The Comfort Care Difference

The NCCP believes that no matter how brief, each baby’s life is precious and must be welcomed and cherished – the comfort of the baby is at the center of our care.  We also understand that families facing their babies’ life-limiting diagnoses are shocked, frightened and confused; they need and deserve a great deal of support during and after the pregnancy.

Prioritizing rooming-in with mom and feeding as comforting to the baby, we construct a mindset that sees the baby as central, with the family, supportive care and staff all contributing to the creation of a peaceful, safe and loving environment.  The life of the baby, rather than the anticipation of his or her loss, becomes the focus of attention. In pursuit of the comfort of the baby as our primary Core Value, we propose the following to our families:

1.     A Network of Support

From the moment of diagnosis, through birth and beyond, the baby, mother and family are embraced and accompanied on their perinatal journey by a compassionate and dedicated interdisciplinary team.  The same physician and team members provide continuity of care to the baby and family throughout each step of the journey.

2.     Feeding

The comfort of the baby for the duration of his or her natural life is the primary Core Value of the NCCP.  Feeding is essential for the comfort of the baby.  Therefore, breast- or bottle-feeding, giving drops of colostrum on the babies’ lips or swabbed inside the mouth, or syringe feeds are all be considered to provide comfort to the baby.  Speech pathologists and lactation experts are consulted to safely and successfully feed these babies throughout their natural lives.

 3.     Rooming In

Under our care, mother and baby are not separated.  The baby accompanies the mother into her post-partum room, and may remain with her for an unlimited time, even after death.  Skin-to-skin care or being held is comforting to the baby and to the family, so we encourage parents to enjoy time with their baby and to provide parental care, such as feeding, bathing and dressing. 

4.     Follow-Up

The NCCP team’s companionship of each family does not end with the baby’s or mother’s discharge from the hospital.  We follow mothers and fathers by phone for up to a year or more after their loss, and offer a monthly bereavement support meeting to families who have experienced perinatal loss.