC UK A UK Charity for the condition Necrotising Enterocolitis- What is NEC, nec support, family support. Raise awareness of necrotising enterocolitis.

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Whether you are a new or expectant parent, a professional interested to know about Down syndrome or a member of the public - you've come to the right place!

We hope that our stories and photos reassure you, inspire you and show you the reality of life with Down syndrome. There is a lot of negativity, fear of and ignorance around Down syndrome, but we are the experts on living with someone with Down syndrome and these stories are written honestly from experience and absolute understanding.

#NobodyToldMe is a collection of personal experiences written by young people with Down syndrome, their friends and family.

#NobodyToldMe challenges outdated perceptions and attitudes towards those with Down syndrome by showing the reality of our lives.

We, too, have experienced receiving the news that our baby has Down syndrome, so we know how you're feeling, what you're worried about, or what you are feeling guilty for thinking. We are delighted to have this opportunity to share a little of our lives with you to try to address some of those feelings.

There are groups all around the UK, offering a range of support and community.

Click the button below to see a map showing what groups there are near you.

The stories here are our true and personal experiences. PADS is not affiliated with any religious or political organisation.

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Positive About Down Syndrome - A website by parents for parents and parents-to-be

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Whether you are a new or expectant parent, a professional interested to know about Down syndrome or a member of the public - you've come to the right place! We hope that our stories and photos reassure you, inspire you and show you the reality of life with Down syndrome.

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Information and support of your baby has had a NEC (Necrotising Enterocolitis ) diagnosis.

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NEC UK A UK Charity for the condition Necrotising Enterocolitis- information Section

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HIE Awareness and Support - A great charity that supports families that have a bay diagnosed with Hypoxic ischemic injury

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Peeps HIE Charity | HIE Awareness & Support

Welcome to Peeps HIE

We provide support to parents, families & friends of those affected by HIE (Hypoxic-Ischaemic Encephalopathy), raising awareness of HIE.

Some of the things we do include:

Provide information about HIE

Buddy/peer support

Counselling and therapy

Funding for equipment

Find out more about what we do...

Our Family stories

We pride ourselves on the support we can give to families experiencing the challenges of day-to-day life with children affected by HIE.

Read our Family Stories

Peeps on Twitter

Our information leaflets are written by families, with families, for families.
They can be downloaded from our website, or printed copies sent out - please get in touch if we can help support.

https://www.peeps-hie.org/resources-downloads/

#HeardOfHIE

2

If you'd like to find out more about our new book club, starting in 2024, and register an interest, please check out our website:

It will be online, peer-led, from the comfort of your own home, and just for H.I.E. parents/grandparents/carers.
Suggestions...

We recognise that each H.I.E. journey can be unique; we aim to provide support and guidance tailored to the diverse needs of our community.

Inclusion matters and is an agenda item on every meeting we have with Trustees and employees.

From informational resources to emotional...

Twitter icon
View more

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Peeps HIE Charity | HIE Awareness & Support

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Peeps is a UK charity, dedicated to supporting those affected by HIE (hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy). We provide emotional, practical and financial support.

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Available at ASDA with pharmacy - see link for your nearest ASDA

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Asda has partnered with Pampers to offer free nappies for all premature babies from its 254 instore pharmacies across the UK.

The Asda & Pampers partnership is a first for a UK retailer as nappies for babies born pre-term have previously only been available in hospitals or from healthcare providers.

The nappies are available free of charge and parents can pick them up by visiting an Asda pharmacy, which are open from 8am - 8pm Monday - Saturday and 10am - 4pm or 11am - 5pm on Sundays. Parents can find their nearest pharmacy by visiting

Around 1 in 13 babies are born pre-term in the UK, meaning that 60,000 babies each year require specialised care and need smaller sized nappies to protect their delicate skin during critical stages of their development. Pampers Preemie Protection Nappies are Pampers' smallest nappy and are up to three times smaller than a regular newborn nappy. They come in three sizes for babies weighing less than 1.1lbs up to 4lbs when they would move into standard newborn sized nappies.

The nappies have been specially designed in collaboration with neonatal nurses for the most delicate skin with all over fastening for a customisable fit which adapts around medical leads and lines, helping minimise disruption and irritation during nappy changing. A contour fit core provides a narrow, contoured fit between the legs, allowing baby's legs and hips to rest comfortably and support their healthy development.

With no front or back, the nappies have end-to-end absorbency to prevent leakage, and the nappy liner quickly pulls wetness and runny mess away from baby's skin into the core of the nappy to help keep baby's delicate skin dry whilst asleep.

Faisal Tuddy, Asda's Superintendent Pharmacist said: "We are proud to be the first retailer to partner with Pampers, and hope that by offering these nappies for free to new parents from our 254 Asda Pharmacies, those early weeks with a premature baby are made slightly easier. Within our in-store pharmacies, customers can also speak to trained professionals for healthcare advice relating to baby and parent."
Sonal Dash, Asda's VP for Non-Edible and Healthcare said: Nicole Hallak, Brand Director, Pampers UK & Ireland commented: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Asda Pharmacies to offer our Pampers Preemie Protection Nappies free of charge to new parents with premature babies. Pampers is committed to the happy, healthy development of every baby and this partnership allows all UK parents to access quality nappies with our trusted Pampers promise for their precious little ones." "Asda is a values-led organisation and we always put our customers first. We focus our efforts in delivering products to support our communities. This partnership with P&G supports new parents at times which can be scary and challenging, and this is testimony to Asda's culture and purpose."
Pampers continues to work with their long-term partner, Bliss, to support parents with the resources to help them feel more involved & confident in the care of their premature or sick babies and give them the best start in life. For more information and advice, please visit or call their careline on 020 7378 1122.

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Asda Becomes First Retailer to Offer Free Nappies for Premature Babies

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Asda has partnered with Pampers to offer free nappies for all premature babies from its 254 instore pharmacies across the UK.The Asda & Pampers partnership is a first for a UK retailer as nappies for babies born pre-term have previously only been available in hospitals or from healthcare...

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A charity that supplies all newborn/preterm babies with a free outfit

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As much as we would love to supply every hospital with Emily’s Gift Neonatal Boxes this just isn’t possible however as we would love to provide all babies born with an outfit we can offer to post our a Mini Gift Bag.
​
Each bag contains:
1 x Vest
​1 x Baby-Grow
1 x Knitted Cardigan
1 x Knitted Hat
1…

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Support and ad I’ve for those with Twins and more

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Finding out you are pregnant with twins, triplets or more can be an exciting but sometimes overwhelming time. We have all the support you need.

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We make many grants including the provision of gym and rehabilitation equipment at Meadowfield, an ultrasound training aid for A&E, examination couches in Outpatients, cardio ODM systems and digital reminiscence therapy packages. We also help out in less obvious ways such as providing a present for every patient on a Ward on Christmas Day.

Every £1 helps so if you can, please donate to this local charity.

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About Us - Friends of Worthing Hospitals

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We make many grants including the provision of gym and rehabilitation equipment at Meadowfield, an ultrasound training aid for A&E, examination couches in Outpatients, cardio ODM systems and digital reminiscence therapy packages. We also help out in less obvious ways such as providing a present for every patient on a Ward on Christmas Day.

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Trust Charity - How to get involved and what they do

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About Love Your Hospital

Love Your Hospital is the dedicated charity for St Richards, Worthing and Southlands Hospitals. We raise funds to ensure patients and visitors have the best possible experience, and support staff to provide outstanding patient care.
http://www.loveyourhospital.org hello@loveyourhospital.org
Love Your Hospital Registered charity number 1049201

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western sussex hospitals charities - love your hospital

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Love Your Hospital is the dedicated charity for St Richards, Worthing and Southlands Hospitals. We raise funds to ensure patients and visitors have the best possible experience, and support staff to provide outstanding patient care. http://www.loveyourhospital.org hello@loveyourhospital.org Love Your Hospital Registered charity number 1049201

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Offers lots of support and advice for the whole family and onnline counselling support

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We offer confidential bereavement support to anyone affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or young child.

