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Help us raise vital funds to refurbish parents' bedrooms on the neonatal unit 

'Rooming in rooms' are used by families whose babies are nearly ready to go home after having treatment on the neonatal unit.

After being in hospital it can be daunting to care for a baby at home. To support families before they go home, we offer them a room on the neonatal unit. The room has a bed, cot and bathroom and is designed to be like their bedroom at home, but with the neonatal team nearby for support.

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Staying in these rooms helps parents feel much more confident for when their baby is well enough to be discharged.

The rooms are also used by parents whose babies are still on the ward in special or intensive care, so they can stay close to their baby.

We have four of these rooms, and whilst fit for purpose, they were last updated many years ago and they now feel quite dated and are too clinical.

£15,000 per room will help us transform the spaces into rooms that feel more like home. We want to lay new flooring, hang nice wallpaper, install fresh blinds, add new lighting and provide a fridge, side table and wardrobe. The bathroom will also have new flooring, panelling and sanitaryware. All furniture and refurbishment will meet our clinical standards, but will feel much more welcoming and homely.

Current bedroom

Plans for the new bedrooms

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Charlie’s story

"I spent ten challenging days on the neonatal unit with my son who was born pre-term. My first night after giving birth was in a ward which seemed a million miles away from him and one which was full of new mums who had their babies by their side. After just a few hours' sleep each night, I decided to spend most of my time sat in a chair by my baby's side. I missed ward mealtimes and hardly slept.

"I was recovering well physically and after three nights I faced being discharged home which was 45 minutes away. It was at this point that I felt helpless and desperate - breastfeeding would have become impossible and the distance from my baby was too much to cope with.

"Thankfully, the nurses understood my situation and I was lucky enough to be allocated a parents' room to stay in for a night. I felt a huge sense of relief - I was finally able to get a little rest and was close enough for the neonatal team to ring me when my baby woke so I could dash down to breastfeed him.

"The room was a haven, an oasis of peace and a place to gather myself and have some privacy during the hardest times. It bridged the gap between hospital and home, and despite the rooms being less than glamorous and in need of restoration, I felt lucky because I could be close to the one person I needed to be close to.

Without a stay in the parents' room, my experience would have been much more challenging. The planned improvements will make such a difference to parents in need of a sanctuary - a comforting cocoon and a positive space to nurture themselves and their babies before they are able to return home."

Please help us provide these 'home from home' rooms that will make such a difference to families. 

You can also set up a JustGiving page to raise funds.