Support for Families

The neonatal psychology service is available to families who currently have babies receiving support on the Milton Keynes Neonatal Unit (NNU). This service also provides support to staff working on the unit.

Everyone’s experiences are unique to them. While having a baby born early or with additional needs can be an overwhelming experience, some parents may also feel a sense of relief that their baby is getting the required medical attention. The bottom line is that there is no right or wrong way to feel/react to a difficult or unfamiliar situation, such as having your baby on the NNU.

About us and what we do

The neonatal psychology service is led by our Clinical Psychologist and Neonatal Family Counsellor. Using our skills in talking therapies, we support people by helping them understand their experiences and manage things in the best way they can.

We can support you with:

• Making sense of how you have been feeling
• Exploring difficult feelings, such as anxiety, sadness, anger, guilt, uncertainty, and loss
• Making use of your unique strengths and skills in finding ways to solve problems and cope with challenges
• Bonding with your baby
• Coping with the unusual environment on the neonatal unit

Depending on your preference, we can meet with you either face-to-face whilst you are on the unit or via telephone or video call. We can meet cot-side and/or in a private space on the unit. You can have your partner or other family members present, if this is helpful. Meeting one-to-one gives a good opportunity to discuss any concerns you have had or are currently experiencing.

We can continue to support you throughout your baby’s stay on the unit. If it is felt that there is a more suitable service to meet your needs, we can discuss this with you and support you to accessing those as required. Depending on the need, we can also offer follow-up appointments post-discharge to help you transition smoothly to home or another service for continued support.

How you can access psychology support on the unit

We are on the unit most days a week, based in the Family Support Room and would most likely reach out to you. Otherwise, if you would like to meet us, we encourage you to speak to one of the staff team who can make a referral on your behalf.

How we manage the information you share

We are part of the multi-disciplinary team supporting you and your baby which means that some information may be shared with the staff involved in your baby’s care, if only this was felt to be useful and appropriate. We respect your privacy and if there is any information you do not wish to be shared with the wider team, we will try to make sure that it is kept private and confidential. Please note that we are bound to share any information with appropriate staff if there were reasons to think there is a risk of harm to you or others. This is to ensure everyone’s safety.

We aim to correspond with your GP or other healthcare professionals, with your consent, to update them about the support provided and/or planned. This helps us to ensure that your needs are met.

 

Useful links

Please see below some useful links/resources that you may find helpful.

• Bliss – support for families with babies born premature or sick.
• Rainbow Trust – supporting families, babies, and siblings.
• Scope – emotional support for parents/carers finding out about their child’s additional needs.
• Tommy’s – free support for women and families at any stage of pregnancy and after birth – or email midwife@tommy’s.org.
• Mind BLMK – support for mental health and wellbeing.
• Padlet – information on national organisations and resources offering support across a range of areas, such as maternal mental health, for babies born sick and/or families of children with health conditions or disabilities.

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