Grandparents, other family members and friends
Your other children, your baby’s grandparents and other family members and friends can also help to care for your baby. Every unit has different policies about visitors. Talk to a nurse about how your unit involves other members of your family.
Money
Bliss research has shown that during the time they are on the unit, parents with a baby in neonatal care can spend a lot of money on extra things which they did not plan for.
This can be things like travelling to a unit far from home, paying for childcare for other children, or paying for parking or food for the time you are in the hospital with your baby.
If you are worried about money, you can talk to your care team about what support might be available for you. Many units have options available for parents, for example, free parking or food vouchers.
You can find details of other organisations which might be able to support you, including by providing advice about money, on our page here - Other helpful organisations.
Talking to someone
It can feel very isolating when your baby is on the neonatal unit. But you are not alone.
If you think that talking to someone about how you are feeling would help you, you might like to try:
- Talking to friends and family. They will want to support you. You might not know what to say at first – try explaining to them that you just need someone to listen. Sometimes it can feel easier to talk when you can see someone’s face, so you might like to try video-calling. This can help if people live far away or are not able to visit you at home.
- Talking to someone in your neonatal team that you feel comfortable with. They will want to support you, and will let you know if there is someone in particular who could help you. This could be a counsellor to talk about how you are feeling, or a doctor to explain more about your baby’s care.
- Your unit might have details of a counsellor, psychologist or psychotherapist you can speak to, if you think that could help you. You can also talk to your GP about how to access support like this.
- If you want to speak to someone from your faith, or from the hospital’s chaplaincy team, ask the unit staff if there is someone available.
- Asking if there is a Bliss Champion on your unit. These are trained volunteers who provide emotional support to parents face-to-face on the neonatal unit. Ask your unit if they have a Bliss Champion, or look out for a poster which will give times and days they visit.
- Join our peer-support group on Facebook. This is a private group for parents who are on a unit, or are at home after spending time on a unit. It allows parents to talk to each other and seek support from other parents with neonatal experiences. You can sign up by following this link - Bliss Support Group for Parents of Babies Born Premature or Sick