Moving from the neonatal unit to home
Healthcare services can vary across municipalities and might include visits during your hospital stay or taking part in meetings about being discharged from hospital, either in-person or online.
Ask your health visitor or the staff in your unit about the options that are available in your situation.
Did you know that…
- the health visitor provides consultations and guidance for you as a dad and your family.
- screening for postnatal depression is available for both parents.
- additional visits are offered as needed.
Tips for meeting healthcare staff
A health visitor is a nurse who is specially trained in children’s and family health, and many will have past experience in units for sick newborns and premature babies.
The health visitor is focused on the whole family and provides guidance on your baby’s nutrition and development, so that you can feel confident in your role as the dad of a premature baby.
A good cooperation with the health visitor is just as important for dads as it is for mums.
Tips for your visit from the health visitor
- Try to plan ahead so you can be there during the health visitor’s visit.
- Think about what topics you would like to discuss with the health visitor.
- Consider what’s most important for you as a dad to get out of the meeting.
Also listen to
Link to the podcast episode: Family life after leaving the hospital
The texts for ‘Dads of premature babies’
were created collaboratively by first-time dads of premature babies, doctors, nurses from neonatal units, public health nurses, and the Child, Maternal and Family Health Care research group in The SUPPORTED study project, which aims to foster a more father-inclusive culture in a family-centred context within the healthcare system.
