ABOUT INCUBATOR

 What Is a Baby Incubator 

If your baby has to go to the Neonatal Internal Care Unit (NICU), you will see lots of high-tech equipment. Some of it can seem intimidating and scary. However, all of it is there to help healthcare providers take care of your baby and give them the best start in life. One of the most important pieces of equipment in the NICU is a baby incubator. This is a bed for your baby that helps regulate their temperature and provides the ideal environment they need to grow and thrive.

There are a lot of different reasons your baby may need to be in a baby incubator. Some of these include:

It can feel like there's nothing you can do to take care of your baby if they are in an incubator in the NICU, but that's not true. Talk to your baby's doctors and nurses to find out when and how you can hold them. If your baby can't breastfeed yet, you can pump milk for them. Spend as much time with your baby as you can.

Ask about your baby's schedule and let the nurses know you are ready to help care for them. The nurses will be happy to let you do as much as possible to learn to take care of them. You may be able to do diaper changes, take your baby's temperature, or bathe them. If you would like to, ask if you can be there when your baby is having a procedure done.