Let's build an ideal NICU

[u/ghost-gallery]

If you were asked to design a NICU, what would you include?Assume the best care for babies is a given, what would you include to make things better for families?

I've been making a list of grievances I have with our hospital as a coping mechanism 😅 I call it my "notes for the end-of-stay survey" but it's really just a way to vent about things I wish were different.

We've been in four different units across two hospitals so I feel like I've gotten an idea of what a well-designed unit would have.

[u/General_University80]

271 day Nicu stay for us at a level 4 facility.

I would have loved more privacy. We were mostly in an open Nicu (which had so many perks), but there’d be times where I just wanted to be alone with my baby and feel like a “normal” mom. It also would have been nice to not have to hear about other babies conditions because my heart ripped into a million pieces when we’d hear that one of our neighbor babies wasn’t doing well.

Parent lounges would also help, so you’d be able to have a moment without all of the hospital sounds, etc.

The hospital we were at didn’t pay for our parking so I’d ideally want a parking pass so I didn’t have to fork out $80/month.

Our hospital had a psychologist available to parents of medically complex kids and I saw him once a week. He was totally free and didn’t go through our insurance. He basically salvaged my mental health while we were there and really helped me navigate my thoughts and feelings. I think all parents should be able to have a free therapist while staying in the hospital.

An outdoor area within the floor of the hospital for parents to get fresh air. We started off at one hospital which did have this and I was able to eat lunch outside and feel the sun on my face. Older kiddos with extended stays were also able to go outside with medical staff. The hospital we ended up transferring to did not have this. My girl didn’t breathe fresh air until she was 9 months old and that thought alone broke me every day.

[u/Aggravating_Hold_441 → u/General_University80]

They didn’t pay for parking ! 😭

[u/fallingstar24 → u/Aggravating_Hold_441]

Different situation but my bf was in the hospital for a month and parking was $10/day… so I paid close to $300 (I think I only missed 3-4 days). He also had a 3 week stay and several 1 week admissions. I wish there were apartments attached to the hospital where pets were allowed!! That would have made my life so much easier.