Life after NICU

Congratulations, at last you have been given the green light to take your baby home, obviously it is an exciting time, but alongside the relief of finally leaving the NICU it can be quite a daunting time. You may be happy, anxious, delighted, scared and have realised that leaving hospital brings new challenges in caring for your baby. 

One of the biggest challenges is being able to transition from the 24 hour hospital care to the 24 hour care needed at home. You may be nervous leaving the care and guidance of the doctors and nurses who cared for your baby and it can at times be a little overwhelming taking on full responsibility of all your baby’s needs.

The NICU journey is extremely demanding and it is easy for parents to become emotionally and physically depleted. When your baby is discharged from home the constant demands of caring for a newborn and lack of sleep can very easily exacerbated, it is very important to look after yourself.

Remember it is ok for you to ask for help from your family, friends or health care providers. Health professionals such as your Paediatrician, GP, Child and Family Health Nurse will be willing to give any help or support you need, and of course feel free to ring our parent support line any time should you need help on 1300 MBABIES (24 hours a day)

We have included some extra resources relating to life after NICU and hope that they continue to provide support as your miracle baby grows.