- Parents
- Meeting New Brothers and Sisters
- Supporting Siblings
- Visitors
- Privacy and Confidentiality
- Quiet Time
- Infection Control
- Face Masks
- Travelling to St Peter's
- Parking
- How to Find Us
- Access to the Unit
Parents
Parents are not visitors and have unrestricted access to their baby on NICU
They are a key part of their baby's care team. Not only does this have benefits for babies, but the whole family. This involvement has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety in parents, and improve bonding and attachment.
Evidence is clear that babies have the very best outcomes when their parents are able to be partners in delivering their baby's care. Research has shown babies cared for in this way have increased weight gain and improved breastfeeding rates, and some studies have even shown that babies may go home from hospital earlier.
Meeting New Brothers and Sisters
Having a sibling in neonatal care can be an incredibly stressful time for a child. The disruption in routine, the financial, physical, and emotional strain on the family can evoke a strong emotional response in siblings. It is important to involve your other children in what’s happening, and talking to them about how they, and you, are feeling.
We welcome siblings of the baby/ies on NICU between 10am-10pm every day.
All siblings need to be supervised by a parent at all times. When a sibling visits, a maximum of 3 people can stay at the cot side, depending on how busy the Nursery is at that time.
It is important that there is some preparation for what the environment will look like.
Take time to describe what the NICU looks like, talk about photos, and discuss the sensory environment. Describe what they will be able to do during the visit; the need to wash hands, how they may read a book, help with cares or hold their sibling.
Supporting Siblings
For many of our families, your baby or babies that have been admitted to NICU, already have siblings. This can be difficult having to think about the needs of your new baby on a neonatal unit, as well as the needs of your older children. You may be unsure about how to talk to your older child about your baby, and their admission in NICU. These are some of the common questions parents ask.
Can I bring my older children to visit my baby?
Yes, siblings are welcome to visit NICU and meet their new baby brother or sister. It can be helpful to prepare them for the hospital environment - you can show them an online tour which is on the website St Peter’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, or there is an episode of Bluey about a baby that goes to NICU. You may like to face time with them before they visit so they have an idea of what the NICU looks like Bluey - Series 1: 40. Early Baby - BBC iPlayer.
It may be helpful to acknowledge that they may have mixed feelings about coming to the hospital and reassure them that this is very usual. If a child is clear that they do not want to visit, or finds it very distressing it may be better to wait until they are ready. In our experience this does not often tend to be the case. Most older children will not necessarily know what to expect a newborn baby to look like, and so sometimes they ask less questions than parents fear.
Younger children tend to only be able to manage shorter visits and so may need a few favourite activities with them to do when they are not in the nursery. There are some toys in the lounge that they are free to use, and you should be given a sibling pack by a member of staff, with a book and some activities including colouring.
There is also an app that has been developed for siblings of babies in NICU called NELL - that some families may find helpful to use.
Older children are also likely to be missing you, especially if you are still an inpatient, and so you are also welcome to spend some time with your child in the lounge area.
What should I say to my child?
It tends to be unhelpful to say too much about your baby’s medical condition, as your child will not need to know medical details. Younger children are often preoccupied by a particular question or detail that may not enter an adult’s mind, and so it is important to let them ask any questions that they may have. We would encourage you to be led by your child - if they are asking questions feel free to answer, but if they are not asking questions, don’t feel that you need to keep telling them information. They may prefer to talk about a TV programme or what happened in school that day, which does not mean that they don’t care, but may need to stay connected with their ordinary life outside hospital.
Your child may find it difficult if they have in a mind a date that you will be home, and it is later changed so it is important to be as honest as possible – even if you do not have an answer to some of the questions that your child is asking. Children can find it reassuring to hear that the doctors and the nurses and the rest of the team are looking after your baby, and they are talking to you about your baby and that you are all making a plan together for your baby.
Children may worry that you are also ill if you are in hospital, so it can be helpful to clarify this for them. Children may also worry that you like your new baby more than them, and that is why you are staying in hospital with your new baby. It can be helpful to acknowledge that worry and explain the reasons that you may need to remain in hospital
What can I do if my child is struggling?
Having a new baby is often a big adjustment for most siblings, but having a sibling in NICU is an even bigger adjustment, which may be accompanied by a lot of worry. Therefore, it is quite ordinary for siblings to struggle emotionally, or for parents to sometimes see behaviours re-emerge that their child used to do.
We have a family support worker, and a child psychotherapist who spend some time in the unit. We also have a link with a play specialist in the hospital, so please let a member of staff know and one of the team can speak to you about your worries. We may be able to arrange some craft activities with the family support worker, or a session with the psychotherapist.
It is usually helpful to let your child’s school/nursery know that your new baby is in the NICU so that teaching staff who are familiar to your child are able to support your child at school. Sometimes children find it easier to talk to someone outside of the family about any worries, as they may fear upsetting a parent or family member.
Allowing your child to express the range of feelings that they may have about your new baby is helpful, as this helps them to feel understood and to process what is happening. Younger children sometimes like to do this through play or drawings. At times you may find it upsetting to hear what they are saying as children can ask questions much more directly. If this is happening it is important that you also get some support yourself.
Can my child stay with me overnight?
