The wonderful Transitional Care (TC) Team have put together some information, explaining some of the things that they do on the postnatal wards. This information will help you understand the ins and outs of the Transitional Care Team and hopefully answer any questions you may have!
The staff in royal blue uniforms are neonatal nurses and the staff in pink are nursery nurses. All extremely valued and important members of the maternity teams!
Sometimes babies need to stay a little longer than expected, especially if your baby is born prematurely. The nursery nurses and TC team will take care of any extra support your baby may need during your stay. Babies who need help and support from our transitional care team get an orange hat to wear!
Jaundice
Some babies develop jaundice in the first few days, some don’t need any treatment at all but some require phototherapy. It is a very common condition especially in premature babies. The nursery nurses will do a little blood test or use a billi meter to determine the levels. This might mean a little longer stay while your baby has treatment or a readmission if your baby develops this at home. Your baby will lie on a billibed by your bedside and be monitored throughout.
Temperature
Too hot or too cold?
Your baby’s temperature might be monitored during your stay, if they are on the cooler side they may need to have a heat mattress in their cot to keep them warm until they can manage their temperature on their own. At home you can feel the back of baby’s neck or chest, if feels cool add extra layers, too warm take layers off. If you are concerned about your baby’s temperature at home seek advice from your midwife or 111 if out of hours.
Feeding tube
Some babies may require support with their feeding. If born prematurely some babies do not quite have the energy to feed and may need some help with a feeding tube, we will show you how to give the feed so you can do this yourself if you wish to do so. The transitional care team will set a plan on how much and how often your baby needs to feed.
Bathing baby
You may never have bathed a baby before or might just need a little refresh. The nursery nurses will support you in bathing your baby and give you advice on water temperature and equipment required to bath your baby safely.
Breast feeding support/expressing
Nursery nurses offer breastfeeding support to help establish feeds. Some mothers may need to express starting with hand expressing then with the use of an electric pump. We will guide and support you with this during your stay.
Neonatal blood Spot
Between day 5 and 8 you will be offered a newborn blood spot screen for your baby. This involves a small heel prick and spots of blood are collected on a card, this screens for 9 different conditions that will be explained to you before having the test.
Glucose monitoring
Some babies may require a blood glucose test a few hours after delivery, it may be that your baby has been born prematurely or of low birth weight, you may also have taken certain medications during pregnancy or had gestational diabetes so it is important that we monitor your baby’s glucose. If the levels are low we will set out a feeding plan to help your baby reach a normal glucose level.
Weighing baby
Your baby’s weight will be monitored during your stay, it is normal for a baby to loose some weight in the first few days however the nursery nurses and transitional care team will assess your baby’s weight and set out feeding plans if we feel your baby has lost more that the expected.
Antibiotics/Infection
For certain reasons, it may be that your baby requires a course of antibiotics, this may mean a longer stay than expected but it is for the well-being of your baby that the recommended course is completed before discharge. This is usually given through a cannula and in most cases your baby will stay with you on the postnatal ward.
