Prepare for the NICU
For parents of a baby in intensive care.
It's okay to feel nervous. Nervous and prepared is a good place to be.
Your preparation progress
0 of 50 steps · saved on this device
Adds the event plus preparation reminders at two weeks, one week, two days, and the day before.
Overview
The NICU is overwhelming at first and becomes familiar faster than you expect. You are your baby's parent there, not a visitor.
What to expect
- Monitors, tubes, and alarms — most alarms are routine
- Daily rounds where you can participate
- Feeding, growing, and breathing as the main milestones
- A discharge date that shifts as your baby progresses
Questions to ask
What are the goals before our baby can come home?
How can I be involved in care — holding, feeding, skin to skin?
Who is our primary nurse and neonatologist?
What support exists for us — lactation, social work, parking, lodging?
In plain language, what is happening and why is it recommended now?
Plain language is your right. Ask again if the answer is technical.
What are my options, including waiting or doing nothing?
How will this change what I can do day to day, and for how long?
What should I do to prepare?
Who do I call with questions, and what number do I use after hours?
What would make you want to see me sooner?
This turns vague worry into a clear trigger for calling.
Interactive checklists
Check items off as you go. Progress is saved on this device so you can continue later.
Private to this device. Included when you print, export, or save to your Health Binder.
For caregivers and family
What caregivers can expect
- Days that blur together
- Guilt that is common and unearned
- Advice from many people at once
How caregivers can help
- Take turns at the bedside so someone always sleeps
- Keep a shared log of updates for family so you are not repeating them
- Ask for parent support groups — other NICU parents help
Questions caregivers should ask
- Can we stay overnight, and what facilities exist for parents?
- How do we get updates when we are not here?
- What training will we need before discharge?
Recovery and what happens next
Before admission
Paperwork, packing, and home coverage.
- · Confirm authorization
- · Pack a small bag
- · Arrange pets, children, and mail
During the stay
Track the plan each day.
- · Ask for the daily plan
- · Note who is leading your care
- · Ask what has to happen before going home
Discharge day
Leave with clarity, not a stack of paper.
- · Medication reconciliation
- · Written instructions read back aloud
- · Follow-up appointment scheduled
First week home
The riskiest week. Watch and rest.
- · Fill prescriptions
- · Attend or confirm follow-up
- · Track symptoms daily
Watch for: Fever, chills, or a wound that becomes red, warm, swollen, or leaks fluid; Pain that keeps getting worse instead of slowly better; New confusion, dizziness, or fainting; Nausea or vomiting that stops you from keeping fluids down
Risks and warning signs
Possible risks to ask about
- Every procedure and medicine carries some risk — ask for yours in numbers, not adjectives
- Reactions to medicines, contrast, or anesthesia
- Infection
- Delays or the need for a repeat visit
Warning signs — call your clinician
- · Fever, chills, or a wound that becomes red, warm, swollen, or leaks fluid
- · Pain that keeps getting worse instead of slowly better
- · New confusion, dizziness, or fainting
- · Nausea or vomiting that stops you from keeping fluids down
Red flags — seek emergency care
- · Trouble breathing or shortness of breath at rest
- · Chest pain or pressure
- · Heavy bleeding that will not stop
- · Sudden weakness, facial droop, or trouble speaking
- · Signs of sepsis — fever with fast heart rate, confusion, clammy skin, or a feeling that something is very wrong
In an emergency, call 911. Do not wait for a call back.
Follow-up care
- Attend the follow-up within the window you were given
- Reconcile every medicine against the discharge list
- Ask for home health or therapy referrals to be confirmed
Frequently asked questions
Helpful resources
People preparing for this also read
Prepare Me is educational preparation support from Phoenix Health Compass. It does not diagnose, recommend treatment, or replace the guidance of your clinician. Checklists and notes stay on this device unless you save or share them yourself.