Newsletter

A Day in the Life of a Nursery Nurse

We are a team of qualified nursery nurses who work a 24 hour shift pattern helping mums in all areas of baby’s development. We give support for mums in their time of need, helping to empower mums to be able to care for their baby.

7am – Early shift starts handover meeting from the night staff. This enables us to have an update of how our Mums and babies have been overnight and to be informed of anything that may be happening that day.

7:30am onwards - We go onto the ward and start the day by saying "Good morning" to our mums and babies. Next we set up the playroom, ensuring that there are toys available for all age groups and that these are cleaned after each baby’s play session. Then we may do some of our daily tasks, such as preparing and cleaning the milk kitchen and nursery, temperature checks etc. Breakfast is usually being served at this time so mums may want us to support them to feed their babies.

Throughout the morning we will attend multi disciplinary team meetings and ward rounds, this is where professionals meet together to discuss plans for our mums and any support they feel they may need. We also facilitate groups on the ward such as singing, story time, craft, messy play and baby massage.

Moving through the day to the late shift brings us nursery nurses to helping and supporting mums prepare food for baby; supporting feeding at mealtimes and bath times for babies. Also sensory bedtime stories and lullabies (our favourite task of the day!).

9pm - We start our night shift. We support mums with safe sleeping, with 15 minute checks for babies, encouraging sleep and rest for babies and mums. Also part of the support we offer is to look after babies in the nursery if mum need some rest and a little extra support. Always keeping mum and baby in mind and what is best for them, no day is ever the same.

Updates and new adventures at the Mother and Baby Unit (MBU)

Lisa and George spent some time with us earlier this year, both are doing great and wanted to share these lovely pictures with us.

 
Image - Lisa with her baby George

Image - Lisa with her baby george

Over the past few months we have added some additional therapy groups to the MBU activity schedule. To mention just a few we now have a ‘fake-away’ cooking group every other Friday which our Mums love as they can choose from their favourite takeaways they enjoy when they are at home and with support from staff recreate these for themselves and their peers. We also facilitate a home cooked roast dinner once a month on a Sunday which is proving to be very popular.

Getting Crafty

We recognise that for our mums inbetween groups and caring for babies that it can be hard to know what to do to occupy their time whilst at the MBU. So the Occupational Therapy (OT) team have created a selection of craft boxes that mums can access at anytime and get their creative heads on with support from staff if they so wish.

Image - Hand drawn rainbow with the text 'My rainbow baby'

Image - several drawings of roses

Image - Hand drawn pink rose on green background

Image - Hand drawn mountains with lake in front

PAPAS online support group

Rosewood Mother and Baby Unit have started running an online support group for partners of mums admitted to the MBU. We appreciate how difficult this time is for families. Having your partner and baby admitted to an MBU is never part of the plan and partners are no doubt, having to navigate a system and feelings that are very unfamiliar.

Partners/Dads often tell us that they struggle with:

• Feelings of helplessness – “I can’t fix this”
• The discrepancy between expectations versus reality – “this wasn’t part of the plan”
• COVID – the losses associated with not being able to be a part of the whole experience
• Juggling demands – work, being a parent, being a partner, being supportive
• Adjusting to varying degrees of baby care – all to none to some Missing out – milestones, being a family, learning skills associated with parenting
• Being left with an empty house, an empty nursery and an empty bed – shock, loneliness
• Knowing who to talk to – fearing stigma, judgement, job loss

The PAPAS online support group is a safe space for partners to meet other partners in similar
circumstances, discuss things that are on their mind, receive information and support from staff at Rosewood MBU and obtain information about other sources of support if needed. The group runs for 1 hour once a week and partners are welcome to join the group every week during their partner’s admission and for 4 weeks following discharge.

Guest speakers are invited when there is something that is of general interest on topics such as
medication, baby care, weaning etc.

Thrive Pilot and Training Providers

We are delighted to be working with the charities ‘Making Miracles’ and ‘Make Birth Better’ as we roll out the pilot for our new Maternal Mental Health Service: ‘Thrive – Psychological Support for Birth Trauma and Loss’.

Thrive is being piloted during 2021 in East Kent, as a joint partnership between KMPT’S Specialist Psychologists in the Mother and Infant Mental Health Service (MIMHS), the Specialist Mental Health
Midwives at the East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust (EKHUFT) and Peer Support
Workers: women with lived experience of birth trauma and birth loss; with robust pathways into reproductive health, psychosexual health, primary care and other key services.

Making Miracles will be delivering training focusing on birth loss and bereavement, and Make Birth Better providing training with a focus on birth trauma, to KMPT and EKUFT staff working within the East Kent Thrive service pilot, as well as to staff across Kent and Medway who work within the perinatal and maternity pathway.

Feedback

MIMHS and the MBU would very much appreciate your feedback regarding your contact with us.

You can use the following QR code to provide feedback:

If you are unable to use the QR code you can visit the following link to access our feedback survey

Or if you would prefer to discuss your experiences please contact the service on 01622 722321 or speak with your care coordinator