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Donating breast milk after loss

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© 2023 The Milk Bank at Chester - Registered Charity No. 1050015

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Support and advice to twin loss

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We wanted to use our knowledge to try and improve care for parents in the future, by improving staff knowledge, understanding and practice. During our workshops, one of the parents suggested that we use a Butterfly cot card to signify the twin status for the surviving baby and we first started using this in 2015.

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Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Sands supports anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. Bereavement support is at the core of everything we do.

Sands is here to help you choose the right support for you. Some of the services that we offer include a Helpline for parents, families, carers and health professionals; a UK-wide network of support groups with trained befrienders; an online Facebook support group; a Sands online message board enabling bereaved families to connect with others and a wide range of leaflets, books and other resources available online and in print.

Although we don't offer counselling, our Helpline can help you find what is available in your area and help you request a referral from your GP.

Our free to call Helpline

The Sands National Helpline provides a safe, confidential place for anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby. Whether your baby died long ago or recently, we are here for you.

The telephone helpline is free to call from landlines and mobiles on 0808 164 3332.
Helpline calls are answered by trained bereavement support staff. If counselling is needed we recommend you seek support via your GP who can help you with a referral to your local team.
Language interpreters can be accessed via Language Line. If you are ringing to request support for for a non-English speaker please ring our Helpline and our staff will be happy to help.

The helpline team can also be contacted at helpline@sands.org.uk
Find out about more about our Helpline here
In 2017-18

The Sands Bereavement Support app

The Sands Bereavement Support app was created for anyone who has experienced the death of a baby.

It aims to help bereaved parents and families to find the right information and support at the right time. The app can also be used by healthcare professionals, who would like to know how best to support bereaved parents and their families.
Find out more about the App and how you can download here
Our Sands Groups

Many parents feel that only others who have experienced the death of a baby can offer real understanding. Our countrywide network of over 104 local support Groups, usually run by bereaved parents and family members, offer you the chance to meet others, gain support and share your experience.

Most Sands Groups offer either regular support meetings, telephone support or email support.

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Support for you | Sands - Saving babies' lives. Supporting bereaved families.

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Sands supports anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. Bereavement support is at the core of everything we do.

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Getting involved in your babies care (Bliss)

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Getting involved in your babies care (Bliss)

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Skin-to-skin contact - Baby Friendly Initiative

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Skin-to-skin contact is important for babies and mothers to develop close, loving parent-infant relationships and to initiate breastfeeding.

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Positive touch is a way of communicating your love and reassurance to your baby and hearing your baby's needs in return. Babies do communicate, and by watching and listening to your baby you can learn what kind of touch to use and when it is appropriate, safe and pleasurable for your baby.

It's harder for your baby to communicate when exposed to too much noise, too much light, too much cool air, or an uncomfortable lying position. See whether the environment can be calmed down first. In time, you will get to know your baby's individual ways and you may find your baby responding more often and for longer.

Comfort holding

Comfort holding is one of many ways for you and your baby to get to know each other. Your baby may be more comfortable lying in the incubator than being held. In this case, the staff may suggest that you try comfort holding if they think your baby is well enough. Comfort holding is 'still touch'. Cradling your baby with still, resting hands can be more comforting than stroking or massage, which are more stimulating.

Comfort holding can:

soothe your baby during uncomfortable procedures.

settle a restless baby.

help your baby to get back to sleep after feeds and care.

encourage your baby to be quietly awake and responsive.

Comfort holding is a way to experience loving touch when your baby is not ready to be held.

Talk to your baby's nurse about comfort holding. Together you can watch for signs from your baby that will guide you as to when and how to do it.

Be careful to:

Remove watches and jewellery, pull your sleeves up to the elbows, and wash your hands and lower arms. This reduces the risk of infection inside the incubator.

Always make sure that your hands are warm before touching your baby.

If your baby has difficulty keeping warm, make sure there is a layer of fabric (a hat, vest or blanket) between you.

Speak to your baby before touching, so that they are aware of your presence before you start.

Cradle one or both hands around your baby's feet, head or body, and keep them still. Your baby may also like to grasp one of your fingers.

Wait and watch for signs that tell you that your baby is relaxed.

You can continue for as long as you are both comfortable. When you finish comfort holding, move your hands away from your baby very slowly.

Kangaroo Care

Kangaroo Care is skin-to-skin contact when a baby is placed against the parent's chest. Benefits include improvements with lactation and with establishing breastfeeding, and better weight gain for the baby. In the longer term, it helps parents to feel closer to their babies and more confident in caring for them. Kangaroo Care can be used with babies with high medical needs, but this will require careful planning and collaboration with the neonatal staff.

Talk to staff and plan a good time and comfortable place for you to try Kangaroo Care.

While Kangaroo Care is based on direct skin-to-skin contact, removing your baby's clothes is not vital if this is upsetting for him or her. A hat and a blanket for extra warmth might be necessary for very small babies.

Hold your baby chest-to-chest tucked inside your clothes, enclosing him/her to keep his/her temperature stable. Check that the head is well supported and if you can't see your baby easily, try using a hand mirror.

Explore what you both like to enjoy together. Some babies like to have their eyes shielded, others like to be sung to softly or while having a tube feed. Allow time for your baby to settle and get the full benefit.

If you baby is happy, you can cuddle for as long as you are both comfortable. Lie back, relax and enjoy.

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Premature and sick babies undergo many medical procedures that can cause them some discomfort. As your baby's parents, you are the best people to balance this with a positive, reassuring touch.

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Caring for your baby on the neonatal unit  

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Caring for your baby on the neonatal unit  

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Research shows that parents being involved in their baby's care on the neonatal unit can have positive effects on them and their baby.

Being involved in your baby's care

Some research shows that being more involved can mean that:

Babies spend less time in hospital

Parents feel less stressed

Babies are more likely to gain weight

Parents feel happier with the care their baby is getting

Parents have more success with breastfeeding

Parents are more comfortable and confident when their baby goes home

Babies are less likely to be re-admitted to hospital after they go home

You might not be able to get as involved as you'd like straight away. This might be because you are recovering from the birth, or if you have to return to work.

Whatever your situation, the staff on the unit will work with you to get involved when you can, and in a way that is right for you and your family.

Some parents find that starting with one thing, and building up to take on more care can be a good way to begin.

Skin-to-skin

Research shows that doing skin-to-skin care can help to create connections between you and your baby. Being physically close can help you to feel emotionally close too.

Skin-to-skin care can also help:

Start breastmilk production and breastfeeding, if you've chosen to feed this way

Your baby to sleep better

For you to learn each other's smell, which can help with feeding and creating an emotional connection

For dads and partners to feel physically close to your baby too

There is also some evidence to show that doing skin-to-skin can help to calm your baby, and can reduce any stress or anxiety you feel as a parent, too. It can especially help to soothe them if your baby is having any painful or distressing procedures.

Some evidence also shows that in premature babies, those who had skin-to-skin care had better longer-term outcomes.

Staff on the neonatal unit are likely to ask if you'd like to try skin-to-skin care with your baby, if your baby is well enough. They will also help you to find the best way to do this, for you and your baby.

This means making sure you feel confident and comfortable, and that you take things at your own pace.

Speaking to your baby

Talking to your baby can help them, as well as help you feel more connected to them. Some research shows that parents speaking to their baby in hospital can increase how much oxygen is in your baby's blood, something which is very important to their overall health.

Some research also shows that your baby's heart rate can increase when hearing their mother's voice. You might like to try reading or singing softly to your baby. This is something that wider members of your family can get involved with too.

It is also something which is easy to do even if you aren't able to hold your baby. You might feel a bit self-conscious to begin with, but your baby knows your voice, and hearing it will let them know you are there.

Being physically and emotionally close

Researchers have looked into the differences between being physically close with your baby, and being emotionally close with them.

If you are able to be with them physically, and do things like skin-to-skin, this can help you feel more emotionally connected with your baby too. But the two might not always go hand in hand.

