Mother holding baby skin-to-skin in the NICU.

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Level IV)

Swedish First Hill Campus
747 Broadway, Seattle, WA 98122
958.2 miles away
206-386-6000
206-386-6000
24 hours a day, seven days a week

Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (Level IV)

Swedish First Hill Campus
24 hours a day, seven days a week

Our Approach

Our First Hill campus is one of the few hospitals in the Northwest to offer a Level I through IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). First Hill is equipped to care for newborns who need minimal monitoring or the sickest and most premature of infants. In fact, more than 800 newborns receive care here every year. The Small Baby Unit also focuses on delivering evidence-based, standardized care for the smallest and most vulnerable babies.

If you already know you are at risk for having a premature baby or other complications, plan ahead to deliver at Swedish First Hill, where the Level IV NICU would be just down the hall from your birthing suite. 

If your baby is born at another Swedish birth center and needs special care, they’ll be brought to the Level IV NICU at First Hill in an ambulance designed and equipped just for babies. At our First Hill NICU, a team of pediatric surgical and medical specialists is available 24/7 to collaborate on your baby’s care.

Conditions Treated

Our teams are equipped to care for:

  • Premature and low-birth-weight infants
  • Breathing difficulties or respiratory conditions
  • Cardiac monitoring or surgical support
  • Infections, genetic conditions or neurological concerns
  • Newborns transferred from other locations
  • Infants needing palliative or comfort-centered care

How We Care for Your Baby and Your Family

When your newborn needs intensive care, the quality of that care — and the support around your family — makes all the difference. Here's what you can expect from our NICU teams.

Level IV is the highest NICU designation recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics. While all Providence Swedish NICUs provide Level II care and above, Providence Swedish First Hill holds a Level IV designation — one of the few health systems in Western Washington that does. This means our team is prepared to care for the full spectrum of newborn needs, from routine monitoring to the most complex surgical and critical cases. If your baby is born at another hospital and needs a higher level of care, our dedicated neonatal transport team — with a baby ambulance designed and equipped specifically for newborns — will bring your baby to us safely.

Our Small Baby Unit at Providence Swedish First Hill provides specialized care for infants born at less than 30 weeks of gestation or weighing under three pounds. We go beyond standard NICU protocols to meet the unique needs of our most fragile newborns, with a quiet, dark environment that promotes neurological development, careful guidelines on touch to avoid overstimulation, and respiratory care protocols designed to support lung function. Family involvement is central to our approach, with skin-to-skin care, feeding and diaper changes encouraged from early on to promote positive health outcomes for your baby.

We believe parents are essential members of the care team. From your first hours in the NICU, our nurses and pediatric therapists will guide you through holding, feeding and caring for your baby. Skin-to-skin contact is encouraged when medically appropriate. We know parents want to be as close as possible to their baby, so we have sleep rooms available for parents during their baby’s NICU stay. As your baby grows stronger, your involvement increases, so that by discharge, you feel prepared and confident to bring your baby home.

A NICU stay affects everyone. Our social workers connect families to financial assistance, lodging and counseling. Chaplains provide non-denominational spiritual support. Child life specialists help older siblings understand and cope with what's happening. And for families facing the most difficult outcomes, our palliative care team provides comfort-centered support for medically fragile babies and their families. We also offer additional resources — including parents’ groups, lactation help and counseling — during and after your stay.

Before your baby is discharged, our team will walk you through everything you need to know, including your baby's care plan, feeding, any medications and what to watch for at home. If your baby needs ongoing specialty care, we'll coordinate with our pediatric specialists and therapist to make sure the right follow-up is in place before you leave. You can also hire a postpartum doula to help with feeding, newborn care and sleep adjustments in your own home.

Mother holding her baby boy in the nursery room
Pediatric Specialty Care

Specialized Care That Grows With Your Child

For NICU graduates and infants with ongoing medical needs, care doesn't end at discharge. That's why we've built a full network of board-certified pediatric specialists, all focused on one goal: helping your child thrive and your family feel supported every step of the way.

From orthopedic surgeons to nutritionists, our specialists work together, using the most advanced treatments and technology available, to deliver coordinated, compassionate care close to home.

Learn More About Pediatric Specialty Care

Recognition

Award Logo for U.S. News & World Report - Best Hospitals in Obstetrics and Gynecology (2026-27)

U.S. News & World Report - Best Hospitals in Obstetrics and Gynecology (2026-27)

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Frequently Asked Questions

Most insurance plans that offer maternity benefits include well-baby care under the mother’s plan for the first 30 days following birth. We recommend contacting your insurance provider directly for more information. If you receive your insurance coverage through your employer, you can also check with your human resources department.

Every baby's NICU stay is different, and there's no single answer. Their length of stay depends on your baby's gestational age, birth weight, diagnosis and how they respond to treatment. As a general guide, many premature babies stay in the NICU until close to their original due date, but that timeline can change as your baby grows and develops. Your care team will give you the most accurate picture of what to expect and will keep you informed as your baby's condition evolves.

Breastfeeding and breast milk are encouraged in the NICU whenever possible, as they provide important benefits for premature and medically fragile infants. Depending on your baby's gestational age and medical condition, direct breastfeeding may not be possible right away but pumping and providing breast milk can often begin early. Our lactation consultants and NICU nurses will work with you to support feeding in whatever way is appropriate for you and for your baby's stage of development.

Some NICU graduates do need ongoing specialty care after discharge, depending on their diagnosis and how their development progresses. Before your baby goes home, our team will coordinate any necessary follow-up with pediatric specialists and make sure the right care plan is in place. If your baby was born with a known condition, we'll connect you with the right specialists before discharge, so there are no gaps in their care.