A Guiding Hand for Families in NICU and Special Care Nurseries - Digital - Book - Page 40
Your baby and you
Bonding with a Premature or Sick
Baby can take time
REMEMBER:
If you haven’t connected with your baby in the way
you’d imagined it would happen, don’t despair.
Both you and your baby may need time to recover
from the shock of your experiences and to relax
before you can start to enjoy a feeling of closeness.
Your baby does know who you are but it may just
take time to build your bond. Please don’t suffer in
silence – if it’s upsetting you, talk to someone.
You are doing
the best you can,
so give yourself
a break.
If you feel like you or your partner are not coping
well then it could be helpful to talk with a trained
Social Worker at the hospital.
The Life’s Little Treasures Foundation also runs
3 NICU Connections online peer support groups
every week, including a dads group where you can
talk to trained peer support staff.
To find out more about our NICU Connections peer
support group, head to page 14.
Here are some ideas on how to bond with your baby:
• Reading, talking and singing
• Kangaroo Care
• Participating in baby’s cares –
change nappies, hold feeding
tube or bottle
• Taking photos
• Personalising baby’s cot
• If there are other siblings, organise
for them to come in so you can
have family time together.
Head to our website
to download our
milestone cards
which have been
tailored for babies
born premature
or sick.
Life’s Little Treasures Foundation | Supporting Families of Premature & Sick Babies
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