When will my baby be able to go home?

To decide if your baby is ready to go home, the staff at the unit will consider if your baby:

• Is medically well and stable.
• Can control their own body temperature.
• Is feeding well and gaining weight.
• Can breathe on their own or with the help of oxygen.
• No longer needs nursing or medical care in hospital.

If your baby needs ongoing support with feeding, breathing or needs more specialist help, they may still be able to go home. The unit staff will talk about your baby’s specific needs with you and ensure you feel confident in caring for your baby. They will also arrange follow-up appointments.

If you have questions or concerns, talk to the unit staff. They will be happy to help.

My baby was born premature. Will they have to stay in hospital until they reach their due date?

Not always. Some babies will stay at hospital until after their due date, some may leave before. The unit staff will work with you to decide when your discharge date should be.

You may have a meeting involving unit staff and other healthcare professionals involved in your baby’s care. The meeting will help prepare for discharge, decide when your baby will be able to go home and talk about what support your baby will need.

If your baby is feeding well, gaining weight and has no other problems, they may be well enough to go home before their original due date.

I don’t feel ready to go home yet. What can I do?

It is important that you feel it is the right time to bring your baby home too. Some parents feel like they’re not ready to leave the unit and go home. Unit staff will work with you to ensure that you feel ready to care for your baby independently. Units may offer the chance to ‘room in’, which is where you care for your baby overnight in a room on the unit for a few days.

If you do not feel ready to go home or have any other worries, it is important to talk to unit staff about how you are feeling. We have more information about the medical support and other support you can get at home.

What other support is available to me from Bliss?

Bliss has an email support service where our trained staff can listen to your concerns and help you find the information you need. Email us at [email protected] and we will get back to you with information and support to help you through your neonatal journey, both while you are on the neonatal unit and when you are back at home.    

We also have Bliss Champion volunteers who visit neonatal units and provide support to families. Find out more about cot-side support and ask your unit if they have a Bliss Champion.

Our online Bliss Champions support families with a baby on a neonatal unit in the UK, and those who have recently been discharged. It’s an opportunity for families to share their experience or just to talk to someone who understands some of what you might be going through.

Parents with a baby born premature or sick can join our private Facebook group. This is a community of parents from all over the UK who understand the challenges of having a baby born premature or sick and support each other through their neonatal journeys and beyond.

Our social media pages are a good opportunity to stay in touch, to hear from other parents, read about other’s experiences and share yours if you want to. We also post information about relevant events and activities and host Instagram Live sessions where parents can connect with us on specific topics. You can search for @BlissCharity on Facebook, Instagram, and X.