Can they actually stop me

[Rosebel]

I've been in hospital with pregnancy problems since last Sunday. Had the baby on Wednesday and every day they say I can go home tomorrow but still can't.
They are waiting for a Covid result which might be tomorrow but probably not. This is for the baby not me.
The doctor said they can't let me go but I'm sick of being in hospital. Every day is a reason why I can't go home. Can they actually stop me leaving with my baby?

[slipperywhensparticus]

Yes sorry

[GabriellaMontez]

Is the baby well?

[Ginfordinner]

They are being cautious. Why would you risk your baby's health? A 13 day old baby died of corona virus last week, so I can see why they want to make sure your baby is OK.

Congratulations BTW

[userabcname]

I don't think you can take the baby if the baby hasn't been discharged? I don't know though. Postnatal wards are hell - you have my sympathy!

[SemperIdem]

Yes they can,if they have reason to believe the baby may be unwell. You are free to discharge yourself but not the baby.

[EatDessertFirst]

You can discharge yourself but I reckon they'll stop you taking baby until the discharge them.
My babies had electronic tags (to prevent them being taken off the ward) that had to be cut off etc. Is baby well? You should be patient as the trsts are clearly in babies best interests. They wouldn't do tests for no reason.

[CodenameVillanelle]

Of course you can take the baby even if it hasn't been discharged. Only a court order can prevent the mother discharging her baby.
However I would stick it out if I were you.

[GabriellaMontez]

If your baby is well I'd be informing them you are leaving at 1pm. Get picked up then.

Shes far more likely to catch something in hospital than at home.

My question is, is your baby well?

[wewillmeetagain]

Yes of course you can tell them you are leaving and taking the baby with you. They cannot stop you without a court order and are very very unlikely to bother with that over a Covid test!

[WinningEveryDay]

No they can't. But it would make sense to wait for results of the CV test.

[Rosebel]

Baby is fine the doctor has no concerns at all about his health. They stopped me leaving yesterday and said just one more night so I don't trust them anymore

[bubbleup]

I'd stay where I was until my baby was safe to leave. As decided by medical professionals.

[Yorkiee]

I was in the same situation. Ended up being there just over two weeks but those two weeks were the longest two weeks of my life! They kept saying yes you can go home and then came up with something and I couldnt go.

[Kidsaregrim]

Of course you can leave - it’s not a prison.

There is no cure and no treatment for a baby with Covid, even if the test is positive you would self isolate at home.

This information is based on your baby NOT being unwell.

I do not understand why they would be keeping you there any longer than necessary and potentially spreading the virus.

In this situation you need your midwife to advocate between you and the paediatrician, usually it is the SHO but if your not happy ask to see the registrar, once they are involved they normally override the over cautious SHO

[SkiddySkidz]

@Rosebel I can see you are in hell and unhappy. Having been on these unbearably hot and stuffy wards in the past myself I empathise with you. However you should not leave until you are discharged. Ask to speak to someone to give you a definite timescale of when you can leave. They are not treating you fairly xx

[JaniceWebster]

Good luck OP, these communal wards are hell on earth. I have no suggestion, but you are not unreasonable to want to escape.

[Monsterjam]

I discharged against medical advice after having my second, I was waiting on a medication I needed to start taking the next day, said I would send someone to collect from pharmacy later but they wanted me to stay until I had it and eventually on insisting (hrs and hrs later) I was allowed to go if I signed a form I was leaving against medical advice

[Teacher12345]

I think if I was you id be kicking up a fuss. If you are quietly seething you will end up staying put.
Demand a medical reason or you are leaving.

[Almostfifty]

I signed myself out three out of four times when I had my children. I was told by my health visitor that I had the right to take my child out of hospital and they couldn't stop me.

[jamandtonic]

I threw an asbolute wobbly and withdrew my consent for the hospital to treat my dd1. They had spent two days fannying around with paperwork, lost my records, kept saying they would get the paediatrician to sign her off, it was like waiting for Godot.

I got some scissors, cut the tag off and we left.

It really wasn't the experience of leaving hospital with a new baby that I had expected.

[CrowdedHouseinQuarantine]

i dont believe you have the right to take your child against medical advice.

[WinningEveryDay]

It's worrying that some people seem to think that having a child means the state can stop you from leaving a hospital without a court order..

[GabriellaMontez]

In that case just make arrangements to get picked up, then leave. Tell them you'll phone for results.

[Tulipstulips]

They can’t stop you leaving but they might make a referral to social services if you take the baby against medical advice. I doubt anything much would come of it if your baby is healthy, though.

[VeggieSausageRoll]

There must be more to it than this. Why are they keeping you both in? They can't get people home quick enough at the moment