Parenting Tips

Although caring for a premature baby in the NICU is definitely different from parenting at home, a lot of the parenting tips that work for full-term newborns apply to premature babies just as well

Below is a list of NICU parenting tips that may help parents care for their premature babies:

Be informed

It’s important for parents to feel as comfortable as possible with both their baby’s condition and the NICU environment.  Parents should learn all they can about NICU equipment and the specific medical conditions their baby is coping with.

Parents should get to know the staff providing care, and ask questions when they have them.

Get involved in baby’s care

Premature babies require nappy changes, baths, feedings and all the other general baby care.  One of the most important NICU parenting tips is to ask the nurses how you can best help with your baby’s care.

Comfort baby through touch

Premature babies feel most comfortable when they are contained, with their hands brought to the centre and their legs flexed.  Premature babies can’t always be swaddled, due to medical equipment, and their muscles are often too weak to allow them to hold a flexed position on their own.  Parents can help by using steady touch (don’t stroke, as it can stress preemies) to help their babies stay in a comfortable, flexed position.

Maintain a healing environment

Premature babies need quiet, calm environments so that they can grow and develop.  Parents should use quiet voices when they are with their baby and try to keep stimulation to a minimum.  Parents can share this parenting tip with others by always using quiet voices around the baby.

Provide breast milk

Breast milk is best for all babies, but it is especially important for preterm babies.  Breast milk is easier to digest than formula and provides nutritional and developmental benefits that formula can’t mimic.  Even more important, breast milk has been proven to reduce the incidence of NEC, a severe illness that premature babies may get.

Try kangaroo care

When parents have longer periods of time to spend in the NICU and their baby is stable, providing kangaroo care can help baby to maintain a healthy heart rate and breathing pattern, to sleep better and cry less, and to develop better physically and mentally. Kangaroo care involves placing the baby, wearing only a nappy, on mum or dad’s bare chest for periods of usually an hour or more. Wearing a button-down shirt and asking for a comfortable chair can help parents to enjoy this time, which helps mums and dads feel more comfortable with their baby and more confident as parents.

How you can help us

We’re grateful for any level of support that you can offer to us. We work very hard to support the Neonatal unit in the critical job of saving lives and every penny makes an enormous difference. Here are a few ways you can support us.

Latest News

Reflection on Baby Loss Awareness Week from Friends of The Baby Unit

As we have reached the end of Baby Loss Awareness Week for another year, the Friends of The Baby Unit team would like to send their heartfelt love and thoughts to anyone that finds this a particularly difficult week. We recognise for parents and families that have sadly experienced baby loss that Baby Loss Awareness […]
November 18, 2023
Continue reading...

Let’s get talking this year for Baby Loss Awareness Week

Join Friends of the Baby Unit charity at Derbion on Saturday 8 October as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2022 (9th to 15th October). Friends of the Baby Unit is proud to be holding an event encouraging people to get talking and more importantly remembering those special babies who are not with us.  Baby Loss […]
September 29, 2022
Continue reading...
See all our news

How you can help support us

FRIENDS OF THE BABY UNIT DERBY
CHARITY NO: 516864

ROYAL DERBY HOSPITAL
UTTOXETER ROAD
DERBY
DE22 3NE

crossmenu linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram