A healthy start in your newborn’s life begins with looking after yourself. Simple steps and certain lifestyle choices may reduce the likelihood of a preterm birth and other complications during your pregnancy and for your baby. However, even when you make all the right choices, unexpected things can still happen that are not related to your lifestyle. The most important thing to remember is that there is support and information to help you through it.

Seeking high-quality care before and during your pregnancy, called antenatal care, is another important step you can take to lower the chances of your baby being born too soon or sick. Also, gathering reliable and accurate information as well as practical advice on preparing for possible admission to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can help ease your concerns, along with understanding the delivery process of a baby, including the options of vaginal delivery⍰ or caesarean section⍰. Additionally, the most common complications treated in a NICU are summarised to give you some insights into what might be happening to your baby at the neonatal care unit.