Welcome to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or NICU at
Children's Hospital Colorado. We know this can be a stressful
time. But we hope you find comfort knowing that you are not
alone. Here we have many people dedicated to caring for your
baby. We will partner with you every step of the way as we work
together to improve your baby's health. This is your home while
you stay with us. And we encourage you to make this space
as comfortable as possible. When you and your care team work
together, your newborn has the best chance for success. You are
a valuable member of our team and we'll keep you as informed
as possible during your stay. If you need to leave your room at
any time, we will closely look after your child. Hand washing
is key to protecting our infants from infection. Any time a
caregiver enters your room, they should wash their hands, either
with soap and water or with hand sanitizer. If you notice that
they do not wash their hands, speak up. Also, be sure that you
and your visitors wash your hands every time you enter the
unit and before you touch your baby. Each room has hand
sanitizers so it is convenient for you to wash your hands. The
amenities in your room are here to make your stay as cozy as
possible. Like this sofa that turns into a bed, and this
refrigerator to store breast milk. You can put your things in
the cupboards so that your caregivers can walk freely
around the room. It might be difficult to see your baby
connected to machines, but they are necessary to help them
thrive. Even though your baby is on a machine, when possible
we'll do whatever we can to create one-on-one bonding time
between you and your baby. Every baby is connected to a monitor
that provides his or her heart rate, breathing rate and oxygen
saturations. Your baby might also need to receive IV
medications, continuous fluids or feedings through different
tubes connected to pumps. Many babies in the NICU need help
with breathing and require oxygen. The monitor pumps or
machines may alarm at different times. Your nurses will know
which alarms need immediate attention. In fact, the phones
they carry can alert them to what happens in your room,
whether it's a change in your baby's status or an alarm
sounding. Because the nurse needs to know which alarm is
sounding and why, please do not turn them off. While you are
helping care for your baby, you can make sure their oxygen or
CPAP mask is on correctly. Please do not touch any of the
equipment unless your nurse asks you to do so. We think of you as
part of our family. And we will care for your baby as if they
were our own. You will meet many people including nurses,
respiratory therapists, nurse practitioners and doctors who
will care for every aspect of your baby's life. Each shift
they will write their names on the white board in your room.
You will work most closely with your baby's bedside nurse. They
typically work for 12 hours. Each nurse cares for your baby
and one or two other babies during the same shift. During
shift change at 6:45 a.m. and p.m., the nurses ending and
starting their shift will introduce themselves to you,
review your baby's goals and check the equipment. Your room
has a call button to reach your nurses. We will respond to your
call as soon as we can. Each morning, the care team visits
you and your child during rounds. They discuss how your
baby is doing and decide on the plan of care for the day. Your
care team might not visit you at the same time every morning, but
they will visit you every morning. If you cannot be there
for rounds, you are welcome to write your questions on the
white board or ask a nurse to relay them for you. If you have
questions throughout the day, your bedside nurse will try to
find answers. We have an attending neonatologist and
nurse practitioner in the hospital at all times who can
answer many questions. We know how important it is to moms to
care for and nurture their babies, so we'll ensure you can
feed them whenever possible. If you want to breastfeed but it's
not possible, you can use a pump to collect your breast milk,
which we can then feed to your baby through a tube or bottle.
Our certified nurse lactation specialists can help you
establish a breastfeeding or pumping routine. Our milk lab
has bottles and labels for you, and they can store and prepare
the milk for you. You can drop off your milk throughout the
day, and they will deliver it to you in the evening. If you are
unable or choose not to provide breast milk, we can work with
you to help prepare formula to feed your baby. Your family is
so important to us. We value our collaborative relationship as we
all work to improve the health of your baby. With your help, we
can all communicate with each other respectfully and commit to
maintaining a safe environment. Even though this probably isn't
where you want to be with your new baby, we hope you feel
welcome and comfortable here. We'll do our best to give you
every opportunity to bond with your child and enjoy your time
together as a family. To learn more, check out your welcome
packet or visit childrenscolorado.org/NICU.