NICU can be a positive start to your life with multiples. The nurses teach you routines, provide feeding support, show you how to bathe, swaddle and care for your babies, and offer general support during that early recovery. It is a contained and supportive environment and often the best place for you and your babies if extra care is needed.
Be ready (before birth)
Prepare your hospital bag at around 30 weeks. Pack an extra-long charging cable (or power bank), a large water bottle, and plenty of snacks like muesli bars and dried fruit that you can eat easily during the night.
Pack clothes that are easy to get on and off for breastfeeding/skin-to-skin (such as a kimono-style wrap). Bring hand cream, as you will be washing your hands regularly.
Fill your freezer with easy meals you can eat one-handed with a fork for when you get home.
Early NICU days (first adjustment)
Remember every NICU/SCN is unique, and depending on gestation, your experience will vary. One mum says she wasn’t able to touch her babies for 3 weeks as they were too delicate. Another mum was separated due to her own health complications, with one baby on the ward and one in SCN.
1. Take care of yourself
NICU is a marathon. Build in time to rest, eat, go to the bathroom, and reset before entering the nursery.
2. Stay connected
Save the NICU/SCN room’s direct phone number in your mobile. You can call anytime for updates, including overnight.
3. Skin-to-skin contact
‘Kangaroo care’ helps regulate babies' body temperature and supports bonding. Do this as often as possible. In addition, the nurses encourage reading. One mum suggests Winnie the Pooh, as longer stories help pass time and create connection.
4. Medical assistance
Depending on your baby’s gestation and needs, they may move through different levels of breathing support as they grow stronger. This can include a ventilator, NAVA, CPAP, high-flow oxygen, and low-flow oxygen. Each step is a sign of progress toward breathing independently.
While most premature babies won’t need surgery, some may require urgent procedures for conditions affecting the bowel, heart, eyes, or other developing organs. If this happens, your baby will be cared for by a highly specialised surgical team with full NICU support.
5. Feeding support
Premature babies often require NG tube feeds. Parents can help by holding the syringe during feeds and using this time for bonding.
6. Feeding choices
If using formula, small bottles are usually available. Communicate your preferences with staff—your voice matters.
7. Pumping essentials
If you choose to express breastmilk, consider a portable hospital-grade double pump at home and borrowing one in NICU/SCN.
Hospital-grade pumps can be bought or hired. They are not typically sold on Facebook Marketplace (sometimes referred to as “milk-shake makers”), so check parent groups if looking second-hand.
Looking at photos of your babies or eating chocolate can help if you experience D-MER or if pumping feels difficult. Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) is a physiological condition where breastfeeding or pumping triggers a brief, sudden wave of negative emotions. Symptoms like [despair, anxiety, or anger] arise seconds before milk letdown, last up to two minutes, and then vanish. It is entirely biological—caused by an improper dopamine drop—and is not a psychological dislike of breastfeeding.
5. Be involved
Nurses usually hand over care tasks to parents. Take the lead when you feel ready — nappies, baths, feeds — it all counts.
6. Feeding choices
If using formula, small bottles are usually available. Communicate your preferences with staff — your voice matters.
7. Stay connected
Save the room’s direct phone number to your mobile. Call anytime for updates, even overnight.
8. Look after your health
Request lactation support and don’t hesitate to seek medical help for yourself while still at the hospital.
8. Be involved
Nurses usually hand over care tasks to parents. Take the lead when you feel ready with “cares.” Early cares include temperature checks, nappy changes, oxygen probe repositioning, and NG feeds. Around 30+ weeks this may progress to baths and practising feeds.
Try to time visits around ward rounds so you can hear updates and be involved in decisions.
9. Wellbeing
Request lactation support and don’t hesitate to seek medical care for yourself while in hospital. Rest when you can—being rested supports your baby too.
Connecting with other parents can also help, as shared experiences often create strong support networks
Advocate for yourself:
Liaise with parent support or care coordinators—they are there to help you navigate the journey.
10. Bring your gear
A double feeding pillow can be helpful when transitioning to direct feeds.
11. Document the journey
Photos and videos help capture memories and reduce the need for constant updates to family & friends.
12. Carparking
Check for discounted parking for NICU families (e.g. RWH and Frances Perry around $40/week, Mercy Heidelberg around $3/day, with some pregnancy appointment discounts available).
13. Meals
Make use of the hospital cafés or cafeterias where possible. Some hospitals (e.g. Francis Perry) offer discounted meals for NICU/SCN families.
14. Accepting help
Let others support you with meals, driving, errands, laundry, or caring for siblings. Every bit helps.
15. Managing leave entitlements
A NICU or SCN stay can last weeks or months, so it helps to think about leave early.
Some families return to work while babies are in hospital to save leave for when they are home. Others have one parent at the bedside while the other works, and some take leave together. Every family’s situation is different so do what works best for yours.
16. Transitioning home
Some hospitals offer a “rooming-in” period before discharge to build confidence, as well as Hospital-in-the-Home support.
17. Take your routines home
The routines developed in NICU are often very helpful once you’re home.
18. Prepare your car-seats.
Your babies will need to pass the car-seat test to go home.
19. Enjoy the milestone of coming home.
Whether your babies come home at the same time or are each on their own timeline, take in the moment of being together again under one roof.
20. Looking back on the experience
The experience of being in NICU stays with you, it becomes part of your DNA. A sentiment is a universal truth among NICU families. Leaving the hospital with your baby or babies is a monumental milestone, but for many, it is also the beginning of a new phase—learning to process the trauma, hyper-vigilance, and emotional impact of the experience.
For some families, everyday sounds can become unexpected triggers.
One mum shared that she was experiencing flashbacks triggered by the chiming of her dishwasher, which sounded similar to NICU monitors and alarms, and found EMDR therapy helpful to process this.
If you or your partner need additional mental health support click here to start a supported journey through COPE Centre for Perinatal Excellence
💛 NICU/SCN can be a challenging but important time. Remember, you’re not alone.
This content is provided by NIMBA families and is intended for general peer to peer support only. It is absolutely and in no way a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. ALWAYS seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
This article was most recently published in NIMBA member newsletter Noah’s Ark, Issue 330 July 2026