You might be physically close to your baby but find it hard to feel connected with them. Or, you might not be able to spend much time on the unit, but feel connected with them emotionally through photos or videos you've taken, or through clothing that smells of your baby.

It can be really hard to feel connected with your baby in both ways. Some parents feel a lot of pressure to bond, and can feel that their baby's stay in neonatal care is getting in the way of being able to do this.

You're not alone, and there is support for you. You might find it helpful to chat with the staff on the unit and tell them how you're feeling and what you're worried about.

They will be able to suggest ways you can feel closer with your baby, both physically and emotionally.

Getting used to holding your baby

Research looking at the experiences of first time parents whose baby was in hospital found that parents were often nervous or unsure when it came to holding their baby, because they were scared of hurting them.

But the research also showed that once parents in neonatal care did connect physically with their baby, the emotional connection really grew.

If you're unsure of how to hold your baby, or you're worried you might hurt them, you can speak to the neonatal staff. They will explain how best to handle your baby, and what is the safest and best way to do this.

Staff are also very used to these worries from parents, and will be able to reassure you.

We surveyed over 1,200 parents to find out more about how they felt when they arrived on the unit, how they got involved in their baby's care, and how this affected them and their baby.

The most empowering part of getting involved

The parents we surveyed told us that the most empowering parts of getting involved in their baby's care were:

Skin-to-skin

Holding them

Feeding them

Bathing them

Touching them

Clothing them

Talking to them

Reading to them

Singing to them

Watching them

Changing their nappy

Expressing milk

Being involved in ward rounds

There might be other things you would like to do with your baby. Staff on the unit will be able to talk through all the options with you, to help you be as involved as you'd like to be.

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How getting involved on the neonatal unit helps | Bliss

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We often hear that parents find it hard to know how to look after their baby on the neonatal unit. But what are the benefits of being involved? And what do other parents say?

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How can health professionals support my family to get involved?

The nurses, doctors and other health professionals on a neonatal unit can support you to feel more confident in caring for your baby.

They can help by talking through anything that might be stopping you being more involved.

You might like to ask a nurse of other health professional on the unit to support you by:

Showing you how to do your baby's daily cares, like changing nappies, washing them, and dressing them

Giving you clear information about your baby's care, in a way that you understand

Understanding your emotional needs and how staff can support you

Making sure you understand and agree to the treatment your baby needs - this is called consent

Giving you practical information about how the unit works and the policies they have

Giving you any financial help that's available for car parking, hospital food, or other expenses

Showing you where to find further financial support if needed

Showing you where to find support if you are having to travel a long way from home to see your baby

Supporting you to help them, by letting you be a part of life on the unit. For example, many units let parents be there for the health professionals' ward rounds

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Getting involved in your baby's care | Bliss

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Find out how you can be involved in caring for your baby during their stay on a neonatal unit.

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An animated guide to neonatal care

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A stay in neonatal care - An animated guide

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You are the most important people in your baby’s life. 

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You are the most important people in your baby’s life. 

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Your baby knows you. Even in the earliest days when they may be very unwell, just your presence is a comfort to them. It might feel like you spend a lot of time in these early days just watching your baby. This is really worthwhile as day by day you are learning your baby’s cues and what they are telling you.

Your nurse can talk to you about your baby’s cues which are the signals they use to show you how they are feeling.

Studies show that babies recognise familiar voices from around 22 weeks gestation. Talking to your baby in a quiet and a gentle voice is important right from day one. You might like to bring in a story to read to your baby.

Your baby has just arrived in a world which is very strange and different for them. They meet many nurses and doctors, but you are the constant reassurance in their lives.

Your loving touch is comforting to your baby. Resting your hands on your baby’s head, body or feet or gently holding their hand is best. Still touch is reassuring for your baby, we call this ’comfort holding’ Stroking or tickling is not easy for your baby to cope with until they are older.

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This leaflet is designed to give parents comfort and confidence in the care of their sick or premature baby.

This leaflet covers a wide range of issues and provides a useful tool to help conversations with parents on the neonatal unit.

Printed copies are available for £15 per pack (1-9 packs) or £11 per pack (10 or more packs). There are 50 leaflets per pack and this price includes P&P within UK. Order using the Baby Friendly Resources order form, which you can download from our Resources page.

Public Health Wales have produced a version of the You and Your Baby neonatal leaflet in Welsh, which is free to download.
Orders for UK delivery only, and include postage and packaging costs. Orders may take up to 7 working days to process. The Baby Friendly Initiative reserve the right to re-print items at any time. If you are looking to order audit tools or e-learning, please use our digital resources order form.

You and Your Baby: Supporting Love and Nurture on the Neonatal Unit leaflet

More neonatal resources to support you

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You and your baby leaflet - Baby Friendly Initiative

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This leaflet covers a wide range of issues and provides a useful tool to help conversations with parents on the neonatal unit.

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Some parents feed their premature or sick baby expressed milk or formula in a bottle. Some babies will transition to bottle feeding after being tube fed.

You may prefer to feed your baby expressed milk and/or formula in a bottle alongside breastfeeding. This is called mixed or combination feeding. If you are thinking about mixed or combination feeding, talk to your neonatal team, feeding specialist, midwife, health visitor or GP.

Like other types of feeding, it is important to recognise the signs that your baby is hungry (feeding cues) before bottle feeding. Your baby may demonstrate early feeding cues by putting their fingers into their mouth, making sucking motions (rooting) and becoming restless.

Your baby will want to be close to you while being bottle fed, so this is a great time to have skin-to-skin. When possible, it is best for you or your partner to give bottle feeds so that your baby can learn with you. Doing the following while bottle feeding your baby can help them to feed successfully and be more comfortable:

Make sure you are close to your baby and hold them in the best position suited to your baby, with their head supported. This may be upright or elevated on their side. Some units may advise you to try different positions.

Offer the bottle when your baby shows feeding cues.

Gently invite your baby to take the teat.

Avoid forcing your baby to take the teat or finish the feed.

If the milk comes too quickly, it can be difficult for your baby to coordinate their sucking, swallowing and breathing. A nurse or feeding specialist on the unit will show you teats, bottles and positions that can help your baby to do this more effectively.

Some babies have periods of low oxygen (desaturations) and/or low heart rate (bradycardia) when they are starting to bottle feed or breastfeed. This is normal in some cases and will improve with time, but can be a sign that your baby is not ready for feeding yet. If this happens, it may need to be looked at by a doctor or a speech and language therapist who specialises in swallowing.

Low oxygen and heart rate while feeding can also be a sign of reflux. Reflux happens when some of the partly digested milk or food in the stomach comes back up the tube from the mouth to the stomach (oesophagus). This is common in all babies, but is more common in babies born premature or sick. We have more information about reflux.

Staff on the neonatal unit should support you and show you how to make feeds and clean and sterilise your baby's bottles (see below). They could also encourage you to bring bottles in from home so that your baby can get used to them. For more help and support with bottle feeding, speak to your neonatal team, feeding specialist, midwife, health visitor or GP.

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Find out how to feed your premature or sick baby expressed milk or formula in a bottle.

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Find below a range of useful resources for parents on infant feeding and relationship building, as well as information on overcoming common breastfeeding challenges.

There are various mother support groups which offer infant feeding support:

Find more useful organisations.

Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby. If you decide not to breastfeed or to stop breastfeeding, it is possible to restart. Giving infant formula to a breastfed baby will reduce your milk supply. You do not need to eat any special foods while breastfeeding, but it is a good idea for you, just like everyone else, to eat a healthy diet.

Resources to support you

Below is a selection of resources to support you with feeding, caring, and building a close and loving relationship with your baby.

Overcoming breastfeeding problems

You may find whilst trying to establish breastfeeding that you run into problems. Whilst these can be debilitating and painful, thankfully the most common ones can be solved relatively quickly and easily - given the right support.

Unfortunately, support is often not available or, what is worse, mothers are told that problems such as engorgement and sore nipples are a normal part of breastfeeding. This is not true.

Below you can read about how different problems develop, how to spot them at a early stage, and how to solve them by yourself or with the support of a health professional.

