Getting around the NICU
When you arrive on the 4th floor and enter the NICU area, you will first walk past the family lounge (M4-201). This is a room open to all NICU families and your family members as well. There are tables, a kitchenette, computers, a play area for siblings, a TV/DVD player, a bathroom and telephones available for your use.
We ask you to work with us to keep the space tidy and pleasant. Children should not be left unsupervised. This is a good place for your visitors and friends to wait for you if they are coming to see you and your baby. It's also a good place for you to eat, since food and beverages other than water are not allowed in your baby's room. There is a feedback box in the lounge where you can leave comments, kudos or suggestions.
Across the hallway is the follow-up clinic, where we see babies after discharge to offer developmental assessments and support.
Past the family lounge, you come to the family corridor, which is the entrance to the NICU that is on the right. You will be given an electronic fob which is your key to the parent corridor, your baby's room and other family-only areas. Each family receives two fobs; there is a $20.00 fee to replace a lost fob. We ask you to return your fobs to us if you are transferred or discharged.
In the family corridor, there are entrances to the pods where the baby rooms are, social worker offices, bathrooms with showers, care-by-parent rooms for families who need to stay over in a separate room, a pump room where mothers can go to pump milk (M4-311), and the milk preparation area (known as the Dairy Queen).
When you are coming to be with your baby, you will use your fob to open the door of your pod. After washing your hands at the sink, you can use your fob to open the door to your baby's room. You will notice message boards outside each baby's room; you can use these to communicate to other family members or to NICU families you meet during your stay with us.
Your baby's room
You are welcome to be with your baby whenever you can. Most rooms have a bench at the back that you can sleep on or a comfortable chair, and there is a curtained area if you want privacy for pumping, sleeping or reflecting. You can use your cell phone or computer in your baby's room within the curtained area; please keep in mind that a quiet environment is best for your baby. Please turn down volume or use headphones, and put phones on vibrate. There is guest access to wi-fi in the room. Bluetooth devices should not be used in the NICU because they can interfere with other communication devices.
Please keep your electronic items clean and clean your hands between every use. Electronics can be a pathway for germs. Only water is permitted in your baby's room. There are water and ice machines in the hallway; your baby's nurse can show you where they are. Please use the family lounge for meals and snacks. For safety reasons, please keep all personal items within the curtained area.
When you arrive in your baby's room, please greet your baby's nurse and talk about hopes and plans for the day. You are also welcome to share this via telephone prior to arriving. Please know as well that you are always welcome to phone in for information about your baby. It is helpful for us to know your schedule, and we will also need your contact information.
The NICU family lounge.
Your baby's room.
