The Family Newborn Care Unit provides a safe and comfortable environment for staff to assess and care for families and babies after birth. This care includes teaching about normal changes in the body (including physical and emotional changes), baby care, breastfeeding, and transition to home.
Welcome to Family Newborn Care Unit!
This is a very important time for you and your family to get to know your baby. Your baby has been very close to you during pregnancy and birth, and it’s natural and important for this to continue. As you get to know your baby through cuddling, touching and talking, you will begin to learn what your baby is telling you. Your health care team is here to support you and provide the best possible care for you and your baby.
Some things that you may want to bring to the Family Newborn Care Unit to make your stay more comfortable include:
- Cozy clothing for you to wear (slippers, pyjamas, housecoat)
- Comfortable bra
- Extra pairs of comfortable underwear
- Reusable water bottle
- Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush/comb, soap, shampoo, deodorant, chap stick, hair elastics)
- Any medications you are taking
- Easy-to-eat snacks
- Phone charger (with a long cord if possible)
- Health card, credit card, and social insurance number
- Supplies for your support person as well
PLEASE DO NOT wear or bring scented products, as other patients and staff have serious allergies to scents.
What to bring to the Family Newborn Care Unit for your baby:
- Small pack of diapers
- Clothing for your baby to wear home
- One blanket for going home (weather dependent)
- Infant car seat (See details below).
For a full list of what to bring to the hospital, see the IWK Packing List
What to expect
When you arrive on the Family Newborn Care Unit, you'll be supported by nurses who will monitor the well-being of both you and your new baby. The nurses are also there to offer guidance and information to help you learn to care for yourself and your baby (including feeding). Your physician or midwife will check on you daily to see how you're doing. They'll work with you to determine when you and your baby are ready to go home. Usually, you and your baby will be ready to go home safely in one day (if you’ve had a vaginal birth) or two days (if you’ve had a caesarean birth).
A Public Health nurse may visit you during your stay. Public Health nurses are available for continued support and guidance in the days and weeks that follow discharge from the IWK. A Public Health Nurse may contact you after you have arrived home. You can also contact a Public Health Nurse if you have questions or need extra support. The Public Health contact numbers are available at this link: https://www.nshealth.ca/public-health#sites-sites
IWK Health promotes and supports breastfeeding. We'll help you make informed decisions about your choices around infant feeding. No matter how you choose to feed your baby, your decision will be respected and your health care team will offer you education and resources to support your decision.
Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech staff will visit you during your stay on Family Newborn Care Unit. They’ll ask to do a painless simple hearing screening with your baby. Good hearing is important for speech and language development. If your baby is not screened prior to discharge the Newborn Screening program will contact you to arrange an outpatient hearing screening appointment for your baby.
Read to Me! is a non-profit province-wide reading promotion program. A Read to Me! representative will deliver a “Read to Me!” bag to your bedside. The bag includes FREE books and reading resources for your new baby. The books are high quality and available in English, French, Arabic, Chinese, or Mi’kmaq. Special materials are available for families who are hearing impaired or visually impaired. If you're discharged without receiving your bag, please visit their website here with your name, address, and baby’s birth date, and a bag will be mailed to you.
Your nurse will highlight a series of teaching videos that will offer you information on your own care as well as care of your new baby. These videos provide a wealth of information and can be viewed on YouTube. Links to the videos are also available in the Community Resource Pamphlet.
Room options
There are three types of rooms on the Family Newborn Care Unit: private, semi-private (two families per room) and ward (four families per room). The Nova Scotia Department of Health (MSI) covers the cost of a ward room, so there is no direct charge to you. There will be a charge for private or semi-private rooms, and this may be covered by your private insurance. Please ensure that you check your insurance plan and know your coverage.
Rooms are provided based upon booking as well as availability. We will attempt to give you your first choice of room when you arrive, however we cannot guarantee that your specific request can be accommodated.
WI-FI
Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the IWK.
Dial-for-Dining
Patients may order from a Dial-for-Dining menu during their stay at the IWK. You can order three delicious meals per day. If you have a special diet or any dietary restrictions, talk to your nurse to make sure you get the right menu for you. Support people may also order from the Dial-for-Dining Menu but they must pay for their meal using a credit card.
Cots for support people
Many patients choose to have a partner or support person stay with them. We encourage this support. One cot is offered for the comfort of the support person who stays with a new parent. For safety reasons, please fold up the cot when not in use.
Car seats
IWK Health does not rent or lend car seats. When leaving to go home, your baby needs to be placed in a CMVSS (Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard) rear-facing infant car seat. Please bring this to the hospital assembled with the base installed in your vehicle (if applicable). Please also bring the car seat manual with you, as it may be needed if you are having difficulties. Your nurse will review any questions you have about car seats in an effort to help you position your baby safely in your car seat. Staff cannot go to the car with you. Snowsuits and bunting bags are not safe for use in car seats as the straps cannot get snug enough around your baby. Child Safety Link has many helpful videos on installing and using car seats safely.
Birth registration/certificate, health card (MSI), SIN, and child tax benefit.
The Provincial Vital Statistics Act requires that all children born in Nova Scotia be registered within 30 days of their birth. You are responsible for completing the birth registration for your baby. For your convenience, kiosks are available on the Family Newborn Care Unit where you can register the birth of your baby and apply for their birth certificate, health card, Social Insurance Number (SIN), and child tax benefit. If you complete the information via the kiosk, it is forwarded to Vital Statistics who then prepare a birth certificate. Please note, the IWK does NOT issue birth certificates.
TV and telephone
The payment for TV and telephone use is covered by private insurance if your insurance pays for the cost of a semi-private or private room. If you do not have private insurance that pays for the cost of a semi private or private room, then you are responsible for any TV or telephone charges. Please know that you do not have to order the TV or telephone service. If you choose not to order telephone services you will still be able to order your meals through the Dial-For-Dining program and receive incoming calls.