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Support for parents - Baby Friendly Initiative

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Resources and information for parents to support with feeding and developing close and loving relationships with their baby.

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Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative | Hand expression

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If your baby is premature, it may be some time before he or she is strong enough to suck from the breast or bottle. Until that time your baby will be fed through a special tube called a nasogastric tube (NGT). This is a small tube that passes through the baby’s nose or mouth, down the food pipe and into the stomach.

We encourage breastfeeding.  A mother’s breast milk is uniquely important for your baby’s growth and development. You should begin expressing your milk as soon as possible after the birth, and the milk can be stored on the unit until your baby is ready to feed.  We can also arrange for you to speak with the infant feeding adviser if you wish.

If you wish to bottle feed we supply formula milk, bottles and teats. When your baby is ready you will be asked to bring in your own bottles and teats for your baby to get used to.

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Spice of Life Restaurant

The new  Spice of Life Restaurant (formerly the Shoreline Restaurant) is located on the first floor of the main hospital’s South Wing and serves breakfast, lunch & dinner between:

· 7.15am — 7.30pm, Monday to Friday and

· 8.30am — 6.30pm Saturday and Sunday.

The restaurant has a salad bar, delicatessen and coffee bar and offers a full range of hot and cold snacks throughout the day.

Costa Coffee

Costa Coffee is now open in the main hospital entrance and opens from:

· 7.00am—8.00pm, Monday to Friday and

· 8.00am—6.00pm, Saturday and Sunday

Costa provides a range of hot and cold drinks, snacks, sandwiches and paninis.

Amigo

The convenience shop Amigo is next to Costa Coffee in the main hospital entrance and opens from:

· 7.00am—8.00pm, Monday to Friday and

· 8.00am—6.00pm, Saturday and Sunday

League of Friends

The League of Friends shop is now located in the North Wing entrance

Cash Machine

A cash machine is located in the west wing corridor.

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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Please do not visit patients if you are unwell *** If you need medical help and advice call NHS 111 first *** Remember to wear a mask in our hospitals *** Do you need A and E?

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Local Buses/Taxes and Trains

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University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Worthing Hospital - University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust

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Worthing Hospital is a medium-sized District General Hospital located in Worthing, West Sussex.

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Local restaurants and shops to the hospital

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CAFE AND SHOP NEWS

A limited seating area at our cafe and shop on the ground floor in the North wing of Worthing Hospital is now open again. Please come and support us by having a cup of tea or coffee and a cake or sandwich .

Our friendly team will be very pleased to see and serve you. The area is also wheelchair accessible .

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Friends Café - Friends of Worthing Hospitals

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A limited seating area at our cafe and shop on the ground floor in the North wing of Worthing Hospital is now open again. Please come and support us by having a cup of tea or coffee and a cake or sandwich . Our friendly team will be very pleased to see and serve you.

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The hospital's Chapel is on the second floor of the east wing and is always open for quiet reflection or to leave a message for the Chaplains or their team of volunteers.

Clergy of various denominations visit the wards regularly and will be happy to meet with you or your relatives if you wish. Please tell a midwife if you would like to receive a visit or receive Holy Communion on the ward.

Your own minister, priest or religious leader is also welcome to visit you in hospital. Please speak to the ward staff if you would like them to arrange this.

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Being discharged from the neonatal unit 

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Being discharged from the neonatal unit 

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If you are worried about your baby being discharged or taking your baby home, please come and talk to one of the nurses about it; they will be able to help answer your questions.

Following discharge you will be visited by your Health Visitor at home and they will be able to answer any questions you may have. Your GP will also be notified when your baby is discharged home.

You may be given a baby clinic appointment to come back to the hospital between two to eight weeks after discharge to have your baby checked. Your baby may need to come back to Beeding ward or Bluefin Ward (paediatrics) if a blood test is required. If your baby has had intensive care, he or she may need to come to the children’s outpatient department later on for eye or hearing checks.

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ICON - Babies cry you can cope - Advice and Support | ICON

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ICON - Advice and support for parents when babies are crying

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Babies cry, you can cope When babies cry it can be stressful and overwhelming. Help is out there and all you need to do is ask. Latest news Testimonials

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We have a Neonatal Outreach service attached to our unit. Babies may be considered for our Outreach service if they fulfil the set criteria. We will always let you know if we think benefit from this service.

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Local Peer support group

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Safer Sleep (advice for premature and low birth weight babies) 

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Safer Sleep (advice for premature and low birth weight babies) 

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Premature and low birth weight babies are at a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Learn about reducing the risk…

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Please ask the ward team for a BLS training session.

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Before you leave the neonatal unit, a trained doctor or nurse will show you how to resuscitate your baby if they stop breathing.

The thought of having to resuscitate your baby can be very scary, and is something that no parent or carer ever wants to have to do or think about. But the training is designed to help you be as prepared as possible.

Research suggests that learning how to resuscitate your baby could help increase your confidence and reduce any anxiety you may have.

If your baby stops breathing, it is important to stay calm and call 999; the emergency call handler will help. If you need to perform CPR on your baby, the call handler will talk you through the process until the ambulance arrives.

We have more information on what to do if you think your baby is becoming unwell.

We are currently reviewing our resuscitation video and will upload the new version later this year. Until then, our friends at the St John's Ambulance have an instructional video about what to do if your baby stops breathing.

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Having resuscitation training can help you be more prepared to care for your premature or sick baby after leaving the neonatal unit.

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Going home from the neonatal unit | Bliss

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You may have a lot to think about when you go home from the neonatal unit with your premature or sick baby. Find out more about preparing to go home, and what support is avaliable.

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More support for Dads on the neonatal unit

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According to the charity Sane "1 in 2 people is affected by a mental disorder in their lifetime."

There has too long been stigma and taboo around men talking about their mental wellbeing. Mental wellbeing covers everything from sleeplessness, loneliness, stress to depression, bipolar and dissociative conditions. We all can learn to talk about and work on managing our mental health.
Articles from our Health and Wellbeing Group on Stress Management
Dr Chis Manning Article
Paul Egerton Article
We're very much in support of #timetotalkday and encouraging men to have a chat with someone they trust about how they are coping mentally especially in light of the pandemic.
https://www.optimale.co.uk/trt/trt-manual/male-menopause-mental-health-guide/
'Man Up' and talk about your feelings.

For #timetotalkday, we speak to Chris and Conor , two very different but courageous men. Listen as they share with us their journey in managing their mental health.

"Understanding the Male Menopause and Mental Health"
"We still don't have answers to what happened to my dad but i know he wasn't registered at a doctors and sadly he would never admit if he was in physical pain.
Kayleigh's Story

We were blown away to read Kayleigh's Story on instagram. Read her account growing up with a dad who battled with his mental health.

Toxic masculinity is one of the reasons men don't reach out as they don't want to appear weak. They feel like it's not ok to talk about their feelings or that if they do they'll just be told to "man up" or if they get sick they're told "is it the man flu?"

8 in 10 men would choose to endure an illness rather than seek help - and 39% have let symptoms get to the point where the pain is "unbearable", at which point they had no choice but to visit their GP, according to a survey of 2,000 men by bupa.

They feel like it's not ok to talk about their feelings or that if they do they'll just be told to "man up"

depression is often found to be more difficult to diagnose in men because they don't tend to complain about the typical symptoms and this is why when looking at statistics online it will state that on average more women and non binary people are diagnosed with mental health problems than men yet the rate of male suicide is significantly higher.

please nag your loved ones about going to the doctors for annual check-ups. please know the signs of different mental health disorders and recognise them if someone you know is struggling. please encourage men to talk about their feelings and offer to go with them to any appointments related to it. please never brush them off or take any part in toxic masculinity. please share if you know this might help someone."

Thanks to Kayleigh for sharing her experience with what she describes as toxic masculinity - her post can be found here https://www.instagram.com/p/CKrwIGDg6jL/

Call your doctor or simply someone you trust if you are struggling with Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness, Panic Attacks, Phobias, Seasonal affective disorder, Sleep problems, Stress, Sleeplessness and related concerns.