We do not have any family accommodation onsite, our parents’ accommodation is only for parents or a nominated partner. Some families use local hotels so that they can stay close. However, children can also find their own home and their own routine quite reassuring when there is a lot of change and uncertainty. You will know your child best and so it is important to make a choice as a family.
Visitors
Visitors of your choice are welcome to visit between 10am-10pm. We ask you to limit the number of peoples at the cot side to 2 people for short periods of time only.
Please explain to your family and friends that they may only visit with you and that we are unable to give them any information about your baby's condition.
However, we ask you, your children and any visitors NOT to come into the nursery if they have a cough, cold, tummy upset or other infections due to the risk of passing it on to your baby or others. Please discuss with the nurse in charge if you are unsure.
No other children (under the age of 16) except baby's siblings may visit.
Please note there may be times when you will be asked to vacate the Nursery, when more space is required to facilitate emergency procedures or there is reduced space. We ask that you respect such requests.
Privacy and Confidentiality
We always aim to maintain patient confidentiality.
We ask you to please also respect other baby / babies' and families' privacy, especially during private conversations at the bedside.
We can provide screens that offer privacy when feeding your baby, during skin-to-skin care and when clinical procedures are taking place. These screens are of a height where staff can observe your baby's monitors without interrupting your time together.
Quiet Time
As part of our commitment to family-centred care, we have a period of quiet time each day in our nurseries. The neonatal unit can be a stressful environment for babies and their families.
Quiet time is from 12.30hrs - 14.30hrs daily unless otherwise noted by the staff. During this time you are encouraged to spend time with your baby. This can be a good time for you to have some quality time with your baby and have skin to skin time or just quiet cuddles. We suggest that you ask your visitors to avoid this special time. We recommend that this should be time just for you as parents, or parent and one other nominated visitor. Please feel free to discuss your individual needs with the nurse in charge.
During quiet time the blinds will be closed and the lights dimmed or turned off. Nurses will have planned routine cares for before and after this time and the medical staff will avoid unnecessary procedures at this point. The nursing staff will endeavour to cancel alarms as quickly as they can to avoid extra noise.
However, due to the nature of intensive care and unexpected admissions happening, there will be times where quiet time is postponed or suspended in order to prioritise and provide appropriate care in a nursery.
Infection Control
Please help us protect your baby by adhering to the following guidance:
- Parents and visitors please remove your coat / jacket and hang it on the clothes rail in the waiting area. Bags should be placed in a the lockers provided.
- We ask that all parents and visitors remove wrist watches and bracelets to help reduce the risk of infection.
- Prior to entering the clinical area, please disinfect your hands with alcohol hand sanitiser.
- You should disinfect / wash your hands again on entering the nurseries and prior to contact with your baby.
- Please clean you phone with alcohol wipes as directed by the posters in the nurseries and place in the green tray at your baby's cotside to dry.
- We ask that you do not come to NICU if you are unwell e.g., have a cough, cold or tummy bug.
We ask you to watch the video on handwashing within 24 hours of your babies admission.
Face Masks
We have made the decision that face mask wearing for visitors, patients, and staff will no longer be a mandatory requirement in non-clinical areas of our hospitals.
Face masks will still be available in the main entrances of the hospitals, for those who would prefer to continue to wear face masks, and in clinical areas.
We will continue to monitor the situation and will update you with any further changes to our Infection Prevention and Control measures.
Thank you for your continued support.
Travelling to St Peter's
On our Trust webpages we have details on bus and train time tables. There is also a site map which shows the many car parks at St Peter's Hospital but they do get busy at certain times of the day. As with most hospitals there is a car parking charge. Payments should be made at a nearby machine. All parents who have a baby on the unit are entitled to parking concessions. Please talk to your nurse for further details Note that penalty charges may be enforced by the car parks management company.
Parking
If your baby has been admitted to the NICU or Transitional Care Unit you can request free parking for one vehicle.
Please speak to the receptionist on NICU or the Nurse in Charge, to give details of your car registration. This will activate free parking for the duration of your stay until your baby has been discharged. Please note we are unable to reimburse you for any car parking fees that you may have already purchased.
Please note the Woodland Car park is operated by the Runnymede Borough Council and not the Hospital Trust and therefore unfortunately is not covered by the NICU free parking.
How to Find Us
The unit is located on the 4th Floor of Abbey Wing at St Peters Hospital
Map of St Peter's Hospital
Postal Address is:
Neonatal Unit, 4th Floor Abbey Wing
St Peter’s Hospital
Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey
KT16 0PZ
Access to the Unit
For security reasons, the doors to NICU are kept locked. During office hours please ring the buzzer for reception and when asked, state who you are and the name of the child you have come to visit. Out of these hours please ring the room buzzer your child is in.
Please respect the enormous efforts we make to protect all babies. NEVER allow people to enter the unit when we open the door to you, staff wearing a visible Ashford and St Peter's badge can be let through. All of our staff must wear an identity badge at all times.
If someone not wearing an identity badge approaches you or your child at any time, please check with a member of staff.
At night the maternity entrance is locked this is between 21.00hrs and 06.30hrs. If you wish to visit at night you will need to ring the doorbell to the right of the night door.
