What Happens When Your Baby Is Admitted to a Neonatal Unit?
Having your baby admitted to a neonatal unit can feel overwhelming, particularly when it wasn't something you were expecting. You may suddenly find yourself surrounded by unfamiliar equipment, alarms, medical terminology and a team of people you have never met before.
Whether your baby was born prematurely, needs help with breathing or feeding, requires closer monitoring, or has been admitted for another reason, understanding a little about what happens next can make those first hours and days feel less daunting.
In this article, I'll walk you through some of the things you may experience when your baby is admitted to a neonatal unit — from meeting the team and understanding the equipment around your baby to feeding, bonding and becoming involved in their care.
The first few hours after your baby is admitted to a neonatal unit
When your baby first arrives on the neonatal unit, the team will focus on assessing them and providing any support they need. Depending on the reason for admission, this may include monitoring their heart rate, breathing, oxygen levels and temperature.
Some babies may need additional support with their breathing, feeding or maintaining their temperature, while others may simply need closer observation for a period of time.
During these first hours, there can be a lot happening around your baby. Staff should explain what they are doing and why, but it is completely okay to ask questions again if you haven't understood or simply can't remember everything you've been told.
All the equipment can look frightening
One of the first things you may notice when you see your baby on the neonatal unit is the amount of equipment surrounding them. There may be monitors, wires, tubes, pumps and machines that you have never seen before. You may also hear alarms frequently, which can understandably feel worrying at first.
Much of this equipment is there to help the neonatal team monitor your baby closely or provide the support they need. For example, small probes may monitor your baby's oxygen levels and heart rate, while other equipment may help with breathing, feeding, temperature control or giving fluids and medicines.
An alarm does not always mean that something is wrong. Monitors are designed to alert staff to changes, but they can also alarm when a baby moves, a probe becomes loose or a reading is temporarily interrupted. The neonatal team will assess the alarm and your baby when needed.
If you don't know what a particular wire, tube or machine is for, ask. Understanding the equipment around your baby can make the neonatal environment feel a little less unfamiliar.
Nurse's Note: It can be tempting to watch the monitor constantly, but your baby is much more than the numbers on a screen. The neonatal team will always assess your baby alongside the information provided by the monitors.
You are an important part of your baby’s care
When your baby is admitted to a neonatal unit, it can sometimes feel as though the nurses and doctors have taken over. With so much medical care happening around your baby, you may feel unsure about what you are allowed to do.
But you are an incredibly important part of your baby’s care.
As your baby becomes stable enough, the neonatal team can support you to become involved in everyday care. This may include changing nappies, taking your baby’s temperature, mouth care, helping with feeds, comforting your baby and having skin-to-skin contact when appropriate.
These seemingly small moments can help you get to know your baby, build confidence and feel more involved in their neonatal journey.
Every baby is different, so what you are able to do — and when — will depend on your baby’s individual needs. Your neonatal nurse can help you understand how you can safely be involved.
Nurse's Note: You do not need to wait until you feel confident to get involved. Confidence often comes from doing these things alongside your baby’s nurse, little by little.
Feeding may look different at first
Feeding is often a big part of neonatal care, but it may look different from what you imagined before your baby was born.
Depending on your baby’s gestation, health and individual needs, they may not be ready to breastfeed or bottle feed straight away. Some babies need time to develop the coordination needed to suck, swallow and breathe safely during a feed.
Your baby may receive milk through a small feeding tube that passes through the nose or mouth into the stomach. This is commonly used in neonatal care and can allow your baby to receive breast milk or formula while they develop their feeding skills.
If you would like to provide breast milk and your baby cannot feed directly from the breast yet, the neonatal team can support you with expressing and storing your milk. Even very small amounts of colostrum can be valuable, and depending on your baby's situation may sometimes be used for mouth care or feeding.
Feeding plans are individual and can change as your baby grows and becomes stronger. Try not to compare your baby's feeding journey with another baby's — progress in neonatal care is rarely a straight line.
Nurse's Note: If feeding isn't happening in the way you imagined, it doesn't mean you've missed your chance to bond with your baby. Holding, skin-to-skin contact, talking, comforting and simply being present are all meaningful ways of connecting with them.
For more information about feeding your baby, you can read my Feeding Your Newborn guide.
Meeting the Neonatal Team
During your baby’s time on the neonatal unit, you may meet many different healthcare professionals. This can include neonatal nurses, doctors, advanced neonatal nurse practitioners and members of specialist teams such as infant feeding, physiotherapy, dietetics and speech and language therapy.
Not every baby will need input from every member of the team. Who you meet will depend on your baby’s individual needs and the support they require.
Your baby’s neonatal nurse will often be one of your main points of contact during each shift. They can explain your baby’s care, help you understand the equipment around them and support you to become involved in caring for your baby.
Doctors and other members of the medical team will regularly review your baby and should keep you informed about their progress and plan of care.
If you are unsure who someone is or what their role is, it is always okay to ask.
Nurse's Note: You are part of your baby’s team too. Your observations matter — you know your baby in a way that nobody else does. Never be afraid to share something you have noticed or ask why something is being done.
If you'd like to understand more about the different people you may meet during your baby's neonatal stay, you can read my You're Not Alone guide.
Looking after yourself matters too
Having a baby on a neonatal unit can bring many different emotions. You may feel frightened, overwhelmed, exhausted, guilty, hopeful — sometimes all within the same day.
There is no “right” way to cope with having a baby in neonatal care.
You may feel as though you need to stay beside your baby every moment, but eating, sleeping, showering and taking some time away from the unit does not make you any less of a parent. Looking after yourself is important too.
If you are struggling, let someone know. Your neonatal team can help you find out what emotional and practical support is available within your hospital, and you may also be able to access support specifically for families experiencing neonatal care.
Remember that your own recovery matters too, particularly if you have recently given birth or are recovering from a difficult pregnancy or delivery.
Nurse's Note: You don't have to be beside the incubator or cot every minute to be there for your baby. Going home to sleep, eating a proper meal or taking some time to recover is not abandoning your baby.
One day at a time
The neonatal journey can feel overwhelming, especially in the beginning when everything is unfamiliar. You may find yourself learning new words, watching monitors you never knew existed and celebrating milestones you never expected to think about.
Over time, many of the things that initially felt frightening can start to become more familiar. You will learn what your baby likes, how they communicate with you and how you can be involved in their care.
There may be good days and more difficult days, and progress may not always happen in a straight line. Try to take things one day at a time and ask questions whenever you need to.
Most importantly, remember that you are not simply a visitor on the neonatal unit. You are your baby's parent, and you are an important part of their care.
With care,
The Neonatal Nurse Mum
This article is for general educational purposes and does not replace individual medical advice. Your baby's neonatal team is best placed to advise you about your baby's individual care and needs.