If you feel you need professional counsel, we have included details of a selection of professional helplines you can call below.

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Mental Wellbeing - UKMSA Men's Sheds Association

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Tackling the taboo surrounding men talking openly about their mental health. Time to talk day is an important reminder of what's at stake.

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Download the DadPad App - Login using your postcode for Free access - DadPad is also available on social media

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New dads will feel excited, but may also feel left out, unsure and overwhelmed. The Dadpad® gives dads-to-be the knowledge and practical skills necessary to support themselves and their partner, so that babies get the best possible start in life.

To complement the original DadPad® set of Cards, the DadPad® has now been developed further as an App to act as an on-the-go supportive guide.

Being rolled out as part of the UK's Maternity Transformation Programme's Better Birth's Strategy, the information and signposting you get will be local to your NHS Trust or relevant Health Authority.

Just select the area that applies to you to open up your DadPad® and get to know what you can do as a new dad. If your area isn't included, let us know and we'll make contact with those who can make it happen!
Build confidence around subjects such as:
- Holding and handling your baby
- Washing and bathing your baby
- Getting to know your baby
- Getting through the first few months
- Supporting your baby's mum
- Looking after yourself
- Supporting each other
.....and much more

As new UK NHS Trusts or relevant Health Authorities adopt the DadPad® App, more locations will appear, as will new up-to-date information and features such as explanatory animations and videos.
From the start, the DadPad® has been working with mums, dads, Health Visitors, Midwives and Public Health Teams to provide the most relevant and accurate information available, and continues to do so.

Having chosen to invest in including and engaging with dads-to-be, and wanting to encourage new dads to get involved and come forward with questions and issues they have throughout their partner's pregnancy and beyond, the DadPad App is free to you.

A very basic parenting app

Very basic advice. I'm soon to be a first time father and found this app to be quite patronising. I appreciate you've got to cater to a wide audience but a lot of this is common sense. Aesthetically, I also think the app is is very quality with poor stock images and an even worse colour scheme. Obviously, the aesthetic feedback isn't crucial but I would suggest the developer(s) seek professional advice on this.

Great app

Our health visitor recommended this app and as a new dad to be I've found this has given me a lot of confidence in advance of our baby being born. Really easy to refer to all topics and being in bitesize chunks manageable to read which is great for anyone like me who hates reading lots. Best app I've downloaded for a new dad to be.

Very helpful

Great clear info. Helps answer the questions you forget or don't know to ask about

The developer, Inspire Cornwall CIC, indicated that the app's privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer's privacy policy.

Data Not Collected

The developer does not collect any data from this app.

Privacy practices may vary based on, for example, the features you use or your age. Learn More

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‎New dads will feel excited, but may also feel left out, unsure and overwhelmed. The Dadpad® gives dads-to-be the knowledge and practical skills necessary to support themselves and their partner, so that babies get the best possible start in life. To complement the original DadPad® set of Cards, the...

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NHS South East Clinical Delivery and Networks

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Being the parent of a premature baby; interview for the #ReadyforParenthood campaign

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Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby.
It's a common problem, affecting more than 1 in every 10 women within a year of giving birth. It can also affect fathers and partners.

It's important to get help as soon as possible if you think you might be depressed, as your symptoms could last for months or get worse and have a significant impact on you, your baby and your family.

With the right support most people make a full recovery.

Depression during pregnancy

Depression in pregnancy (antenatal depression) is also common, affecting more than 1 in 10 women.

Other mental health symptoms that can occur during or after your pregnancy include anxiety, panic attacks and psychosis.
Read more about mental health in pregnancy

Symptoms of postnatal depression

Many women feel a bit down, tearful or anxious in the first week after giving birth.

This is often called the " baby blues" and is so common that it's considered normal.

The "baby blues" do not last for more than 2 weeks after giving birth.

If your symptoms last longer or start later, you could have postnatal depression.

Postnatal depression can start any time in the first year after giving birth.

Signs that you or someone you know might be depressed include:

a persistent feeling of sadness and low mood

lack of enjoyment and loss of interest in the wider world

lack of energy and feeling tired all the time

trouble sleeping at night and feeling sleepy during the day

finding it difficult to look after yourself and your baby

withdrawing from contact with other people

problems concentrating and making decisions

frightening thoughts - for example, about hurting your baby

Many women do not realise they have postnatal depression because it can develop gradually.

Speak to a GP, midwife or health visitor as soon as possible if:

you think you may be depressed

Many midwives and health visitors have been trained to recognise postnatal depression and have techniques that can help.

Remember that:

a range of help and support is available, including talking therapy

depression is an illness like any other

it's not your fault you're depressed - it can happen to anyone

being depressed does not mean you're a bad parent

it does not mean you're going mad

your baby will not be taken away from you - babies are only taken into care in very exceptional circumstances

Treatments for postnatal depression

Postnatal depression can be lonely, distressing and frightening, but support and effective treatments are available.

These include:

self-help - things you can try yourself include talking to your family and friends about your feelings and what they can do to help, making time for yourself to do things you enjoy, resting whenever you get the chance, getting as much sleep as you can at night, exercising regularly, and eating a healthy diet

talking therapy - a GP may be able to recommend a self-help course or may refer you for a course of therapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

antidepressants - these may be recommended if your depression is more severe or other treatments have not helped; your doctor can prescribe a medicine that's safe to take while breastfeeding

Local and national organisations, such as the Association for Post Natal Illness (APNI) and Pre and Postnatal Depression Advice and Support (PANDAS), can also be useful sources of help and advice.

Causes of postnatal depression

The cause of postnatal depression is not completely clear.

There are a number of things that may make you more likely to have postnatal depression. These include:

a history of mental health problems, particularly depression, earlier in life

a history of mental health problems during pregnancy

having no close family or friends to support you

a difficult relationship with your partner

recent stressful life events, such as a bereavement

physical or psychological trauma, such as domestic violence

Even if you do not have any of these, having a baby is a life-changing event that can sometimes trigger depression.

It often takes time to adapt to becoming a new parent. Looking after a baby can be stressful and exhausting.

Preventing postnatal depression

There are things you can do during pregnancy to help you keep well, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle and having someone you can talk to and turn to for support.

Going to antenatal classes and making friends with other pregnant women or new parents can also be helpful.

If you are pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant, talk to a GP or your mental health team if:

you have a history of depression or mental health problems

someone in your family has had mental health problems after childbirth (for example, your mother or sister)

This is so they can offer you appropriate treatment.

You can also talk to a midwife, who can support you or refer you to specialist mental health services if needed. If you have had a mental health problem while pregnant, your doctor should arrange for you to be seen regularly in the first few weeks after birth.

The mental health team, maternity team and GP will work closely with you during your pregnancy and after you have given birth.

Myths about postnatal depression

Postnatal depression is often misunderstood and there are many myths surrounding it.

These include:

postnatal depression is less severe than other types of depression - in fact, it's as serious as other types of depression

postnatal depression is entirely caused by hormonal changes - it's actually caused by many different factors

postnatal depression will soon pass - unlike the "baby blues", postnatal depression can persist for months if left untreated and in a minority of cases it can become a long-term problem

postnatal depression only affects women - research has actually found that up to 1 in 10 new fathers become depressed after having a baby

These factors are equally true of antenatal depression.

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Postnatal depression is a type of depression that many parents experience after having a baby. It's a common problem. Depression in pregnancy (antenatal depression) is also common.

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Perinatal mental health issues can happen in pregnancy and in the first years of being a parent (antenatal and postnatal). Problems can affect new mums as well as dads, people with no history of mental health problems as well as those who have. The word perinatal simply means the time around (peri) childbirth (natal). 

Perinatal Positivity uses the real voices and experiences of women and men who have had mental wellbeing difficulties around the time of pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. We hope it will help you emotionally prepare and find support, if needed, at this time.

ForMed films would like to especially thank the women and men who agreed to be interviewed, to tell their stories and share their experiences to help others. These eight hours of interviews have formed the six minute film.

