Arriving on the unit

You might come to us through several routes:

If you're booked to have your baby in our maternity unit, and your baby needs neonatal care.
If you have been referred to the Wessex fetal medicine unit due to complications with your pregnancy, and have your baby in Princess Anne Hospital. Specialist postnatal care will be provided for their baby on the unit. This usually includes babies with antenatally diagnosed conditions requiring surgery, specialist care or premature babies.
Premature and term babies can be transferred to us for neonatal intensive and specialist care from local neonatal units in the region. These babies may have a condition requiring neonatal surgery or specialist paediatric services available in Southampton Children’s Hospital.

Frequently asked questions

When your baby is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), you will have lots of questions to ask. We'll do our very best to answer them for you.

Below you will find some of the more frequently asked questions on admission.

Will I be able to care for and cuddle my baby?

Yes. We encourage you to spend as much time with your baby as you wish. A nurse will show you how to care for your baby and support you in this.

You will be encouraged to touch and care for your baby and provide skin to skin or kangaroo care if your baby's condition allows.

When your baby is older and having regular periods of sleep, it's better to allow them to wake naturally rather than disturb them, even if this doesn't coincide with your visiting times.

What's the best way to touch my baby?

Can my baby show me how they are feeling?

Your baby can show you if they are comfortable or uncomfortable. Babies do communicate and by watching and listening to your baby you can learn what kind of touch to use, and when it is appropriate, safe and nice for your baby.

To start with you may find it much easier to recognise when your baby is over-stimulated or distressed. In time, you'll get to know your baby's individual ways and your baby may respond to you more often.

As soon as your baby is well enough, you will be able to cuddle them, even if they still need to be ventilated. We encourage skin to skin cuddles, as this promotes bonding and helps mum's breast milk supply. Please ask staff for more information.

Can I see my baby anytime?

Parents and siblings of the baby are welcome on the neonatal unit anytime. We welcome other visitors in the afternoons between 2pm and 7pm. All visitors must be accompanied by a parent at all times and we ask that there are only tw0 people at the cot side at any one time. Please note - occasionally we will need to close the nursery for urgent procedures. If this is the case we will make contact with you to let you know.

Will I be able to breastfeed my baby if they're pre-term?

Not straight away, but eventually, yes.

Preterm or sick babies are fed via a nasogastric tube until they are able to co-ordinate sucking, breathing and swallowing.

This might take several weeks or months, but in the meantime you will be supported to express milk for your baby. A pump will be provided for you by the unit.

Staff will give you as much support and advice as possible, so please ask for help if you are finding expressing difficult.

Coming in to the unit

Arriving on the unit

Frequently asked questions