Here is the latest guidance on COVID-19 for parents with a baby who has been discharged from the neonatal unit or who is now older.
This page provides more information about follow-up appointments, paediatric appointments, and community care.
Please be aware that information about changes to healthcare services may change quickly. We will monitor and make changes to this information as soon as we can if they are needed. You should always check the details of any appointments or medical care with your healthcare team.
See England's latest information about what you can and can’t do. This includes information for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable.
See Wales' the latest information.
Telephone follow-up appointments may be used instead of face-to-face appointments. The team looking after you and your baby will decide if your appointments will be changed, and keep you informed. The neonatal team will be in close contact with your health visitor and GP during this time.
If you need to attend appointments at the hospital, you may be advised to wear a face covering at all times when in the hospital.
Services such as visits made by community nursing teams and health visitors may still be affected by COVID-19 at the moment.
Telephone follow-up appointments may be used instead of face-to-face appointments. This may also apply to some home visits.
Decisions on any changes to appointments will be made by healthcare teams who will consider the needs of individual babies and families, with higher-risk babies, mothers and families being prioritised. If you have any concerns, contact your GP or the neonatal unit for advice.
If you are not sure how you will receive community care, speak to a relevant healthcare professional such as your health visitor or community neonatal nurse. It can be difficult to know what to do at the moment, and you may be feeling worried or isolated.
If you need any additional help or support at this time, look at our support pages to see how we can help.
Services such as ongoing paediatric appointments may still be affected by COVID-19.
Telephone follow-up appointments may be used instead of face-to-face appointments. This may also apply to some home visits.
If you need to attend appointments at hospital, you may be advised to wear a face covering at all times when in the hospital.
Decisions on any changes to appointments will be made by healthcare teams who will consider the needs of individual babies, children and families. If you are not sure how your child will receive paediatric appointments, speak to a relevant healthcare professional. It can be difficult to know what to do at the moment, and you may be feeling worried or isolated.
If you need any additional help or support at this time, look at our support pages to see how we can help.
Should my baby or child wear a face covering when attending appointments?
Babies should not wear face coverings, as there is a potential risk of suffocation and other hazards if they do.
Hospitals are advising you and your child to wear a face covering unless they are too young to do so. There is different guidelines regarding the age that children should wear face coverings in different parts of the UK. The guidance in England says that face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 3 and in Scotland, by children under the age of 5.
There is no known risk to you or your baby from having the COVID-19 vaccine while you are breastfeeding. You should not stop breastfeeding before or after having the vaccine.
If you have just gone home from the neonatal unit with your baby, you may be feeling more isolated, and you may have some uncertainty of not having the support of unit staff at home.
As COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed you might be able to get support from other households, which may be useful to you if you are finding things difficult. However, you should only do what you feel comfortable with, and there is no pressure to meet with friends and family if you don’t feel ready.
If you need someone to talk to, Bliss Champions are available for one-to-one video chats to offer vital support to parents who are on the neonatal unit or who have recently been discharged. To arrange a call, simply fill out this short form or email hello@bliss.org.uk
You can also email hello@bliss.org.uk for emotional support and find more information about supporting your mental health on our website.
Most parent and children groups are now active. This could offer you the opportunity to talk to other new parents and get information and advice. Speak to your health visitor or GP for more information about what groups might be available in your local area.
NCT are also running Walk and Talk Groups for new parents, which are free, local walks where new parents can meet and share their experiences in a safe, socially distanced way. Visit their website for more information.
If your baby has been discharged very recently, you may be able to call your neonatal unit for further guidance and support in the first few weeks after arriving home. You should check with your neonatal unit before going home to see if this is possible.
Wellchild has specific information about coronavirus (COVID-19) for parents and carers of sick children.
Twins Trust have published a Q&A about COVID-19 for anyone who is pregnant with, or who has, twins or multiples. They also have some advice about home isolation when you have multiples, and have some other useful links and information that you may find useful.
SANDS have produced a guide for parents about COVID-19 and changes that will impact parents and family members who have been affected by the death of a baby.
Mind has lots of information if you are feeling anxious or worried about COVID-19, and has guidance on how to take care of your mental wellbeing.
YoungMinds has more information about how to talk to your children about COVID-19.
Tommy’s have information and guidance about coming home with a newborn baby during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are updating this page as more information becomes available. For more support, get in touch at hello@bliss.org.uk
Last updated: 1st April 2022