The film and a number of translations and versions are available to download or embed for free from www.perinatalpositivity.org

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Psychological support for families

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You're not alone, find out what emotional and practical support is available to you here.

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Please click to watch a short video from a parent who spent time on a neonatal unit.

Becoming a new parent is life-changing. It can also be in varying measures exhilarating, exhausting, and extremely challenging. Our #ReadyforParenthood campaign aims to support new parents and carers, please head to their website for more great hints and tips for those early days of parenthood- #ReadyforParenthood campaign - Welcome (southeastclinicalnetworks.nhs.uk)

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NHS South East Clinical Delivery and Networks

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Being the parent of a premature baby; interview for the #ReadyforParenthood campaign

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We have a parents’ lounge, with a kitchen area, where you can make tea and coffee and eat lunch if you are staying for the day. If you leave food in the fridge please label it.  We also have a cold drinks dispenser on the unit.

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Transfer Closer to Home: The neonatal repatriation of your baby

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Nestled in the heart of Chelsea and a stone's throw away from London's infamous King's Road, Royal Brompton Hospital is at the forefront of advancing heart and lung care.

Founded in the 1840s, initially to treat people suffering from tuberculosis, our hospital has a long-standing history of treating adults and children with heart and lung conditions.

We established Europe's first adult cystic fibrosis clinic in 1964 and our hospital has grown into the largest treatment centre for the condition in Europe.

Also, our adult congenital heart disease unit was the first of its kind in Europe and remains the largest.

Services and facilities

Our services and facilities include:

Sir Reginald Wilson Ward - our private inpatients ward with 28 spacious single-occupancy, en-suite rooms

five operating theatres, a hybrid theatre, four catheter laboratories and over 2,200 staff

a full range of imaging services, including ultrasound, echocardiography, nuclear medicine, CT, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and fluoroscopy

non-invasive cardiology monitoring and lung function

dedicated high-dependency units and intensive therapy units staffed by our expert medical team 24 -hours a day.

A brand-new imaging centre opened in January 2022 providing the very latest in imaging technology. This includes some of the most advanced MRI scanners, CT, ultrasound, echocardiography, interventional radiology and bronchoscopy all in one building.

This helps to reduce scanning times and improve the overall patient experience.

Directions and opening times

Opening times

Our Royal Brompton Private Consulting Rooms, located at the Old Fire Station building on South Parade, is open from 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

Getting here

The private facilities at Royal Brompton Hospital are based across three buildings:

Our Sydney and Chelsea wings are located within the same site, accessible via the main reception on Sydney Street, SW3 6NP.

For Royal Brompton Private Consulting Rooms, go to the Old Fire Station building on South Parade, Chelsea. We are located on the ground floor - look for signage that says, 'Private consulting rooms'.

For private inpatients, ask at the main reception in Sydney Wing to be directed to the private inpatients' reception.

Travelling by public transport

To see bus and train times, you can check Citymapper, or Transport for London's Journey Planner.

London Underground

The nearest tube station is South Kensington (0.4 miles away) which is on the Circle, District and Piccadilly lines.

From there, the hospital is a 10 minutes' walk away. Alternatively, you can take bus number 49 from stop D and get off two stops later at 'Cale Street/Royal Brompton Hospital'.

Walking from South Kensington

Go up the stairs and turn left out of the tube station.

Cross the road towards Pret a Manger and turn left onto Old Brompton Road.

Walk down the road, then turn right onto Fulham Road.

Cross the road and turn left into Sydney Street.

Continue down the street until you see the hospital on your right, opposite St Luke's Church.

Walking from South Kensington to Royal Brompton Private Consulting Rooms

Go up the stairs and turn right out of the tube station.

Cross the road towards Pret a Manger and turn left onto Old Brompton Road.

Walk down the road, then turn right onto Fulham Road.

Cross the road and turn left into Dovehouse Street.

Cross over the road and continue until the road bends to your right.

Follow the road to the right onto South Parade. Continue down the street until you see the Royal Brompton Private Consulting Rooms on your right-hand side.

Bus

Several bus routes serve the hospital:

Bus numbers 14, 211, 345 and 414 stop outside the Fulham Wing on Fulham Road.

Bus numbers 49 and 211 stop on Sydney Street for our main reception.

Bus numbers 11, 19, 22, 211, 49 and 319 serve the King's Road.

Transport for London has a PDF bus route map for the area, which can be found here.

Travelling by car

Check your route using a route planner such as Google Maps. For Sat Navs, our postcode is: SW3 6NP.

Parking for patients and visitors

There is no patient or public parking at Royal Brompton Hospital other than a very limited pickup and drop off area at Sydney Street. There is metered, on-street parking, but in central London, street parking is very limited and not guaranteed. This is worth noting if you have an appointment.

There is a small public car park a few minutes' walk away on Sydney Street, near King's Road and managed by CP Plus Parking:

Sydney Street Car Park
125 Sydney St
Chelsea, London
SW3 6NR

For visitors seeing inpatients, it's easier to park your car at the weekend. Nearby roads are pay-and-display on Saturdays and free on Sundays.

Reserved parking for outpatients

We have five car parking spaces near the hospital, in Dudmaston Mews, available to reserve free of charge. Reservations can be made in the two weeks before your outpatient appointment and are subject to availability.

Please do not use these spaces unless you have a reservation. To book, call +44 (0)20 7351 8012 between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.

Subject to availability, these five car parking spaces in Dudmaston Mews can be used by visitors after 4pm, Monday to Friday.

Parking for disabled badge holders

A small number of disabled parking spaces, owned by the council, are available near the hospital in:

Remember to always display your disabled badge. Please check on-street signage to see the maximum stay.

Congestion Charge and ULEZ zones

Royal Brompton Hospital is situated inside London's Congestion Charge/ULEZ zone. Please check the TFL website for further details on charges and times they apply, including exemptions from charges.

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Royal Brompton Hospital | RB&HH Specialist Care

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Nestled in the heart of Chelsea and a stone's throw away from London's infamous King's Road, Royal Brompton Hospital is at the forefront of advancing heart and lung care.

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How to find St Thomas's Neonatal unit and local information

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Coronavirus (COVID-19)- updated information for visitors

We have some visiting restrictions at this time.

Parents and siblings can be present on the unit at any time. Parents can nominate four other people (family or friend) to visit the neonatal unit with them. Ask the ward clerk or nursing team for a visiting form. Family and friends must visit with a parent, weekdays between 3pm-6.30pm and at weekends 12.30pm-6.30pm. Only 2 people can be at the bedside at anytime and one must be a parent. This will help us to minimise the number of people in the hospital and reduce the risk of spreading infection to keep you and your family safe.

There may be exceptional circumstances to this, which we will discuss with you on an individual basis. Speak to the team or refer to the admission pack for more information about visiting.

Read our latest information on coronavirus.

Location

Sixth floor, North Wing, St Thomas' Hospital.

Directions: turn right at St Thomas' main reception, walk past the toilets and shop and turn left into the North Wing lift A lobby. Take any lift up to the sixth floor.

Family Integrated Care

On the NNU, we believe that parents and staff are equal partners in the care of your baby. We will encourage you to be involved with caring for your baby as quickly as you feel able to after their birth. On our unit we follow a model of care called Family Integrated Care (FICare).

We will help to guide and support you to carry out parenting roles (like changing, cleaning, feeding and holding your baby), as soon as you are ready. Tasks that are more medical remain the responsibility of the doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. We see you as equal, essential members of the team looking after your baby, and pride ourselves on working together to get your baby home as soon as possible. We will support you to feel connected with your baby.

Facilities for parents

After birth, new mothers are cared for on the postnatal ward located opposite the Neonatal Unit.

Unfortunately, we are unable to provide accommodation on the unit itself. For information about places to stay, see accommodation.

There is a parents' room on the unit where you can take a break to make something to eat or drink. This room is not for visitors and if you bring your children with you, you must supervise them at all times.

There are lockers for you to store your belongings when you come to spend time with your baby. Please hang outside coats in the designated coat hook area and bring only small essential items to the bedside.

Your nurse

At the start of each shift, your baby's care will be allocated to a nurse who will work with you to care for your baby that shift. Your bedside nurse is the best person to ask if you need help, but please don't hesitate to ask another member of staff for assistance.

Your doctor

The doctors involved in your baby's care do a ward round every morning. This is a good time to ask questions and share in decision making about your baby's care.

Psychology service

Having your baby admitted to the neonatal unit may not have been something you expected. Our psychology team are here to support you. Ask the team for a referral or for more information.

Neonatal Network

If your baby has been transferred to our unit from another hospital, or you do not live locally to St Thomas' Hospital, we will assess him/her on a daily basis. When well enough, your baby will be transferred back to your local hospital. More information can be found on the London ODN website.

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The Neonatal Unit is based at St Thomas' Hospital. It provides specialist care for premature and sick babies and includes an intensive care unit (NICU), high dependency unit (HDU) and a special care baby unit (SCBU).

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St George's Hospital

Address:
Blackshaw Road
Tooting
London SW17 0QT

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St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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On this page:

At St George's we provide specialist care for the smallest and sickest babies, including those that are born prematurely and those that require surgery. We are the regional centre for the South West London Neonatal Network. Our network has 5 hospitals providing maternity and newborn services. St George's has a large specialist fetal medicine unit, and many women with complex pregnancies are referred to us for expert care. We provide the majority of intensive care for newborn babies in south west London as well as providing some specialist services for neighbouring networks, covering a large geographical area extending down to the south coast. Once babies no longer require specialist care at St George's, we move them to a neonatal unit at one of our network hospitals so that families can be closer to home, and to allow us to take new babies that require our specialist services.

What we offer:

An integrated neonatal unit where babies receive specialist medical and surgical intensive care.

43 cots (12 intensive care, 13 high dependency care, and 18 special care).

4 parent bedrooms where parents can stay on the unit - these are allocated depending on need, and are also used for parents to stay with their baby for 1 or 2 nights before going home.

Facilities in the hospital grounds where parents who live far away can stay (Ronald McDonald House).

Specialist multi-professional paediatric surgical services - including general surgery, ENT, neurosurgery, urology, and a specialist spina bifida service.

Highly trained nurses, including a surgical nurse specialist and a team of Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioners. We have one of the lowest rates of agency staff use in London.

Paediatric infectious diseases service - we are one of 3 centres in the UK designated to look after children with HIV.

Close links with the Royal Brompton Hospital for the management of babies with heart problems, including weekly visits from a fetal cardiologist.

Weekly eye-checks for babies at risk of retinopathy of prematurity by doctors from Moorfields Eye Hospital, and facilities for laser therapy.

Weekly neonatal follow-up clinic.

Specialist neonatal developmental clinic for babies born before 30 weeks gestation.

Community neonatal nursing team to support babies in the community discharged to Wandsworth from our unit.

Antenatal (before birth) counselling of prospective parents by appropriate healthcare professionals if problems are expected; this may include neonatologist, cardiologist, geneticist or surgeon alongside our fetal medicine colleagues.

monthly neonatal respiratory clinic for infants with chronic lung disease and congenital lung lesions

Specialist neonatal developmental clinic for babies born before 30 weeks gestation.

Community neonatal nursing team to support babies in the community discharged to Wandsworth.

Our clinics are designed to allow follow-up of babies discharged from the neonatal intensive care unit, and we are unable to accommodate direct referrals to outpatients.

Quality Measures

The survival rates for babies in the SW London Network are better than national averages.

The most recent national parent survey (Picker Institute, 2010) was favourable, and highlighted good communication with families and excellent communication and practice relating to infection control.

We have weekly team meetings where key people involved with the care of babies on the neonatal unit meet. These include fetal medicine, surgical, perinatal, X-ray, and microbiology/infectious diseases meetings.

Grand Round - our consultant neonatologists do a joint weekly ward round to ensure that care is consistent and quality is maintained.

We regularly audit the quality of our care locally, and have 100% participation in the National Neonatal Audits to ensure quality standards are maintained.

We monitor and comply with relevant national standards.

We are on the same site as St George's University, and have close links allowing us to provide excellent teaching and training of students and staff.

We have a specialist Breastfeeding Advisor and Discharge coordinator

An active program of simulation training involving nurses, midwives and doctors from different teams to help prepare staff for emergencies and unexpected events.

Support services for families, including a trained counsellor, and a family-centred care co-ordinator funded by First Touch.

Every year we produce a Unit Report (including mortality and morbidity figures for the unit) and a Governance Report.

Key staff
Consultant neonatologists

Dr Laura DeRooy

Dr Nigel Kennea

Dr Justin Richards

Dr Charlotte Huddy

Dr Nasreen Aziz

Dr Sijo Francis (Care Group Lead)

Dr Donovan Duffy

Dr Anay Kulkarni

Dr Sandeep Shetty

Dr Amy Reid

Head of nursing Matrons

Laura James/Mariella Tonzanu
Neonatal community nursing team Family centered care coordinator Discharge planning coordinator Neonatal counsellor
Referrals

Please note that we do not take direct referrals from GPs to our neonatal clinics, which are designed for following up patients discharged from the neonatal unit.

Contact Details

Reception
020 8725 1936

Secretaries
Sandra McLennon
020 8725 3528

Neonatal sisters office
020 8725 1934

Family Care Coordinator
020 8725 6045

Neonatal Counsellor
020 8725 0033

Key links

Related pages

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Newborn services - neonatal unit - St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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At St George's we provide specialist care for the smallest and sickest babies, including those that are born prematurely and those that require surgery. We are the regional centre for the South West London Neonatal Network. Our network has 5 hospitals providing maternity and newborn services. St George's has a ...

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The Oliver Fisher Baby Unit is a tertiary neonatal facility caring for babies who require intensive care. We care for babies from Medway and the surrounding South East Thames region including Dartford, Gravesend, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells. We also accept referrals from outside Kent.

Our 36-cot unit provides intensive care, high dependency, special and transitional care services for babies born prematurely or who are sick and require specialist treatment. Around 1,000 babies are treated here each year as part of our neonatal and maternity service.

Babies and families are cared for by a specialist team led by seven consultants and a neonatal matron.

Parents are invited to be with their babies at all times supporting our family integrated care model. Other family members and friends may visit with the parents.

Please contact us for further information:
Anna Francis, Neonatal Matron
Tel: 01634 830000 Ext 5125

Dr Ghada Ramadan, Speciality Lead Neonatal Services
Tel: 01634 830000 Ext 5146
Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit

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This 26-cot unit provides intensive care for babies born prematurely or who are sick require specialist treatment.

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Neonatal care at William Harvey - East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

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Information about the Special Care Baby Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at William Harvey Hospital, Ashford

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Information on getting to St Peter NICU and Parking

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Parents

They are a key part of their baby's care team. Not only does this have benefits for babies, but the whole family. This involvement has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in parents, and improve bonding and attachment.

Evidence is clear that babies have the very best outcomes when their parents are able to be partners in delivering their baby's care. Research has shown babies cared for in this way have increased weight gain and improved breastfeeding rates, and some studies have even shown that babies may go home from hospital earlier.

Meeting New Brothers and Sisters

Having a sibling in neonatal care can be an incredibly stressful time for a child. The disruption in routine, the financial, physical, and emotional strain on the family can evoke a strong emotional response in siblings. It is important to involve your other children in what's happening, and talking to them about how they, and you, are feeling.
We welcome siblings of the baby/ies on NICU between 10am-10pm every day.
All siblings need to be supervised by a parent at all times. When a sibling visits, a maximum of 3 people can stay at the cot side, depending on how busy the Nursery is at that time.

It is important that there is some preparation for what the environment will look like.

Take time to describe what the NICU looks like, talk about photos, and discuss the sensory environment. Describe what they will be able to do during the visit; the need to wash hands, how they may read a book, help with cares or hold their sibling.

