Having a baby can be a stressful time for new mums. New nursing chairs at the Princess Royal Hospital have helped make it better.
The Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) provides care for premature and sick newborn babies requiring short term high dependency care or special care. The Unit prides itself on having all the necessary facilities and staffing to deliver high quality and up-to-date care to newborn babies and supportive care to babies and parents during the stages of recovery.
Alongside the excellent medical treatment that the babies receive, mothers are often by the incubators watching over and caring for their newborns.
Mums and babies all have different needs during this time, and the team do the best they can to make sure those needs are met.
Forming a bond
Kangaroo care is a method of holding a baby that involves skin-to-skin contact. The baby, who is naked except for a nappy and a piece of cloth covering his or her back, is placed in an upright position against a parent’s bare chest.
Parents who use this method often say they find it a very satisfying way to nurture and bond with their baby.
One mum who wanted to practice Kangaroo care noticed that the chairs available in SCBU weren’t supportive of this type of care. She worked with the team to help make the unit more kangaroo care-friendly. This involved researching, ordering, and fundraising for special reclining nursing chairs.
Relaxing in new nursing chairs
The chairs allow for mums and partners to lean back comfortably and hold their newborns closely. They also provide a more comfortable place to be seated for long periods of time, and with the option of leaning back, offer the opportunity for mums to put their feet up.
Clare Baker, Senior Sister for SCBU said, “Not only have the chairs been helpful for bonding with babies, they’ve also provided proven comfort for mums during a delicate time in their recovery.
“For example, mums that have had to undergo caesarean sections most certainly prefer the reclining chairs to the standard cushioned chairs in the unit. Previous chairs on the unit were too low and uncomfortable for recovering mums to sit in for too long, and they caused pain for some just to get in and out.
“Now, thanks to the reclining chairs, mums and partners have a better experience on SCBU and the nursing team enjoy having happier and more connected families to support.”
How to help
The SCBU team are always looking for ways to improve the care they give to newborns and their families through the use of generous donations to their charitable fund.
If you would like to contribute directly to this Unit, you can do so online:
or contact the BSUH Charity team:
Tel: 01273 665102, email: Charity@bsuh.nhs.uk.
Please reference the designated fund for SCBU which is “0087067” when making your contribution.
Without your support, we would not be able to provide advancements and innovations so that babies needing special care have a better chance in life.
Thank you so much.
