Being a Part of Your Baby's Care

Touch, caress and hold your baby. Your nurse will help you get started.

Breastfeed or pump and feed breast milk to your baby.

Massage your baby. We know that premature infants grow better, tolerate their feedings better and get out of the hospital sooner if they have regular massage therapy. Ask your nurse for details on or to arrange infant massage classes for you.

Provide developmental care for your baby. Your doctor may refer you and your baby to one of our occupational or physical therapists to learn how to position your child and simple exercises to aid in his or her development.

Attend infant CPR classes. Would you know what to do if your baby choked or stopped breathing? Forsyth offers this class to teach you how to provide emergency care for your baby. This class is FREE for NICU families.

Cooperate with referral agencies. Sometimes your baby will be eligible to participate in state sponsored healthcare programs after he or she goes home. In these cases, a healthcare provider will contact you to arrange a home visit. Parents usually find these visits very reassuring because they can get information about how their baby is growing and developing.

Kangaroo Care, also know as "skin-to-skin" contact, is important for your baby. When he or she is ready, your nurse will ask you if you want to hold your baby on your chest, skin-to-skin. This contact is especially beneficial to the premature infant. We encourage all parents to kangaroo when your baby is ready.