Your baby is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and we recognize that this is a difficult time for you. Please take a few minutes to read this information to help prepare you for the day when your baby no longer needs intensive care.

Transfer

Why are babies transferred?
As a regional perinatal centre, it is important that we continue to ensure our patients have access to the specialized services our Women's and Infant's Health Unit provides. As such, when your baby no longer needs the medical and nursing support of our NICU/Level 2, your baby will be transferred, in consultation with you, to a hospital closer to your home. This hospital will be able to provide the nursing and medical care necessary for your baby until he or she is ready to go home.

What are the advantages of transfers?

• Closer to home. This gives you more opportunity to visit and care for your baby.
• You will get to know the hospital, staff and services that you or your baby many need to use in the future.

How does the transfer work?

• We try to give you your choice of hospital (usually, this is the hospital you were originally planning to deliver at). However, even if you were planning to deliver at Mount Sinai Hospital, we may still transfer your baby.
• Each morning we call the hospital to see if they have a bed for your baby.
• We transfer your information directly to the other hospital. A report is exchanged from nurse to nurse and another from doctor to doctor.
• Once a space is found, we book an ambulance. Accompanied by a nurse, your baby will be transferred in a transport incubator with his/her cardiac monitor.
• We will keep you informed of bed space availability and call you before your baby leaves. It is important that we have your up-to-date contact information.
• We will send a discharge summary (written report) with your baby outlining the medical care received at Mount Sinai.

What can I expect in the new nursery?

• The same basic care is given, but nursery rules may differ.
• Feeding schedules or techniques may be different, but we will tell them what we've done in the past and what you and your baby are currently working on.
• If your baby is in a cot or crib, it is possible that they will put your baby back in an incubator for 24 hours (this is for infection control purposes).
• You may want to take a tour of the new nursery before your baby is transferred. Please contact them directly.

Planning to take your baby home

Discharge

Should your baby be ready to go home directly from Mount Sinai Hospital, we will set a target discharge date. Readiness for discharge is based on your baby's stability and ability to feed and maintain his or her temperature in a cot. We do not have specific weight or age criteria. Once you are given a target discharge date, you should be prepared to take your baby home within 24 hours of that day. Our discharge time is 11 a.m. Please remember that if your maternity leave was deferred, you will need to advise your employer of your baby's discharge. Refer to your copy of the "Me and My Baby" binder for more information.

The transfer and discharge processes enables us to continue providing care for babies when they need us most.

Planning to take your baby home