Developmental care tries to replicate the normal developmental environment, i.e. the inside of the womb, but also acknowledges your baby as a person with their own unique personality and behavioural cues. This is individualised developmental care. This care recognises that you, the parents, are the most important people in providing their baby’s care. Your knowledge of developmental care will promote the best parent-infant interactions, help your baby to grow and develop, and assist in the successful transition between hospital and home. The medical team is more than happy to support you gaining confidence in caring for your baby.
This section will explain just how important you are in your baby’s care and how you can get involved in it. Your participation will involve skin-to-skin contact, i.e. ‘comfort holding’ and ‘kangaroo care’, as well as understanding your baby’s behavioural cues. It’ll also give you more understanding of the NNU environment, such as noise, light, sleep, etc.