SCBU baby and parent support group meets for first time at Withybush Hospital

A new special care baby and parent support group has met for the first time at Withybush Hospital, Haverfordwest.
Ten families, a mixture of mums, dads and grandparents met with their babies, born between 32 weeks and full tern for the first session on ‘tummy time’ set up by Jennifer Smith, Trainee Assistant Practitioner at Glangwili Hospital Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) and led by Angharad Eynon, Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapist for Neonates and Acute.
Jennifer said: “It was wonderful that so many could attend this first group meeting. Everyone who attended is a member of a closed Facebook group that has been set up to provide support and guidance during admission and following discharge from Glangwili Hospital’s SCBU.
“We hope that it will form friendships between the parents where they can share stories, tips etc. We chose a closed Facebook group as it is difficult to get regular face to face meetings.
“In the coming year I hope to arrange group meetings by way of baby massage, regular tummy time sessions, Easter parties, summer picnics or a Christmas party.”
Melanie Rossiter (far right in photo) from Milford Haven attended the session with her three month old daughter Alice, born at 33 weeks at Glangwili Hospital: “The group has been really helpful. It’s been nice to meet up with people who were at the hospital the same time as us. I also didn’t understand the benefits of tummy time as much or that you can do it from an early age.”
The sessions are led by Angharad Eynon, Clinical Lead Paediatric Physiotherapist for Neonates and Acute who said: “We hope these sessions will encourage mums to do more tummy time with their little ones.
“Tummy time is very important to encourage the motor development of rolling, crawling and sitting. In this position a baby learns to take weight through their arms, push up and move weight from side to side which helps the baby to reach and crawl. As a baby gets stronger it provides a good position to learn to move and explore their surroundings.”
The next special care baby and parent support group meet up will be held in Aberaeron in February.
Please note these sessions are only for babies who have been cared for in SCBU at Glangwili Hospital and will be promoted via the Glangwili SCBU Parent Support Group on Facebook.