Information for Parents

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Welcome to Milton Keynes Neonatal Unit

Your baby has been admitted to the neonatal unit because they need specialist care from the neonatal team. But they still need you too. We will work with you so that you can be involved in care giving and the decision making whilst your baby is on the unit. This leaflet is to help explain the ways that we work to enable and encourage you to be your baby’s main carer at every stage of their stay with us.

Contact us

You can call the unit directly at any time day or night. If you would like an update, worried or have a specific question about your baby’s care. Depending on which nursery they are in:

Intensive Care Nursery – 01908 995591

Nursery 1 – 01908 997166

Nursery 2 – 01908 997701

Reception Desk – 01908 997167

Information about your baby

Every shift you will be allocated a nurse/nursery nurse to care for your baby. The shift handovers are 07:30 morning and night so there will be a new member of the team at these times and occasionally at the change in the middle of the daytime too. These are the best people to talk to about your baby’s care and treatment.

Your baby may have input from a range of other health care professionals on the unit, this could include dietician, physiotherapist, pharmacist, hearing screener, ophthalmologist. We will try to arrange these reviews for when you are present.

Other Visitors

**Visitors must be well and must be accompanied by a parent**

Siblings – it is important that siblings have opportunity to meet their baby and see where they are being cared for. Siblings can come in with you any time but must not be left unsupervised at any time.

Siblings over 16 and other adult visitors – can visit at any time but just one visitor and one parent at a time per family please.

This may change at certain times in response to local or national guidance, we will update families if this happens.

Support for you

We know that admission to the neonatal unit often creates a mix of emotions for families and we are here to support you. In addition to the nurses on each shift we have a Family Counsellor and Clinical Psychologist. They are based in our Family Support Room but you will see them around the unit and are available to support all parents.

Being here

• Parents have open access to the neonatal unit so can come any time and we would encourage you to spend as much time as you want to with your baby. We have a range of things we offer to try to facilitate this:
• Car parking is FREE, validate it in the machine at our reception before you leave the neonatal unit each time. The best place to park is the multi-storey car park opposite the main entrance.
• Please leave outdoor coats on the hooks, we have lockers if you have valuables that you need to put things in
• Try to have clothing that means your lower arms are bare for hand washing and hygiene purposes. You will need to wash your hands each time you enter the nursery areas and staff will show you how to do this.
• There is a parent’s kitchen, sitting room and bathroom located on the unit that you can use whilst here.
• In the Kitchen there are cereals, bread, milk, tea, coffee and snacks available. There are sandwiches, snacks and fruit available in the fridge as well as menus that you can order from daily if you have specific requirements/preferences. You can also bring in your own food to leave in the fridge, please make sure that this is clearly labelled and in date
• There are shops and cafes within the hospital.

While you are here

We will give you as much support as you need to be involved in all aspects of caring for your baby. Most of these can be done from the very beginning but we will go at your pace. This could include:

• Containment holding – whilst they are in their incubator
• Talking, reading and singing to your baby
• Nappy changes
• ‘Top and Tail’ which is like a daily wash.
• Skin to skin/Kangaroo Cuddles – when they come out of their incubator/cot
• Mouth care
• Taking the temperature
• Feeding – by tube, bottle or breast

Ward rounds

The medical team do a ward round Mon- Fri starting by 10am and we encourage you to be here for these if possible. You will be included in the discussions, able to ask questions and get information specifically about your baby’s care.

During the rest of the ward round you will be asked to wear earplugs or listen to music with headphones whilst the team discuss other babies for confidentiality reasons. If you are unable to be here and wish to speak with a doctor please ask.

Early feeding

Breast Feeding and/or giving your baby your breast milk is one of the most important things that you can do for your baby. This starts right from the beginning with all babies getting colostrum or early breast milk. The nurses/midwives will help you with hand expressing so that your baby does not miss out on this.

It is likely that your baby will not be able to fully bottle or breast feed when they are first admitted to the neonatal unit and you will need to express your breast milk. If this is likely to be the case you will initially hand express but then need to use a pump. These are available on the unit and postnatal ward for mums to use whilst here, but you will need to think about hiring one for at home if you need to continue expressing once you are discharged. The nursing team can advise you about this.

Feedback 

If you have further questions or feedback please ask to speak to one of our Senior Neonatal Nursing Team or you can go to PALS (Patient Advice Liaison Services) located in the main entrance of the hospital (01908 995954).