Expectant parents have never thought of staying in the hospital after giving birth. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a safe place where experts give their best to care for the newborn. But new parents would prefer to give birth to their babies in the most natural way.
Preterm happens one out of ten pregnancies in the US. Each year, around 150,000 of the 3.8 million births in the US have to stay in NICU for some time. A parent who has experience can tell you that medical workers and other hospital staff provide the best care for the babies in the facility.
But now that there is coronavirus, how do parents feel about having their newborn inside NICU?
Unexpected NICU experience
Not one of the parents expects to stay in the NICU. Most of them only happened to have unscheduled early births, so they have no choice. Even so, they are glad that the staff handles their babies with the utmost care using the most advanced medical equipment.
NICU as a second home
Some hospitals offer tours around, but most hospitals canceled them due to the coronavirus. First-time parents who have not taken the tour would have to adjust to a new setting to see their newborn. Some would even have to stay there for longer hours than in their homes. It takes quite a few days before they could adjust to the new reality.
Stricter NICU coronavirus rules
Parents have to wear face masks and wash their hands frequently before touching their babies. Usually, both parents could enter NICU to care for their newborns. Due to the pandemic, they only permit one of them to give care to the little one each time.
Maintaining health
Parents have to be healthy to prevent contracting coronavirus. Especially that their babies are more prone to infections, parents have to make sure that they are free from any illnesses.
Parent-child bonding amid coronavirus
Before releasing the baby from the hospital, the nurses make sure that the baby meets all the milestone requirements. Apart from medical care, what a newborn needs the most is to feel that they are loved. The WHO encourages that parents do the Kangaroo Care, provided, they are tested negative from COVID-19.
Bridging the distance
Many NICUs are developing pilot projects to record familiar, extended family voices that could playback to the newborn. The staff makes sure that the equipment has no wifi, Bluetooth, low volume, and minimized blue light of the screen to make it safe for the baby.
Meeting other parents
Many NICU parents form bonds with others even after the release of their babies. Those who stayed longer form bonds with other visitors. Now that people have to wear masks during their visit, it would be harder to recognize the faces beneath. Even so, many NICU reunions are virtual. It allowed more bonding time among the different relationships formed.
Preparing for discharge
Most hospitals' discharge classes have become online to guide new parents due to the coronavirus. It helps them celebrate success now that they can safely return to their own homes and enjoy being with their newborn.
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