Parenting in the NICU
HERE'S WHERE YOU BEGIN YOUR ROLE AS PARENT

Yes, you begin your parenting during your baby’s stay in neonatal intensive care. During this time, the NICU staff will be at your service, ready to provide information and answer your questions.

In addition to Welcome to the NICU, you’ll be receiving an individualized packet with information specific to your child’s healthcare needs. You will have access to a selection of helpful brochures, pamphlets, books and videos; as well as training in well-child care and specific infant parenting skills.

How your baby learns about you
Like all babies, yours will learn about love and life through the five senses: looking; listening; touching and feeling; smelling; tasting. By using these senses, you can do many things for even the tiniest infant:

Looking
Give your baby something to look at in the isolette, a colorful toy or a photo of you. Because the eyes of a newborn, especially a premature newborn (preemie) are sensitive to bright light, you can:

• Bring a pretty blanket to cover your baby’s isolette or crib.
• Use your hand to shield your baby’s eyes when bright light is present.

Listening
Your baby has been listening to your voice for the past several months before birth. This makes your voice familiar and comforting to your baby. When you visit you can:

• Talk softly to your baby for comfort
• Read a story or hum a tune
• Bring a tape of your stories and/or songs to play when you’re not there

Touching and feeling
Ask your nurse about "skin-to-skin" care for your baby. When held skin-to-skin, your baby will feel warm and safe and calm: hearing your heartbeat, feeling your breathing, and smelling your skin. Other options in caring for your baby include:

• Hand cuddling
• Baby massage
• Bathing
• Changing diapers
• Feeding

Smelling/tasting
Babies have a very keen sense of smell and quickly learn to identify you by your smell, which becomes a source of comfort and calm. This is also true about breast milk. Your baby will associate its scent with the warmth and happiness associated with breastfeeding. With this in mind, you can:

• Leave behind a gauze pad with breastmilk to comfort your baby
• Leave behind a handkerchief or gauze pad with a drop of your cologne or aftershave

Moving and being moved
While still inside your womb, your baby experienced all kinds of movement as well as moving himself/herself around easily. For some, this changes once your baby is born and he/she becomes dependent on being moved by others, doing little moving independently. In the NICU, your nurse will guide you on the safest ways to re-introduce movement into your baby’s life:

• First ask your nurse when your baby is stable enough to be taken out of the isolette to be held.
• Begin with slow rocking, front to back, then side to side.
• Do not shake your baby for any reason
• When your baby gets stronger, hold him/her while you’re standing, then begin to gently sway back and forth, or take slow-dancing steps
• After a while, you can take your baby for carriage or stroller rides.

At all times, watch your baby closely to see if he/she is comfortable and happy about the motion.

Feeding:

We support your choice: During your stay in the NICU, your choice of either breast or bottle feeding will be supported. We will all work together to make this a positive experience for you and your baby.

Breastfeeding is the best method of feeding your baby because of its many benefits to you and your child. But, if you have decided to give your baby formula, here’s some helpful information:

You will be able to give as soon as the baby is able to begin bottle feeding.

Formula Brand names: The two most common brands of formula are: Similac (20 cal) and Enfamil (20 cal).

• Both come with iron, or low-iron versions. Both are essentially the same nutritionally.
• After your baby has been discharged from the NICU, don’t switch between formulas. This may lead to feeding problems. Talk to your baby’s doctor before changing formulas.

Formula options: Formula can be bought in three different forms: ready-to-use formula (no water is added); powder (water is added per directions); and concentrate (water added per directions.)

• All three offer the same nutrition for your baby. The differences are method of preparation and cost.
• The ready-to-use formula is convenient for travel, daycare and/or when refrigeration is a problem. It is also the most expensive option.
• The powder is convenient when storage is a problem. Once opened, it is good for one (1) month’s time. It is also convenient for single servings.
• The powder is most economical of the three options.

No cow’s milk: During your baby’s first year of life, most pediatricians discourage the use of whole milk or skim milk.

Child care training
We encourage parents to participate in the NICU’s well-child training which includes learning about:

• Bathing your baby: How to give your baby a bath
• Breastfeeding and bottle-feeding suggestions
• Caring for the umbilical cord
• Changing diapers
• Circumcision care
• Determining when to call your doctor
• Infant immunizations
• Jaundice
• Recognizing normal infant behavior
• Recognizing normal bowel movements, wet diapers
• PKU screening
• Using a thermometer

Infant CPR (Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation)
During your baby’s stay in the NICU, you will have an opportunity to receive an introduction to infant CPR. Just ask your nurse for more information.

Immunizations
We will produce information on any necessary immunizations your baby needs and when you leave the NICU, you will be given a record of the immunizations your baby has been given.

Safety: Car seats
Brochures on car safety for infants are available for your use. For Car Seat Safety checks, visit Connecticut SAFE KIDS.

Our Sibling Program
If your baby has siblings in the family, please inquire about this program. Specially designed for NICU families, it can be tailored for toddlers or school-age children. With this program parents can visit their baby, while siblings enjoy:

• Supervised activities and play times
• Toys and a wide variety of games, books, arts & crafts
• Support services for older children, helping them better cope with your baby’s hospitalization
• and more

• According to Connecticut state law, the hospital must file a birth certificate for your baby within 10 days of birth.
• While you were on the maternity floor at Hartford Hospital, you were given a yellow Birth Certificate Worksheet which included all the information necessary to complete your certificate.
• If you have not already done so, please fill out this worksheet now. Remember that the information you provide will be the information typed on your baby’s certificate.
• Don’t worry if you have not yet named your baby. Certificates can be processed without a first or middle name.
• Birth certificates can also be recorded under the mother’s last name.
• If you have questions about this worksheet, call Hartford Hospital’s Medical Records office, weekdays, between 8 and 3 p.m. The telephone number is (860) 545.2471.
• To obtain a certified copy of your child’s birth certificate, you can write to (or appear in person at) the:

BUREAU OF VITAL RECORDS
550 Main Street
Hartford, CT 06103

Telephone (860) 543.8538

• These will be available 10 weeks after your baby’s birth.
• Copies can be ordered in wallet-sized or full size format.
• The cost is $5.00 each.

Please note:

Connecticut Children’s Medical Center and Hartford Hospital are not authorized to provide copies of birth certificates. You must contact the Bureau of Vital Records.