Visitors

Visitors of your choice are welcome to visit between 10am-10pm. We ask you to limit the number of peoples at the cot side to 2 people for short periods of time only.

Please explain to your family and friends that they may only visit with you and that we are unable to give them any information about your baby's condition.

However, we ask you, your children and any visitors NOT to come into the nursery if they have a cough, cold, tummy upset or other infections due to the risk of passing it on to your baby or others. Please discuss with the nurse in charge if you are unsure.

No other children (under the age of 16) except baby's siblings may visit.

Please note there may be times when you will be asked to vacate the Nursery, when more space is required to facilitate emergency procedures or there is reduced space. We ask that you respect such requests.

Quiet time

As part of our commitment to family-centred care, we have a period of quiet time each day in our nurseries. The neonatal unit can be a stressful environment for babies and their families.

Quiet time is from 12.30hrs - 14.30hrs daily unless otherwise noted by the staff. During this time you are encouraged to spend time with your baby. This can be a good time for you to have some quality time with your baby and have skin to skin time or just quiet cuddles. We suggest that you ask your visitors to avoid this special time. We recommend that this should be time just for you as parents, or parent and one other nominated visitor. Please feel free to discuss your individual needs with the nurse in charge.

During quiet time the blinds will be closed and the lights dimmed or turned off. Nurses will have planned routine cares for before and after this time and the medical staff will avoid unnecessary procedures at this point. The nursing staff will endeavour to cancel alarms as quickly as they can to avoid extra noise.

However, due to the nature of intensive care and unexpected admissions happening, there will be times where quiet time is postponed or suspended in order to prioritise and provide appropriate care in a nursery.

Infection control

Please help us protect your baby by adhering to the following guidance:

Parents and visitors please remove your coat / jacket and hang it on the clothes rail in the waiting area. Bags should be placed in a the lockers provided.

We ask that all parents and visitors remove wrist watches and bracelets to help reduce the risk of infection.

Prior to entering the clinical area, please disinfect your hands with alcohol hand sanitiser.

You should disinfect / wash your hands again on entering the nurseries and prior to contact with your baby.

Please clean you phone with alcohol wipes as directed by the posters in the nurseries and place in the green tray at your baby's cotside to dry.

We ask that you do not come to NICU if you are unwell e.g., have a cough, cold or tummy bug.

Face Masks

We have made the decision that from Monday 17th 2023 face mask wearing for visitors, patients, and staff will no longer be a mandatory requirement in non-clinical areas of our hospitals.

Face masks will still be available in the main entrances of the hospitals, for those who would prefer to continue to wear face masks, and in clinical areas.

We will continue to monitor the situation and will update you with any further changes to our Infection Prevention and Control measures.

Thank you for your continued support.
David Fluck, Medical Director
Travelling to St Peter's

On our Trust webpages we have details on bus and train time tables. There is also a site map which shows the many car parks at St Peter's Hospital but they do get busy at certain times of the day. As with most hospitals there is a car parking charge. Payments should be made at a nearby machine. All parents who have a baby on the unit are entitled to parking concessions. Please talk to your nurse for further details Note that penalty charges may be enforced by the car parks management company.

Parking

If your baby has been admitted to the NICU or Transitional Care Unit you can apply for extended parking. Please buy a one off £25 weekly parking ticket and speak to the receptionist on NICU to extend your parking. You will be required to give details of your car registration and show your ticket as proof of purchase. This will then extend your parking for the duration of your stay until your baby has been discharged.

How to find us

The unit is located on the 4th Floor of Abbey Wing at St Peters Hospital

Postal Address is:

Neonatal Unit
4th Floor Abbey Wing
St Peter's Hospital
Guildford Road
Chertsey
Surrey
KT16 0PZ

Access to the Unit

For security reasons, the doors to NICU are kept locked. During office hours please ring the buzzer for reception and when asked, state who you are and the name of the child you have come to visit. Out of these hours please ring the room buzzer your child is in.

Please respect the enormous efforts we make to protect all babies. NEVER allow people to enter the unit when we open the door to you, staff wearing a visible Ashford and St Peter's badge can be let through. All of our staff must wear an identity badge at all times.

If someone not wearing an identity badge approaches you or your child at any time, please check with a member of staff.

At night the maternity entrance is locked this is between 21.00hrs and 06.30hrs. If you wish to visit at night you will need to ring the doorbell to the right of the night door.

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Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of more than 410,000 people living in north Surrey.

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Trevor Mann Baby Unit/Brighton Neonatal Unit 

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Trevor Mann Baby Unit/Brighton Neonatal Unit 

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Information on how to get to Trevor Mann Baby Unit Brighton and unit information

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Location

The Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) is part of the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

It is located on the 14th floor of the Thomas Kemp Tower Block, accessed from Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE.
View a map of the hospital site, showing the location of the Thomas Kemp Tower
Visiting information updated in line with Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

As a team we are very keen to minimise the impact of the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns on the vulnerable babies we care for here at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit. The following information is intended to be supportive and reassuring and follows best practice and is based on evidence that has been evolving rapidly.

From 17 March visiting on the unit will be restricted to Parents only. Exceptional family situations can be discussed and agreed with the nurse in charge.

Anyone with any respiratory or flu like symptoms should not visit the unit. Please stay away from anyone with these symptoms where possible. Call and discuss with the Nurse looking after your baby if you have concerns about this. Phone numbers for the Nurseries are:
Direct Unit Number for TMBU: 01273 523450
Nursery 1 & 2: 01273696955 ext. 3450

Nursery 3: 01273696955 ext. 3948

Other measures that you can take to minimise spread of this virus are:

Hand Hygiene- Please see practice a good hand washing technique. If you would like your Nurse to demonstrate or assess your hand washing, please ask. Please wash your hands before entering the nursery and use the alcohol gel provided at each bed space before you touch your baby. Please encourage and remind all staff to do this too.

Further measures you could take to improve your hand hygiene would be to remove rings (especially with stones), watches, and false nails and nail varnish. Nails should be kept neat and short. Please wear short sleeve as having no long sleeves means you are able to wash your hands and lower arms effectively. Using hand cream can help prevent your hands from drying out and becoming sore.

Environment- Each baby's bed space is cleaned routinely. Nursing and housekeeping staff would be grateful if you can help keep bed spaces clean and tidy. If you would like to clean your baby's bed space, please speak to the Nurse looking after your baby. Keeping personal belongings at the bed side to a minimum is helpful and taking washing away with you after each visit is appreciated.

Mobile phones - mobile phones have been found to be a significant source of all bacteria and viruses. Please use the wipes that are available in green packets which are suitable for cleaning phones and other electronic devices. If you choose to bring your phone into the nursery with you then please could you wipe your phone when you enter the nursery and then again when you leave. Please remember to gel your hands after handling your phone and before touching your baby.

When you are away from the unit, keeping your environment clean and encouraging others around you with hand hygiene could further protect you from being exposed to the virus.

Social Contact- Whilst we appreciate having a baby in the Neonatal Unit is stressful and you may need support, please consider how many people you are in close contact with outside this unit. Social distancing to prevent the spread of this virus is recommended. If you are concerned you have been in contact with someone who is potentially infected, please speak to the Nurse looking after your baby.

Sources of Support- If you are noticing an impact on your mental health at this time, all of our staff are here to help you. The BLISS charity website also has some good resources for emotional support.

You also might find it helpful to watch the following video:

To support your other children please look at the BBC Newsround website and YouTube where Dr Ranj uses helpful child friendly language to explain the Coronavirus situation.
Thank you for working with us to keep you, your baby and our staff safe.
Claire Hunt, Neonatal Matron

Dr Rob Bomont, Neonatal Clinical Lead

Dr Cassie Lawn, Neonatal Clinical Lead

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Visiting the Brighton site - Trevor Mann Baby Unit

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Location The Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) is part of the Royal Sussex County Hospital. It is located on the 14th floor of the Thomas Kemp Tower Block, accessed from Eastern Road, Brighton, BN2 5BE. View a map of the hospital site, showing the location of the Thomas Kemp Tower Visiting information updated in line with Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance As a ...