What is a special care nursery?

A special care nursery is a place for sick or premature babies who need specialised care after birth. It’s also a place for babies who need support to feed, develop and grow.

A special care nursery has specialist doctors, nurses, other health professionals and equipment to care for these babies.

What’s the difference between a special care nursery and a neonatal intensive care unit?

A neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a place for sick or premature newborn babies who need specialist intensive care after birth. NICU babies often move to a special care nursery when they’re healthier and stronger.

If your NICU baby is ready to go to the special care nursery, it means that:

• your baby’s heart rate, breathing, blood pressure and temperature are stable and within the expected range
• your baby can breathe either by themselves or with less help
• your baby is big enough to move to this lower level of care.

Special care nurseries are sometimes also called special care baby units.

What to expect in the special care nursery

In a special care nursery, neonatologists or paediatricians care for your baby. Your baby will see other medical specialists if needed.

Nurses monitor your baby but less often than in the NICU. Each nurse in the special care nursery looks after several babies.

If your baby has come from the NICU, they’ll probably no longer need most of the medical equipment that was used to care for them there.

In the special care nursery, you and your partner can do more things for your baby. You can cuddle your baby for much longer and do more of your baby’s care, like nappy changes.

Your baby might also start to feed at your breast or from a bottle, rather than feeding through a tube.

When your baby is big enough, they can come out of the incubator and sleep in an open cot where you can care for them more easily.

You might have felt at home and familiar with NICU staff and routines. Getting to know the staff in the special care nursery will help you to feel at home there too. One way to get to know them is by being there during ward rounds, talking to staff about your baby’s progress, and sharing what you’ve learned about your baby’s likes and dislikes.

Moving to a special care nursery in a different hospital

Hospitals with NICUs are often in large cities. You might have gone to a hospital in a large city to give birth, or your baby might have been transferred there after birth.

If you live a long way from the hospital with the NICU that has been looking after your baby, it’s likely that your baby will be moved to a special care nursery in a hospital closer to home. This will always be a hospital that’s equipped to meet your baby’s individual needs.

Your baby might be transported in a specially equipped ambulance or plane, with an incubator and the technology that they need for the trip.

Getting used to the special care nursery

You might have mixed feelings about your baby’s move to the special care nursery.

You might feel excited that your baby is getting closer to coming home. It’s also common to feel anxious about being more responsible for your baby’s care. Feeling worried that your baby will be getting less individualised specialist care from the nurses is natural too.

The medical and nursing staff in the special care nursery are highly qualified and experienced in looking after sick and premature babies. They’ll be able to help you and your partner learn about being hands-on parents, including feeding and bathing your baby. Just ask them for help and advice if you need it. You can also talk to them about your fears or worries.

The new nursery might have different guidelines and policies from the NICU, even if it’s in the same hospital. You can still expect family-centred care just like in the NICU. You can also expect to be treated as part of the team caring for your baby. Other family members, including siblings and grandparents, can be more involved too.

If there’s anything you’re not sure about, it’s OK to ask the staff.

When your baby moves to the special care nursery, it’s a good time to start planning for your baby going home.