The Cuddle Cot

The CuddleCot device is offered to grieving parents so that they may spend extra time with their baby after they have died. 

The CuddleCot keeps baby cool, allowing families the time to keep their baby close, create cherished memories, facilitate family visits, and provides time to make important arrangements without feeling hurried.

Each family will have slightly different wishes and will want their baby with them for different periods of time. On average, the CuddleCot is used for 2 to 5 days, but we believe any decision should always be family led, supported by health professionals.

The CuddleCot gently cools baby and helps to slow down the natural changes that occur after death. The baby is gently laid on the CuddleCot cooling pad; both the baby and the mat are then wrapped in a blanket so that parents can comfortably and confidently hold their baby, without fear of temperature fluctuations. 

No, the CuddleCot moves distilled water around the cooling pad to gently cool baby to a temperature that won’t harm them. Parents can comfortably hold their baby when they are wrapped with the CuddleCot pad and blanket. Ask your healthcare professional how to do this. They can find training on the CuddleCot website.

Firstly, there is no right or wrong way to spend this precious time with your baby. It is entirely a unique decision and an individual choice made by each family.

• This time is all about building connection and making memories. Some families choose to use the time to bathe and dress their baby in a favourite outfit, take foot and handprints, read stories to their baby, play music to their baby, and to take family photographs and videos of themselves and family with baby.

You can find ideas for memory making in our Family Support pages.

Speak to your healthcare professional about the options available to you.

• Some families choose to invite family and friends to meet their baby, for example grandparents and siblings; building connections with their wider family.
• The gift of time can also be useful in allowing parents to recover from the labour and birth process, effects of medication and exhaustion.
• Many parents use this time to make decisions about investigations and start to make some funeral care arrangements. Parents find comfort in keeping their baby close to them, in their room rather than their baby being cared for in a mortuary.

Yes, the CuddleCot makes a low humming noise as it keeps the pad cool, like a desk fan. (Do not cover the CuddleCot machine or vents).

Unlike a traditional cold cot, the CuddleCot enables families to hold their baby in their arms without compromising baby’s condition and causing fluctuations in temperature.

The CuddleCot works by keeping baby cool to preserve their condition, whilst not too cool that the parents can’t hold baby. 

When a baby is taken out of a cold cot, their body temperature can be affected. This may affect how the baby looks and can cause a change to their overall appearance. This can shorten the length of time families spend with their baby as parents find these changes distressing. 

To talk to a counsellor for free, or to find further resources and organisations who can help you, visit the CuddleCot site.

This is what the CuddleCot looks like with the system set up so you know what to expect. You can see it is discreet and can be used in any cot or bed. It also enables families to take baby home without worrying about temperature fluctuations

For further information, please visit the CuddleCot website.