2023 CuddleCot

Purchased through funds raised by five NICU mothers of twins.

These mums walked 718km to raise money for the Canterbury Neonatal Unit Trust Fund to say thank you. Jasmine, Janina, Tania, Catherine & Samantha, all met in the Christchurch Neonatal Unit in 2021 where all 10 babies were being cared for. They decided to walk 2km for every day their babies were in the NICU (a total of 359 days) to raise money for important equipment needed by the unit. They raised a total of $7186.

The Trust spoke with the mums about using some of the money to purchase a cuddlecot and they were happy that it would be beneficial in caring for those babies that died and help the families.

CuddleCot - A major way that hospitals can improve their services is to provide bereaved parents with the option of spending time with their baby. Providing families time is internationally encouraged by midwives, bereavement practitioners, stillbirth/neonatal charities and academics. This time allows the family to form an important bond with their baby, whether changing a diaper, dressing the baby or simply just staying close and can help families in dealing with their loss. However, in a warm room, the baby’s condition can deteriorate quickly, which parents often find distressing. Therefore, cooling the baby is absolutely essential, as many parents do not want the trauma of being separated from their baby when taken to a mortuary before it is necessary.