Interacting with your baby is very important to their recovery and your own peace of mind. We encourage you to touch your baby and become involved in their care when possible. As your baby recovers, you will be able to hold and feed them. You are not a visitor, but an essential part of your baby’s care.
You may find your first visits to the nursery very difficult. Feelings of fright and distance are normal and will be resolved in time. Remember that it takes time to become comfortable with a new person. Your baby is a unique person with their own special personality. Each visit will bring your baby closer to you.
Even when your baby is still very small, you may be able to hold and cuddle them by placing the baby directly on your chest, skin to skin, inside your clothing. This is called kangaroo care. Your doctor or nurse will let you know when your baby is ready for this.
At first, most of your baby’s time will be spent sleeping. However, there probably will be short periods of time when the infant will be wide-awake. As you get to know your baby, you will become aware of their patterns. When your baby is awake, we encourage you to interact and get to know your baby. As you spend more time with your baby, you will become familiar with their likes and dislikes and know what comforts and soothes them. Babies can become overstimulated with handling, and the staff will help you recognize these clues. It takes time to feel comfortable with your baby, and the nursing staff will help you with this process. With time, the staff will rely on you to tell us about your baby—what soothes them best and what makes them happy.
If your baby is ill or very small, they may not be fed right away. If you had planned to breastfeed your baby, you could still do so. By pumping your breasts, you will be able to maintain your milk supply, and we can save your milk by freezing it. This milk will be used when your baby is ready to take milk, until they are strong enough to breastfeed directly. Please ask your baby’s nurse for information on how to collect and store your milk. There is an electric pump in the NICU for use. You may ask your nurse for information about renting one.
