Following the Birth

Usually babies are fit and well following birth. However, there are times when baby’s need to be admitted to our specialist neonatal services:

Transitional care ward where new mums and babies can stay together, where care is provided for babies needing additional care by specialist nurses.

Neonatal Unit (NNU) Specialises in caring for babies who need more intensive care. You might have been informed in advance that your baby will need to be admitted to the NNU. However, occasionally this can be for an unexpected reason. All babies born before 36 weeks would be admitted here initially

If we know in advance that your baby has a problem, we will aim to show you around our neonatal services - please ask us if this has not been arranged for you.

For more information see our NNU pages on this website

NNU

Occasionally, we do not have advance warning that your baby needs additional care following birth. The most common reasons include: preterm birth, a baby who is shocked following birth or an unexpected fetal abnormality.

Preterm: If your baby is born before you reach thirty weeks of your pregnancy then his or her initial care will need to be provided on the NNU. This ensures your baby will be provided with the safest and most advanced care.

Shocked baby: Some babies are born following a labour and birth that may have been a challenge for them. Usually an abnormal fetal heart rate can be an indication of a problem occurring. Emergency procedures are in place to make sure that a paediatrician and resuscitation facilities are promptly available.

If your baby develops a need for continuous assistance with his or her breathing then their care will be provided on the NNU. There are many different reasons this might be needed and individual reasons why a baby needs to be admitted to the NNU will be fully explained.

This page was last modified on Thu Jul 29 2010