1. Patrice Perez APN, IBCLC University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System

2.  Have the option of keeping their newborn infant at their bedside to continue bonding and breastfeeding.

3.  2500 Births per year  50 bed NICU  8 Labor Suites  2 OR’s in L/D  4 bed RR in L/D  Active MFM, OB, NICU,  Large active CNM service  Designated Children’s Hospital

4.  Moved to this building in 1981  Set up as a traditional observation/transitional nursery within the NICU with a separate staff.

5.  Decision to go to mother baby couplets driven by cost and staffing concerns as well as space considerations  NICU wanted to recover space for ICN  Couplet care resulted in cost savings

6.  Respite nursery created in a patient room on M/B  2 warmers, procedure table  Hearing tests, circs, labs, very limited care up to 2 hours  Infant care for normal NB with mother admitted to ICU, Psych, etc.

7.  Infant and mother recover in L/D  Couplet is transferred together to room on M/B  Infant is not removed from mother except for hearing test, possibly bath or labs if mother requests  All labs, photos, Peds visits, OB, Psych, consults, phototherapy done in couplet room

8.  Phase 3 of bedside bath study  Continue movement to exclusive un- separated recovery and discharge relative to Baby Friendly  Maternal Readmission within 6 weeks post partum has option to bring baby along to prevent separation. *Specific terms apply