Special Care Nursery

Visiting Hours: During admission, the birth parent can visit at any time. A second parent/support person and siblings are welcome to visit from 8:00am to 8:00pm. A parent/support person may deliver breast milk anytime day or night. Additional requests for visitors must be discussed with the senior nursing staff.

Family room: Please feel free to use this space at your leisure. There are toys and books available for siblings. A microwave, fridge, tea, and coffee making facilities are also available for your use.

Privacy: We respect the privacy of all babies and their families. We request that all families and visitors stay with their own baby and ensure that mobile phones are kept on silent whilst in the SCN.

Rooming in: We offer a one-night stay when necessary to help support the transition from the SCN to coming home. The room is a shared room in the postnatal ward.

Discharge home: If your baby is premature, the original due date is usually the going home date but this will depend on your baby’s progress. By this time your baby will have gained weight, be feeding well, and you will be confident in caring for your baby. Home visits are provided by midwives from our Extended Postnatal Care (EPC) service after discharge and before care is taken over by your community Maternal and Child Health Nurse.

Hospital in the Home (HITH): For babies that weigh less than 2.5kg when ready for discharge, Newborn HITH is available to provide regular visits and weighs to ensure your baby is adequately gaining weight. A weekly medical review at Angliss HITH clinic is also required for your baby to be discharged from SCN when less than 2.5kg

Hand hygiene: Each time you enter the SCN you must wash your hands or use a hand sanitiser, which are available in the special care nursery.

Holding and touching your baby: SCN staff will encourage you to have plenty of hands-on contact with your baby, however some babies need a calm environment without noise or handling. Promoting undisturbed sleep is essential for the normal growth of your baby. SCN staff may provide guidance on holding and touching your baby. Disposable nappies are supplied in the SCN. Baby clothing will need to be brought from home.

Weight and measuring: All babies are weighed soon after birth and then every alternate day. Head circumference and length are measured soon after birth and repeated throughout the admission.

Baby’s progress: Medical ward rounds occur in the mornings. Parents are encouraged to participate in discussing your baby’s condition or plan of care. In case you are not present during the medical ward round, we will endeavour to give you regular medical and nursing updates.

Feeding: This may be by breast, bottle or feeding tube (a tube through the nose, or the mouth) depending on your baby’s individual needs. Whatever your feeding choice, we will support you and your baby.

If your baby is unable to breast feed, you will be encouraged and supported to hand express and use a breast pump to stimulate your milk supply. We have breast pumps, disposable kits and sterile containers provided for your use whilst your baby is admitted in the SCN.

For expressing at home, we can provide you a hospital grade breast pump for the duration of your baby’s’ stay in SCN.

Isolettes: Heated cots to help keep baby warm. Monitors: Machines that quietly record your baby’s heart rate and breathing.

Oximeter: A small device attached to baby’s hand or foot to monitor their oxygen levels. Extra oxygen: If baby’s oxygen levels are low, extra oxygen can be given into the isolette or nasal tubing.

Blood sugar monitoring: A small drop of blood is taken from the baby’s heel to measure baby’s energy levels.

Phototherapy: Special lights that are used to treat jaundice (a yellowish colour to the skin and eyes). Normal feeding and cuddles are encouraged but most time should be spent under the lights for best treatment outcomes.

Intravenous (IV) therapy: If your baby requires intravenous fluid for medical reasons, this will be discussed with you by the medical team.

Pain management: For some procedures, we use breast milk, dummies, cuddles and mild sugar water (sucrose) to reduce any pain.

Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval (PIPER) is a service provided by the Royal Children’s Hospital to safely transfer and care for babies from the SCN to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Social work is available to provide assistance with accommodation issues, finances, legal matters, managing at home, community services, and other support services. The SCN team of nurses, doctors and allied health professionals can refer you to our social worker if the need arises