Neonatal Care
For most parents, pregnancy is a time of excitement, of planning for the birth and dreaming of a perfect, healthy baby.
However, sometimes babies arrive unexpectedly early, or they can be unwell at birth and require admission to the neonatal unit for investigation and treatment.
​Caring for families in NICU
When your baby is admitted to NICU, it can be a worrying time. Parents say they feel at least some reassurance after they speak with a senior doctor or nurse in the neonatal team, and so the team will aim to talk with you as soon as possible.
One important thing for you to know from the outset is that parents are not visitors – they are an integral part of the neonatal team and are welcome at all times.
Being admitted to NICU
Why has my baby been admitted to the neonatal unit?
Sometimes babies arrive unexpectedly early, or are unwell at birth and require admission to the neonatal unit for investigation and treatment.
Around 10% of all births receive some support from neonatal teams (across all maternity units in the UK).
Who will be looking after my baby if I am not there?
There is a large team of professionals in the Simpson Neonatal Unit, some of whom you can meet virtually in the tour.
What happens in the neonatal unit?
Connecting with Baby
How do I connect (bond) with my baby in the NICU?
Connecting with your baby to develop strong emotional bonds is important for both you as parents and your baby. How you do that in the NICU environment will depend very much on your baby, and for mothers, your health.
The nurses will help you to connect and bond with baby and guide you on what is safe to do, given baby’s gestation (weeks of development) or degree of illness.