How long on average do people stay in hospital after childbirth?

[macdat]

If everything goes well and there are no complications, how long do mother and baby usually stay? Is it just a 24 hour stay? Do some people not even stay overnight?

[dementedpixie]

My sister got out same day but it was Christmas Eve! I was in for 5 days with dd and 3 with ds as there were slight complications with both (jaundice for dd and suspected heart murmur with ds)

[gunting]

I gave birth at 5.55am and left the hospital 7 hrs later

[Thelwell]

Depends. I had lots of complications and was in over a week....9 days I think?

[eckythumpenallthat]

The MLU where I intended to have DD they discharge in 6 ish hours. Unless you had your baby late in the day and you get to stop overnight. This was music to my ears. (I got the complete opposite delivery at main hospital complications and a week stay.)

[Xmasbaby11]

I stayed in a week with dd1 because of feeding issues - she lost a lot if weight.

Dd2 was elcs and only in for 2 nights.

[DragonboysMum]

I was home less than 6 hours after having DS3. Would have been sooner had I not had to wait for shift changeover!

[Awks]

Gave birth early evening and wanted to go home that night but there wasn't a dr to discharge me so I had my coat on and was discharged by 10 am the following morning. That was far too long in there if truthful.

[NickMarlow]

I was in for 3 nights after my elcs (and 10 before, but that's another story!)

My sister gave birth at 5pm and was home by 10pm.

[LBOCS2]

I was kept in for 36 hrs after having DD - theoretically to monitor my BP (preeclampsia related) but as it was only checked twice during the time I was there I decided I'd be better off at home so kicked up a fuss and they let me out.

This time around I'm doing everything I can to avoid being kept in. I'm trying not to set foot in a hospital...

[TeaandHobnobs]

DS was in for much longer (prem baby), but I was discharged after 48 hrs (I'd had an epidural).
DD, they'd have happily discharged me from the delivery suite after about 3 hours, as I convinced them I was supported at home, etc. But we actually went to postnatal anyway, as DD was born with the cord wrapped three times around her neck and was a bit grunty at first, which DH and I were both concerned about, so they transferred us to postnatal so she could be checked out. We were discharged 12 hours after birth.

[Roomba]

I was in for 14 nights after DS1 - but both he and I had complications. DS2, I was out in 48 hours (both were caesarian sections).

Friends of mine that have had vaginal births have been pretty varied - some in for about 6 hours then straight home, most have been in for one night (I guess it depends what time you deliver too). Friends who have had complications or things like forceps delivery have been in for 2 or 3 days.

LBOCS2 I'm quite shocked they only checked your BP twice in that time! I had the same but they insisted on checking my BP every 4 hours for 10 days - even after I begged them to stop waking me up to check me.

[Cherryberry1]

We left the birth centre 4 or 5 hours after I gave birth. This was just fine for us. DS was born just before 0500.

My sister had my nephew just after 0100 on a labour ward and they stayed overnight. They were discharged in the morning.

[happyis]

It all depends on the hospital protocols, staffing and how busy the unit is.

ds1 induced with syntocsin drip and epidural, born at 3.40am. Discharged at 6pm but that was because computers were down so I couldn't be discharged any earlier. I also had to be seen breastfeeding before I could leave.

DS2 induced without syntocsin or any pain relief! Born 9pm, I was asked if I wanted to go home or stay the night! I chose to stay (was about 11pm by then) discharged at 10am but only because I was a 2nd time mum and I had to return following day for DS to have his peadetrician checks. He was 14th!!!! In line which would of meant staying most of the day to be seen.

[adagio]

First child - arrived at 10:30am (6cm), baby at 4pm, home by about 6:30pm. Second one - in at 1:40am (5cm), baby at 2:30am, home by 6am.

I do live near the hospital though so pointed out I could be back in 10 mins if I needed them, and I was very keen to get out and had entirely unmedicated birth's with healthy babies (high apgar) which helped I am sure.

My first then lost a lot of weight in the first week so we had lots of extra weigh ins and breastfeeding support etc at home - suspect if we had of stayed in they may have been keen to keep us until the weight was back up, but as i was already home I stayed there and they supported me 'in the community' (different bunch of midwifes I think).

[foxy6]

depends on how everything goes
dd1 - 2 days, it was my first
ds1 - the next day and i was induced
ds2 - same day, he was born early hours and we went home in the afternoon
ds3 - next day, he was born late afternoon
dd2 - 2 days, it was a quick labour, half hour and she had pooped so they wanted to keep an eye on her.
ds4 - didn't even make it to the hospital

[LBOCS2]

I know Roomba - it was terrible postnatal care; as I pointed out to them when i was kicking up a fuss - if I'd had a fit at home at least DH would have been there and spotted it, they just left me in a closed cubicle for hours on end and anything could have happened!

[MintChocAddict]

DC1 He was in for a few weeks as pre-term. They let me stay for a week to be close to him as they weren't as busy as usual and had a bed available.
With DC2 was 3 days - forceps delivery

Think it very much depends on demand for beds and how eager you are to get home.

[Terramirabilis]

2 days. It was 2 rather than one because of hypothetical group b strep infection since I went so overdue that my test results were out of date. It would have been one otherwise. To be honest, given that I had my own room where DH could stay (USA) and food on tap, why would I have wanted to leave any earlier? Much easier being in hospital!

[Runningupthathill82]

I was in two days with DS (long and difficult birth) but home within four hours with DD (textbook water birth).
Went straight home from the MLU, didn't make it onto the ward.

[anklebitersmum]

macdat It massively depends. I was in a week with dc1, 24hrs with dc2, 8hrs with dc3 and at home eating breakfast 3hrs after giving birth to dc4.

Take a tip from an old hand..don't rush to 'escape' the hospital with your first!

[JellyBaby26]

My friend arrived in hospital last night at 17:50, baby out at 18:55 and home at 21:30!

I have never heard of anyone being in and out so quickly!

[YerAWizardHarry]

In 3 days before (induction, failure to progress past 7cm despite 28hrs on syntocin, EMCs) and home 48hrs after. We are a 5min drive/20min walk from the hospital though

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

4 nights altogether (including induction) with DS1; and 4 for Ds2, also including induction.

It felt like an extra night with DS1 after he was born, because he was born at 2am on the 2nd night I was there; whereas DS2 was born about 5 in the afternoon and the induction proper had started at 7am that day, so I'd had 2 clear nights in prior to the main event.

[CordeliaScott]

I gave birth at 2:45am and left the hospital about 3 hours later at 6am. I had stitches but nothing major. I just had to wait for the midwife to check DD over, DD to drink some milk and me to have a wee. After that I could go. I think it would have been a little longer if I had had an epidural