If your baby is
premature or unwell they will probably need to be transferred to one area of an Intensive Care Nursery. There are 3 different 'levels' of facilities in newborn intensive care nurseries that your baby could require. Where your baby will be transferred to will depend on how much care or treatment they need and if your hospital (or the closest hospital if a homebirth) has the facilities considered necessary.
The available levels of intensive care facilities will vary from birthplace to birthplace. Every hospital has a level 1 nursery (for observations and special care). Most hospitals have a level 2 nursery (for using incubators, intravenous drips and monitoring), but only large, public maternity and children's hospitals will have a level 3 nursery (for very sick and premature babies requiring assistance with their breathing - or ventilation). To understand the different nursery levels and the decisions surrounding where your baby may be transferred to, you can read
transfer to hospital.
If your baby is transferred to an Intensive Care Nursery, you will be faced with an environment that can be foreign and daunting. It can be hard to take in everything that surrounds you and what treatment your baby may be having when you are dealing with the fact that your baby is vulnerable and / or unwell. If you wish to know more about what to expect from the Intensive Care Nursery environment and what you may see, hear and experience from each 'level', you can read
intensive care nurseries. This also includes some support strategies for parents and babies in this situation.