Your Baby's Gestational Development

• Learn about hand hugs and encircled bed holding
• Place your hands gently on your baby or circle your baby with your arms in the incubator
  • No rubbing or stroking
  • Whisper only
• Start kangaroo care as soon as it is safe for your baby
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• Meet with a lactation consultant
• Pump breast milk for your baby
• An occupational therapist will help with care and positioning of your baby
  • They will also provide gentle movement exercises as tolerated by your baby
• NICU Scrapbooking invites you to create a scrapbook for your baby
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist
• The Milestone Photo Program will provide free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• Hang a picture of your family in the incubator
• Bring in baby blankets from home
• Bring in some items from your nursery to make the room your own

At 22-25 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Hand hugs, encircled bed holding, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book in a whisper voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, offer breast milk swabs

At 26-27 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Hand hugs, encircled bed holding, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, offer breast milk swabs, hold during feeds and offer a pacifier if awake

• Start music therapy with kangaroo care
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• Pump breast milk for your baby
• Offer a pacifier when your baby is awake and sucking
• An occupational therapist will work with your baby to provide gentle movement exercises
• Create a scrapbook for your baby in the NICU (no experience needed and all materials are free)
• The Milestone Photo Program provides free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist by choosing music and songs that are soothing or creating a heartbeat bear

At 28-30 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Hand hugs, encircled bed holding, kangaroo care, begin swaddling after talking to the healthcare team
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book or sign in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care, give a bath with the help of the nurse
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, offer breast milk swabs, hold during feeds and offer a pacifier if awake

• Practice kangaroo care (Parents can schedule music therapy with kangaroo care)
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• Offer kangaroo care during feeds
• When your baby is working on sucking, add dips of breast milk to the pacifier
• Pump breast milk for your baby
• An occupational therapist will be working with your baby to provide gentle movement exercises
• Create a scrapbook for your baby in the NICU (no experience needed and all materials are free)
• The Milestone Photo Program provides free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• The music therapist offers multimodal neurologic enhancement through singing, rocking and positive touch massage (this can be taught to parents if your baby weighs at least 1700 grams)
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist by choosing music and songs that are soothing or creating a heartbeat bear

At 31 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Swaddling, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book or sign in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care, give a bath
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, offer breast milk swabs, hold during feeds and offer a pacifier with dips of breastmilk if awake

• Practice kangaroo care (Parents can schedule music therapy with kangaroo care)
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• Start non-nutritive breastfeeding (if infant is stable) and pump breast milk
• If your baby is not ready to start non-nutritive breastfeeding, offer kangaroo care during feeds
• Readiness scoring for feeding begins
• Bring in clothes from home if your baby is not in an incubator with humidity
• Begin cycled lighting:
  • Lights on and covers off incubator during the day
  • Covers back on the incubator and lights off at night
• An occupational therapist completes a developmental assessment
• Create a scrapbook for your baby in the NICU (no experience needed and all materials are free)
• The Milestone Photo Program provides free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• The music therapist offers multimodal neurologic enhancement through singing, rocking and positive touch massage (this can be taught to parents if your baby weighs at least 1700 grams)
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist by choosing music and songs that are soothing or creating a heartbeat bear

At 32 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Swaddling, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book or sign in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care, give a bath
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, offer breast milk swabs, hold during feeds and offer a pacifier with dips of breastmilk if awake, begin non-nutritive breastfeeding if the baby is stable

• Practice kangaroo care (Parents can schedule music therapy with kangaroo care)
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• Put baby to breast, pump breast milk or bottle feed if baby is ready (a lactation consultant can help with breastfeeding)
  • The occupational therapist will follow your baby to assess for developmental and feeding needs
  • If your baby is ready, you can begin to breast or bottle feed; bring in a bottle from home if you have one you would like to use
• Create a scrapbook for your baby in the NICU (no experience needed and all materials are free)
• The Milestone Photo Program provides free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• The music therapist offers multimodal neurologic enhancement through singing, rocking and positive touch massage (this can be taught to parents if your baby weighs at least 1700 grams)
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist by choosing music and songs that are soothing or creating a heartbeat bear

At 33-34 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Swaddling, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book or sign in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care, give a bath
• Feeding – Provide breast milk and hold during feeds; if your baby shows signs of readiness, start breastfeeding or giving a bottle; if your baby is not ready, continue dips of breastmilk on a pacifier 

• Practice kangaroo care (Parents can schedule music therapy with kangaroo care)
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• Babies need to be held every day by family, staff or trained volunteer cuddlers
• Put baby to breast, pump breast milk or bottle feed if baby is ready (a lactation consultant can help with breastfeeding)
  • The occupational therapist will follow your baby to assess for developmental and feeding needs
• Create a scrapbook for your baby in the NICU (no experience needed and all materials are free)
• The Milestone Photo Program provides free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• The music therapist offers multimodal neurologic enhancement through singing, rocking and positive touch massage (this can be taught to parents if your baby weighs at least 1700 grams)
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist by choosing music and songs that are soothing or creating a heartbeat bear
• Your baby should see the world beyond the crib in a swing, bouncy seat or feeding and infant support pillows (these can be brought from home)
• Begin Safe Sleep practices when baby takes more than 50% of his or her feeding by nipple

At 35-37 weeks, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Swaddling, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book or sign in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care, give a bath
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, hold during feedings and breastfeed or give bottles if ready

• Practice kangaroo care (Parents can schedule music therapy with kangaroo care)
• Read the NICU Admission Booklet
• Find the parent education articles and videos on the Bump2Baby app
• You may discuss proper play activities that are good for your baby with the occupational therapist and the music therapist
• Ask the nurse, occupational therapist or music therapist about bringing toys from home
• Put baby to breast, pump breast milk or bottle feed
• Take stroller walks in the unit
• Use floor mats, toys and books for play time and tummy time
• Always place baby in safe sleep
• Create a scrapbook for your baby in the NICU (no experience needed and all materials are free)
• The Milestone Photo Program provides free photo keepsakes to welcome your new baby
• The music therapist offers multimodal neurologic enhancement through singing, rocking and positive touch massage (this can be taught to parents if your baby weighs at least 1700 grams)
• Create a special recording for your baby with the music therapist by choosing music and songs that are soothing or creating a heartbeat bear

At 38 weeks and older, your baby benefits from:

• Your touch – Swaddling, kangaroo care
• Your voice – Talk to your baby, tell a story or read a book or sign in a low, soft voice
• Your care – Take your baby’s temperature, change a diaper, hand hug your baby while the nurse provides care, give a bath, place baby in safe sleep position
• Feeding – Provide breast milk, hold during feedings and breastfeed or give bottles if ready