Premmie baby Finley thriving in Caboolture Hospital’s new Neonatal Unit

Caboolture parents Clare and Josh are feeling incredibly grateful to be closer to home with their newborn son after months of travelling back and forth to Brisbane.

Baby Finley Maximus was born at just 29 weeks on 28 July at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH), after Clare went into early labour.

Finley spent more than six weeks receiving respiratory support on CPAP and a further three weeks on high-flow oxygen as his lungs continued to develop.

Last week, he was transferred to Caboolture Hospital’s new Neonatal Unit rooming-in rooms, bringing him just around the corner from home.

“We don’t have family here, they’re all in Sydney – so it’s just us. To now have support so close to home means everything,” Clare said.

Finley’s arrival in the new unit comes shortly after a significant milestone for the Caboolture Hospital community.

On 14 October, Caboolture Hospital officially opened its new Neonatal Unit (NNU) — now four times the footprint of the previous facility and purpose-built to provide specialised care for unwell and premature babies.

The upgraded unit features:

• Three single isolation rooms for enhanced infection control and privacy
  • A state-of-the-art procedure room equipped with the latest technology
  • Switchable privacy glass between high-dependency bays and isolation rooms
  • A dedicated reception and family waiting area
  • Two new rooming-in rooms to support step-down care and bonding
  • Updated medical equipment
  • Space designed to promote family-centred care, allowing parents to stay close to their newborns

Finley’s move back to Caboolture has supported a new stage of his care – transitioning off high-flow oxygen and beginning breastfeeding.

“Establishing feeds has been hard, so we are grateful to be here,” Clare said.

“The nurses are amazing and right there when we need them. Even when I called at 5am for help to get him to latch and they had so many tips and tricks.”

Transferring Finley to Caboolture NNU has also eased the pressure on the family significantly.

“My car was broken, so I was getting public transport between Caboolture and Brisbane every day,” Clare said.

“Finley’s dad was struggling to see him due to work commitments, but now that he is here, he can see him a lot more.”

Finley is due to go home in a couple of days, where their yellow lab, Peanut, is eagerly waiting for his new baby brother to come home.