Getting the Care You Need

Getting the Care You Need

Time apart from a newborn is extremely difficult for the family — particularly the parents.
It's common to feel disappointment and even guilt. It can help to talk about these feelings with a member of the medical team or a hospital social worker. And getting as much information as possible about your baby's medical problem might help ease feelings of anxiety and powerlessness.
Most hospitals encourage parents to spend as much time as they can with their babies. If the baby is transferred to a hospital with a special neonatal care unit, consider asking if the mother can get necessary postpartum care there, too, so that they can recover together.
Sometimes it is necessary for babies to stay in the hospital after the mother has gone home. It's hard for new moms to leave without their babies, but it can help to talk about your feelings with friends, family, and the medical staff.
And parents should get plenty of rest and regular exercise and be sure to eat well during this time. If the mother wants to breastfeed, talk with a nurse or lactation consultant about using a breast pump so she can freeze breast milk for when the baby is ready for it.
If your baby is born with a health problem, you have many options for information and support. Start by asking your doctors for information on hospital- or community-based resources. Support groups, both in person and online, are available for many disorders and conditions.

Reviewed by: Jennifer A. Tioseco, MD
Date reviewed: January 2013
Originally reviewed by: Michael L. Spear, MD