Wanting to know what will happen next
It is likely that you will be thinking about the future, and how this start to your baby’s life will affect them. You are at the beginning of your journey.
Health professionals will work with you and your baby every day to get more information about how they are doing. Each day will bring more information about what care your baby will need.
You will probably want to know when you can take your baby home. This can be really hard for families, as they want to start their lives together at home.
It is very hard to know how long your baby will need to stay in hospital, or what care they might need, at this early stage.
You will always be included in decisions that affect your baby’s care and discussions about changes in their condition. This will include how they are responding to their care and if they might be ready to go home. As your baby gets closer to going home, you will be involved in the planning for their discharge.
You can always ask for more information, or for someone to explain anything that you are not sure about.
Bereavement
Sadly, some babies who are born needing care in a neonatal unit do not survive. This is devastating for families, and can be one of the hardest times they will ever face. The unit staff will always work closely with families who are facing a bereavement, supporting them to spend time with and to care for their baby in the way that is right for them.
Even though you may not experience this yourself, there may be others in the same room as you who do. This can be very difficult to deal with. Parents have told us that this can cause feelings of guilt because their child was doing ok, or serve as a reminder of the possibility.
All the feelings you might have about this are valid. You can talk to the care team or contact us if you would like someone to talk to, using the information on the next page.
A number of charities provide specialist support for families who have experienced a neonatal death. These include Sands and Child Bereavement UK. You can find out more on their websites – sands.org.uk and childbereavementuk.org
Units should also have a bereavement nurse who can provide support at this time.
