Going home

If your baby was born before you had the chance to prepare your home, you may want to use the waiting time before discharge to do this. If you feel unsure about what to prepare, please ask the nurse looking after your baby, who will be happy to advise you.

To help you prepare for going home, we have accommodation within the unit where you can stay overnight and gain confidence in caring for your baby on your own, with support close at hand if you need it.

We also offer a basic resuscitation skills session, which involves practical training. This course takes about an hour and is advertised on the unit.  Please put your name on the list, if you are interested in attending.

The majority of babies born early will achieve their developmental milestones according to how early they were born. For instance, a baby born two months prematurely may start to sit at eight months of age rather than six months.

Although all babies develop at slightly different rates, most premature babies will catch up with other children by the time they are about two years old. Unfortunately, babies born very early are at risk of developmental delay. By carefully monitoring progress in babies born before 33 weeks, any delays can be identified early so that appropriate help can be provided.

For babies not born prematurely, we will inform you if we recommend follow-up after discharge.

Following discharge, your family health visitor will visit you at home. He or she will be able to answer questions about your baby’s health and development, as well as carry out developmental assessments at key stages.

If your baby is born at 29 weeks or earlier, then when your baby is one year old (according to the expected date of delivery) you will be invited to our special developmental clinics. This will happen again at age two years. If we find any problems during either of these checks we will be able to plan extra care for your baby’s needs.

You can watch a video here called ‘You would never know’ which shows photos of some of the babies treated here at the Trevor Mann Baby Unit, and how they have flourished.

http://www.youtube.com/v/THte9NGWWAc

The community nursing team provides care to babies and support to their families whilst on our units and then at home after discharge. The team works with nurses and parents shortly after admission to begin to prepare parents and their babies for discharge. This may include teaching parents additional skills including naso-gastric tube feeding and resuscitation.

The team will then visit babies in their homes after discharge to support parents and families in looking after them. They are also able to provide telephone advice. They work alongside health visitors, to whom they will handover care after approximately 4 weeks.

Before your baby is discharged from hospital, you will need to register your baby with your GP. We notify both the health visitor and your GP when your baby goes home so that they are up-to-date with your baby’s progress in case you need advice.

Whilst your baby is in hospital, your health visitor may call or visit you at home to see how you are and to hear how your baby is progressing. If you prefer, your health visitor may visit you and your baby on the unit. Your health visitor will give you details of your local baby clinic.

You need to register you baby’s birth within six weeks. If you are married, either parent can do this. If you are not married and want the baby registered in the father’s name, both parents must attend. Your baby does not need to be registered in the town that they are born.  Local register offices are listed below:

Brighton and Hove Register Office
Brighton Town Hall
Bartholomew Square, Brighton BN1 1JA
Between 9.30am – 4.30pm Monday-Friday or
Telephone: 01273 292016 to make an appointment

Eastbourne Register Office
Town Hall
Grove Road, Eastbourne BN21 4UG
Telephone: 01323 415051

Hastings Register Office
The Register Office
Summerfields, Bohemia Road, Hastings TN34 1EX
Telephone: 01424 721212

Haywards Heath Register Office
County Offices
Oaklands, Oaklands Road, Haywards Heath RH16 1SS
Telephone: 01243 642122

Lewes Register Office
Southover Grange
Grange Road, Lewes BN7 1TP
Telephone: 01273 475589

Worthing Register Office
Centenary House
Durrington Lane, Worthing BN13 2QB
Telephone: 01243 642122