Rooming-in with your baby on the special care unit

Patient Information Leaflet - A guide for parents and carers

Well done — you are on the road home!

• Many parents often find the thought of looking after their baby on their own, away from the security of the nursery, a little worrying.
• 'Rooming-in' will give you the opportunity to take over full care of your baby before you go home, with support from the medical or nursing staff.
• You will be shown a resuscitation video via a QR code and taught basic resuscitation before you are allowed to room-in.
• Before you start rooming-in, please make sure that you have made some preparations for taking your baby home and that your home is ready.
• Rooming-in is a commitment that you make, until your baby is ready to go home.
• You will have one staff member, per shift, allocated to you and your baby, to check on both of your needs and discuss a care plan for you and your baby for the day.
• The usual medical and nursing care will continue for your baby.
• This includes weighing and assessment of progress and examination of your baby by doctors and nurses.
• Your baby will continue to have any medications prescribed. These will be given by you by the nurses.
• Before rooming-in, you will be offered some training in the resuscitation of your baby. This can be repeated before you go home.
• Staff presence will not be as visible here, but we are always available if you call.

Feeding support

• If you are starting to breastfeed, a nurse will check on you and your baby regularly. They will check how well your baby is feeding and make sure you get the support you need.

What facilities do we provide?

Each room has:

• A comfortable bed and television.
• All bed linen provided.
• A cupboard to store your property.

Food and drinks

• Please help yourself to hot drinks from the parents' kitchen. Hot drinks are not allowed in any of the nurseries.
• You may bring food into the unit and store it in the kitchen. Items should be clearly labelled with your name and dated.
• Meal vouchers can be provided for the canteen. Please ask a member of staff for vouchers and opening times.

What do you need to bring?

• The unit can be very warm, so bring clothing that is comfortable and light.
• However, the rooming-in rooms are cooler than the main ward.
• Pack an overnight bag that includes nightwear, a dressing gown, a towel, slippers, and a toilet bag.
• Do not bring any valuables with you as we cannot guarantee their safety.
• If you would like to bring your baby's own clothing please do so, but we do not have facilities to wash and dry them.

Please note that Whittington Health does not permit smoking anywhere on hospital property or grounds.

Fire

• If you discover a fire, you must press the nearest fire alarm and inform a member of staff.
• The fire alarms are located at either end of the ward. The fire exits are by the nurses' station and at the main entrance.
• An intermittent fire alarm (a fire alarm that sounds in short bursts, with pauses between them, rather than ringing continuously) means that the unit does not have to be evacuated.
• Continuous ringing of the fire alarm means that the unit must be evacuated.
• The senior nurse and the nurse caring for your baby will have an evacuation plan.
• You can go with your baby and a member of staff to a designated assembly point.
• You can return to the unit once the fire service, fire co-ordinator and senior nurse agree that it is safe to do so.

Finally

• You do not have to stay in your room. If you must leave your room, for any reason, a nurse must be informed so that your baby is appropriately cared for.
• Your baby will sleep between feeds, so it is recommended that you bring something to do, such as reading, sewing etc.
• You should take this opportunity to have a rest.

Contact our service

• Call us on 020 7288 3852. This line is manned 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.