Whilst your baby is in Grace you will be encouraged to be involved in a number of aspects of your baby’s care.

‘Cares’ refers to the regular caregiving provided to your baby including nappy changes, taking temperature, cleaning your baby’s mouth and eyes, and changing your baby’s position. Providing this type of care to your baby is a great way to bond with your baby. 

Your baby’s nurse will assist you to provide this care to your baby in whatever way you feel comfortable.

Holding or cuddling your baby will depend on their medical condition. Our team will help this to happen as soon as possible. 

If you are unable to hold your baby, placing your hands gently on their feet and belly can help them to feel calm – we call this ‘hand hugs’.

Skin to skin is the best cuddle you can offer. We place your baby in their nappy directly on your bare chest, so you are facing each other. 

The heat from your body helps to keep them warm and calm, helping them get into a deeper sleep supporting their growing brain. Any amount of skin to skin time is great, however the evidence tells us the longer you can do this, the better.

Sleep is very important as it helps babies recover after surgery and illness, supporting the development of their brain. 

We encourage staff and parents to decrease noise and activity to help babies sleep. We try not to interrupt a baby’s sleep. We look for cues that they may be waking like moving their arms or legs more regularly, making soft noises, or trying to open their eyes. 

When babies are asleep you can sing, hum, or offer hand hugs to help support your baby.
 

Your baby can recognise your smell after tasting fluid in their mother’s belly. 

Smelling you can calm your baby and help them to sleep. We use scent pads to absorb your special smell by placing them on your body for at least an hour and then placing them near your baby’s face to provide comfort. A member of our team can provide you with a pack.

When babies are unable to feed we can instead offer them a small taste of breast milk in their mouth. Giving breast milk this way helps babies to recognise the taste (practising for later) and provides some of the benefits they would receive if breastfeeding. 

We can provide you with a pack and more information on mouth care with breast milk, just ask our staff.

A nest is a “U” shaped roll of bedding we use in your baby’s bed to provide a boundary which helps them feel safe and secure. It simulates the baby pushing their arms and legs against their mother’s stomach and helps calm them.

Nests can only be used in the intensive care unit and are removed to meet safe sleeping recommendations.

Reading, talking and singing to your baby is really important – it helps the different parts of your baby’s brain to connect and can help them with reading, speaking and writing later on. We recommend reading to your baby for at least 10 minutes every day.

Books are available in our book library, or you are welcome to bring them in from home, but please wipe down the book before and after use.