Leaving hospital

We aim to get your baby home with you as soon as possible when medical care within the unit is no longer needed. This is often not before your baby is 35 weeks corrected gestational age. This is to ensure your baby is safe to go home and avoid readmission. Staff will talk with you about planning for home early in your baby's stay - some babies go home with support, such as nasogastric feeding tubes or home oxygen. The unit has a neonatal community team - ‘the home team’ - who will support you with the transition home, and if required, will continue to care for you and your baby after discharge.

There's no specific weight for going home. If your baby is feeding orally, gaining weight steadily and they can maintain their temperature in a cot, they may be ready to go home if the medical team are satisfied your baby is otherwise safe to discharge home.

We'll give you lots of warning that your baby is nearly ready for home. You'll be taught to care for your baby at home, for example bathing, feeding, making up feeds, giving medication and how to put your baby to sleep safely. You will need to bring in bottles (if this is how your baby is feeding), and a car seat for the staff to check your baby fits safely. The Lullaby Trust, linked below, offers valuable information and guidance on baby products to help ensure the safety and well-being of your baby: https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/product-information/

Your baby should be registered with a GP before discharge so we can send them a copy of your baby’s discharge summary, and they can arrange ongoing prescriptions.

Yes. If one is much further ahead than the other, it's likely that they will go home before their sibling. The other twin can return with you to visit.

Your health visitor will be your main support once you're home and will visit you within 2 weeks following discharge. They'll have been regularly updated on your baby's progress during their stay in the unit.

Some babies with specific needs will have the support of the neonatal community team, also known as the neonatal home team, who can support you with the transition home, and if required, will continue to care for you and your baby after discharge.

The family care team are able to provide transition support for you and your family for up to 3 months after your baby is discharged from our neonatal unit.

Resources

Going home from the neonatal unit | Bliss

One of the national lead clinical psychologists for neonatal care has worked with a charity to develop online courses for families both on the neonatal unit, and after discharge. These are free to access, even though it appears that you need to purchase them. Here is a short video from Dr Davy Evans, clinical psychologist talking through what they involve, which you can watch on YouTube.

An online learning course is available for families at home, covering topics such as settling in at home, understanding your baby’s brain, how to respond to crying, developing health sleep patterns, understanding your baby’s feeding. You can find the course on the In Our Place website.

Yes. It is important that your baby has time to play on their tummy to encourage normal development patterns and head control. However, this should only be done when your baby is awake, and you are in the room with them.

Your baby must be placed on their back to sleep. https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/baby-safety/safer-sleep-information/sleeping-position/

You may be invited to 'room in' with your baby, to care for them for 24 to 48 hours, with staff support if needed.

Follow up to see your baby after discharge will be arranged if this is required.

If your baby was born before 32 weeks and weighed 1500g or less, they'll be followed up as part of the neonatal neurodevelopmental follow programme. You'll be given information about this programme prior to discharge. These babies usually have follow up appointments until they're at least two or three years old. Some will be seen right up to school age. Babies who have had specific medical problems will also have follow up appointments.

You'll be sent home with two weeks supply of your baby's medication. After that you'll need to have a repeat prescription from your doctor (GP).

Your baby should stay on vitamins until they are fully weaned. This will generally be up to one year. After this, a healthy start multivitamin preparation can be given to your baby.

No. Some babies tolerate them better if they are given at separate feeds. Please find a routine that suits you.

If your baby needs to be re-admitted to hospital, they'll go to a paediatric ward at Southampton General Hospital.

Generally your house temperature should be between 18 and 20 degrees celsius. You do not need to have your house at the same temperature as the neonatal intensive care unit (25 degrees celsius).

Dress your baby in layers, which can be added to or taken away. Never use your baby's hands or feet as a guide to warmth, as they are generally cooler than their body. Your baby will adjust to their new environment.

The corrected age is the age a baby would have been if they'd been delivered at full term, or the age calculated from your estimated date of delivery.

Corrected age is used when monitoring premature babies' physical and speech development, such as sitting, walking and talking.

We usually stop correcting age when your child is two years old.

The actual age of your baby is used for immunisations and feeding or weaning.

There's no set answer for this question as all children develop at different rates. Try not to compare one child with another. The most important thing is for children to have playtime in all different positions to encourage their development.

If you have any concerns over your child's development you can discuss them with your consultant or bring your child to the Wednesday coffee morning for an assessment with the physiotherapist.