It can be truly devastating for new parents if their baby is very sick or needs to stay in the nursery for a prolonged period. This is where creating and using any available support environment can be crucial to maintaining your emotional strength and sanity.
Some parents will know in advance that their baby may require some form of treatment in the nursery and may already have implemented certain support strategies. Many will find that their nursery experience is very much an unexpected outcome and have minimal preparation.
The reality is that there is very little information, either theoretical or experiential, to emotionally prepare parents for the separation from their newborn child soon after the birth. The turmoil can be compounded by dealing with emotions such as fear about their child being sick and fleeting thoughts that they could possibly die.
If you have more than one support person, trying to ensure that someone can stay with the mother while the father (or another support person) goes with the baby to the nursery. Some other support strategies for babies and parents can include: