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?

I would leave, OP.

Pack your bags and leave.

You won't get the consultant for this
You'll get the on call junior Dr and it will be way down their list after all the clinical issues for sick people
So honestly just take your own decision. Tell the nurse in charge you are leaving in eg 30mins and you'd like to sign the discharge against medical advice form.
If they have real concerns they will get a dr to you before you leave.

I suspect it is essentially bureaucracy. It will probably be that the community midwife won't be happy to visit unless you have a -ve Covid swab.
It's frankly all a bit silly you can get Covid whilst you are waiting for the result. A negative swab has quite a high false -ve rate. It's false reassurance. Everyone should be washing hands, restricting non-essential visits and wearing PPE anyway swab or no swab.
If you are happy to take that risk then crack on and discharge yourself.

You should state emphatically that you wish to discharge yourself and your baby today. They will tell you that you must stay. They'll eventually get you to sign a form stating that that they (doctor of some description) have explained the risks to you (and should outline the risks in the document) and you sign then if you're happy to leave.
I too hate hospital, so I can perfectly understand why you want to get home. It will be a way for you to get some answers at least, as to why they are keeping baby in - then you should in theory be able to make an informed decision as to whether you're willing to accept the risk.

In the circumstances you've described, I would be making arrangements to leave.

I can't believe how many people think a hospital has the right to take children away from their parents!

I am not sure they have 'lied' OP, as they have absolutely no reason to do this. Thought a result or some information was due imminently and it was delayed or the situation changed, maybe. In the nicest possible way, you sound paranoid about their intentions and it is a bit worrying how you are saying they are lying and you no longer trust them. What is it you think they are doing and why? I've never known the hospital to keep anyone in any longer than necessary to this extent when they are in perfect health.

If you are able, I suggest calming yourself as best as you are able, and asking to speak to the ward sister about the matter, or contacting PALS at the hospital and asking for their assistance. The situation sounds stressful and upsetting but really you need to find out the facts, and ask about self-discharge if that is what you want. They are not going to offer you it, you or your DH are going to need to advocate for yourselves and get to the bottom of the matter.

If it is simply about a covid test, and clearing the newborn then you can go home anyway. If covid is involved surely you would want to isolate for the designated time like everybody else is having to do, albeit you are unfortunate to be in hospital rather than at home for that.

Do it during daytime hours though as you've more of a chance to get the doctor to you - as the on-call registrar will be covering A&E and wards at night, but you might get a doc within a couple of hours during 9-5 or whatever standard hours they work. Try not to be hysterical or they'll note this down and could be used against you with social services. State that you have support from your husband, have other children to care for, feeding is established, jaundice has gone and you're confident that you are willing and able to seek admission for your baby should anything untoward happen.

Word of advice, if you're not discharged on a Friday, it's very hard to get discharged over the weekend.

Eh? Why would a hospital attempt to get a court order to stop a mum taking a baby home before Covid test results are through? Can you just think that scenario through?

Evidently you can't, if you think that's the only reason it might possibly happen. I'm conscious that OP might not have and if she does have might not be telling the full story, ie if there are other concerns. It would be worth her full consideration of this before making a decision.

Just ask for the head of midwifery and/or who is in overall charge of the hospital. Explain you have been messed around and would like to know why. As for specific reasons why your discharge has been delayed and what specifically is preventing your discharge now. Pack while you wait but make your departure official.

Op I get how demoralising it is, totally get it, I spent a full month in hospital after having my daughter, they kept telling me every few days I could go home, I’d pack my stuff up, call my husband say excitedly I was coming home the next day, and Then sit there all dressed on the edge of my bed waiting for the doctor to do his rounds And release me, only to tell me something else was wrong or I’d deteriorated and I had to stay or I’d be in a and e by that night,

I recall sitting in front of a fan in my room and the midwife coming in and asking what I was doing, I tried to say I was just warm. But she gently explained my temp wasn’t environmental and sitting in front of the fan wasn’t going to reduce it and I wasn’t going home, it was pointless.

Another time I saw the doctor approach and I heard her say “oh no, she desperately wants to go home, she’s sitting in there with her coat and shoes on”.

Just stay, honestly, just stay in the big scheme of things it’s a short period of time. They want you there for a reason they don’t hold you in hospital for nothing,

It’s awful,I get it, but just stay. They want you there for you and your babies benefit, not to piss you off.

I think I would wait for the results. Though I understad. And no, I don't think they can stop you if the baby is otherwise well and its just a covid test.

MInd me saying I think I would wait. Slightly different situation as apparently baby was ready to go but they wanted me to stay in for observation after a huge bleed. But, this turned into 3 days. Each day I was told I would be discharged. 4th day I ask, was told discharge by 12. 1pm, ask again 'oh we are keeping you for another night I think;'. At which stage I gathered everything and left. I felt fine. Tsts were coming back fine. They wouldn't tell me anything besides they wanted to watch me. Multiple staff had expressed shock that I was still thre, including the one who had looked after me immediately post birth and was there for the hge bleed. So yeah. I can advise caution, but don't seem to follow that myself! I don't think I would have walked out if they said they were observing baby though, as its a bit different. Its odd that a covid test has taken this long actually..a fried of mine had one a few days back and results were there next day.

I doubt that they deliberately "lied".

Try not to be hysterical or they'll note this down and could be used against you with social services

Don’t be ridiculous.

It costs a lot of money to keep you in hospital, they wouldn't waste a bed if they didn't think it was important.

I discharged myself after one of the night nurses told me my baby was ugly, que me spiralling into deep pnd.

No one lied. Why would they?
It will be cock up not conspiracy

It was Friday. The results either were not back because less tests are done on a weekend or even worse they are there and no-one has checked them/ has the authority or interest to discharge you at a weekend.

News flash: There are less staff to do routine tasks in a hospital at a weekend. Unless you are a) actually sick or b) they need the bed your discharge is a low priority for random on call Drs.

The time I discharged myself it was the Saturday of a bank holiday weekend and I knew that literally nothing important would happen until the Tuesday so I took myself home.

Nothing today but my sympathy as Iknow how terrible those wards can be. Just be patient and you'll be home soon x

Captain- you'd think so but basically on a weekend if the hospital isn't full no-one is fussed about a routine discharge just to save money

When I had a twin in hospital it was agreed I could go home the same day. We were waiting and waiting with his twin brother (who was technically a visitor as born at home) and with their father and 2 other siblings. It got to about 8[m and we said we would be discharging ourselves unless they found the doctor to sign us out. We were just getting coats on when a doctor rushed in. We had a legal right to leave.

|However the Coronavirus Act 2020 is one of our greatest breaches of civil liberties ever so they can probably lock you up for life without cause under that one and in these times. I would still just say you are going and see if they bother to get a court order to stop you.

Why would they keep you another week if you are not discharged tomorrow?

I agree that discharges are low on the priority list. Posters have it the wrong way round and have obviously never kept hanging around or in an extra day because paperwork wasn't done. I couldn't go home one time because my meds weren't written up.

Also, what is the point of a test, when the baby is in a hospital setting and could have got infected by the person doing the test, or since the test?

It isn't best for the baby, or anyone to be in a hospital setting. Babies and children, as well as adults aren't being admitted to hospital just because they test positive.

Best practice is transparency. It isn't a possible Covid result that is keeping the baby in.

So they want you to stay in until they get a test result back & don't know for sure when that will be?

So they haven't lied & you do know why they want you to stay?

I'd leave with your baby.

I'd leave too!

They cannot stop you. If you're happy to go and you're both ok. Just go