ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- COVID-19 has turned life upside down, but imagine being parents of a newborn baby who is in the NICU during this time of uncertainty? 

With the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak, many hospitals have restricted visitation, including Arnot Health. This can be particularly tough for families with babies in Arnot's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

"In the NICU, we're allowing parents to come for one visit a day, one parent. When babies are first born, if they're admitted to the NICU, parents are allowed to come initially for one visit time together. Then, throughout the hospitalization while their still an inpatient, they can come unlimited visitation, but only one at a time," says Maureen Walker, Clinical Coordinator of NICU and Pediatrics at Arnot Ogden Medical Center. 

Before entering the facility, staff checks each parent's temperature, and asks them a list of questions. The parent is then given a mask to wear during their visit. 

"We like them to come and stay for at least one whole feeding, if not two. But then once they leave the hospital, they can't come back until the following day," says Walker. 

Another option Arnot has added to their NICU, is using Facetime with your baby.

"Parents are allowed  to Facetime with their phones at the bedside. We typically don't allow cellphones at the bedside other than for snapping pictures, because cellphones tend to harbor a lot of germs. But we're allowing parents to put their phones into a zip lock bag  and actually Facetime by the bedside so that they can interact with their family while they're there," says Walker. 

Nurses and Physicians also have an iPad they can use to Facetime parents from home if they want to see their baby. For parents who don't have iPhones, Arnot says they have been able to take pictures of their babies and email them to parents.