In CICU, the first time you can hold your baby will depend on your baby’s medical condition. Your first cuddle in CICU may be on day one, or it may be days or weeks before your baby is stable enough to hold. 

• Skin-to-skin cuddles comforts your baby and can help them develop their sleeping rhythms.
• Ask your nurse to help with skin-to-skin cuddles.
• It helps to wear a shirt that opens down the front so your baby can be placed onto your skin. 

If your baby’s condition prevents you from cuddling, you can use modified kangaroo care such as ‘containment holding’ or hand hugging which provides skin to skin touch and replicates the support offered in the womb before birth. You may ask another family member to support your baby if you are unable to. 

Scent pads can be laid close to your baby to remind them of you and help with early bonding. Your familiar smell is soothing and comforting for your baby. We can provide you with scent pads to wear to absorb your scent. If you are away from your baby the scent pad can be left near their face to provide comfort.

Your baby’s nurse will make their bedding into a ‘nest’. This is to give your baby support and comfort, much like the womb. By the time your baby goes home they should be sleeping without nesting or other safety boundaries to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). 

You can comfort your baby during or after medical procedures by gently holding them and supporting their arms and/or legs in a gently bent position. You can talk in a soothing tone and give your baby your finger to hold or suck. A drop of breast milk or sucrose can also help. Sucrose is only to be given to babies during painful procedures.

Looking after your baby’s mouth is important for successful feeding. Talk to your baby’s nurse about helping with mouth care. It is best to clean your baby’s mouth when they are awake and comfortable. 

If you have expressed breast milk, use a cotton bud and dip it into your expressed breast milk to give your baby something pleasant to taste while you clean their mouth. 

If you don’t have expressed breast milk you can use water. Clean the mouth slowly with gentle pressure and a scoop action on the lips with the cotton bud. Using expressed breast milk will also help increase your baby’s immunity to fight infections.

Reading, talking and singing to your baby is important for their development and bonding. These interactions help form connections in your baby’s brain that assist with writing, reading and language skills later in life. 

• It is recommended that you read to your baby every day.
• Books are available at the unit or from the Child Life Therapy department.
• You can also bring in your baby’s own books, wraps, blankets and soft toys from home.

Nursing staff will regularly change your baby’s position in bed. This will help prevent pressure sores. 

• We also recommend that your baby’s head position is regularly changed from side to side for their head shape and neck flexibility.
• Once your baby can have more cuddles and play, we recommend that they are put in supported upright positions.
• The occupational therapist or physiotherapist can assist and advise you with this. 

Research shows that the CICU environment can be stressful for sick babies. CICU aims to encourage sleep by having minimal noise and light where possible.