How long did you stay in hospital after giving birth?

[NewbieToThis]

Posting here for traffic.

just curious how long were in you hospital after having your baby? What was your experience of care on the postnatal ward? Were you happy with the length of time you were in for? Did your baby settle on the ward? Did you get support at home if you had a difficult birth or you were a first time mum

1st I was induced, born at 8pm released next day at 12pm once they removed catheter
2nd I was induced and out around 3 to 4 hours after birth.

First time: about 16 hours from arrival (12 hours after birth) Stayed in birthing centre room until going home.
Second time: about 9 hours from arrival (7 hours after birth). Again, stayed in one room the whole time.

It was a good few years ago so 5 days minimum. No complications especially. My sister lived elsewhere in the uk and was in for 10 days each time (NHS!) .

I know every country has outrageous things about their health care systems that need to be fixed. But I’m shocked that in the UK, women get put in a room with three other women (and their male partners hanging around). I wasn’t aware of that until reading this thread. You’ve literally got post-birth blood clots sliding out of your vagina, and you’re in a room where men you’ve never seen before are coming and going? When you’re doing things like rubbing in nipple cream and having nurses look at C-section incisions just above your pubic areas? Am I understanding this correctly?!

I had two C-sections and was hospitalized for roughly four days each time.

I had pre eclampsia, I was in for 5 days before and 7 after. Their care of DC was excellent but just about everything about my care was a fail. On the night of the delivery, scheduled emergency general anaesthetic delivery, they failed to give drugs in time to stop me begin fitting. During the run up they had someone else’s notes tucked in mine and kept asking if I was A Rhesus Neg (I’m A Rhesus Pos). This failure to believe me seemed to stem from an attitude that treated me like I was stupid not unwell. The staff treating me like that were all women, so not sexism. Several pages of the notes documenting my care that evening went missing. After the birth, I was properly delirious on the delivery ward and it was mostly my DH looking after me. The caesarean wound indurated, they just gave me dressings and moaned when I bled through them and needed more. I didn’t get to see my baby for nearly a day after he was born. They broke my tooth on the operating table and complained when I had to go to dentist one day rather than sit at DC’s side in Special Care.

There was an internal enquiry into failures that night in Delivery.

Care after getting home was good in general though

1985.. would you believe it was 10 days? Nothing wrong with me except l wasn't married... we had been together 11 years. Had our own home ( yes no mortgage inherited from his Grandparents).. he was a lecturer at a university.. great income.. l had my Mum.. his Mum for support..
It was a metarnity hospital only.. good birth..11 hours.. 6 pound girl.. managed with just gas and air.. episiotomy.. breast fed exclusively and only baby to put on any weight... and l was classed as a single parent because we wasn't married.. and they had to keep me in 10 days to make sure l could cope.

1993. Second daughter.. 5 hour labour.. 6.pound 13.. Big hospital with metarnity unit. Gas and air only.. no episiotomy. .. still not married.. sent home 6 hours later. Honestly couldn't make it up.

6 days with DC1 but it was me that was kept in, obviously DC stayed with me. I didn’t have a very good time. The ‘caring’ aspect of hospital really doesn’t exist anymore. It’s more that you’re a piece of machinery that needs fixing, my experiences and interactions were all very matter of fact and perfunctory.

DC2 was born at home with a private midwife.

Ds 14 years ago was an emergency section on admission both of us stayed for 2 days although 4 days was standard then. The care was great midwives had the time and staffing level back then to be very hands on with first time mums showing you how to bathe and dress your baby etc but not a huge amount of breastfeeding support.

Dd 3 months ago born at 33 weeks. I was scanned bi weekly from 20 weeks and I was admitted 2 weeks prior to delivery due to static growth and intermittent absence of flow. Once admitted I had ctg every 6 hours and scanned every second day until delivery. Dd born at 2lb 13 by section and transferred to nicu unit where she stayed for 4 weeks her care was fantastic. I haemorrhaged a few hours after delivery and the doctors and nurses took excellent care of me. I was then given a private room back on the ward as I was returning without a baby which I thought was very considerate. My only gripe would be that I was discharged 24 hours after delivery and I felt this was far too quickly all things considered. Breastfeeding support was fantastic and a great deal of care and support was given to me from the first hint of any issues with my pregnancy at 20 weeks and right through my DD NICU stay.

Went in at 10am, DD was born at 1pm and we were back home at 4:30pm. Hospital an hours drive away from home.

First baby and she was 1 day off being classed as premature. I'd worked the full day the day before, had 3 weeks holiday to use before my maternity leave even started.

I vividly remember me & DH sitting on the sofa when we got back and him turning to me and say "what the hell do we do?"

When I think about it now it's absolute madness that we were sent home so quickly.

During Covid, gave birth by planned c-section, was supposed to get home after 24 hours but they kept us another night.
Postnatal ward was awful, I never had the courage to complain but it was such a shock to the system. Uncaring midwives and other staff, crowded ward, snoring and crying patients, awful breastfeeding support, health assistant sneering when asking for help with latch or to move baby, not enough pain relief.

The giving birth experience was great, theatre staff excellent, it was postnatal that still makes me shudder. In hindsight I should have discharged myself but as a first time mum on very little sleep I didn’t have the strength. DH was allowed in one hour per day, there were nowhere near enough staff. There was one healthcare assistant who was lovely, and one particular midwife who was absolutely a bitch. Most of the rest were either not nice or indifferent. One was very incompetent with the most basic tasks.
I would love to have another DC. Just not at that hospital (although not much choice locally).

Edited to add antenatal care was really good, worlds apart from postnatal. We had issues in pregnancy that were dealt with so well. Maybe in postnatal they think you have your baby now so just be happy about that.

7 nights with DS1 as i had a 3rd degree tear and they wanted me to have a bowel movement before I went home! I was desperate to get home but I think the fear stopped me going to the loo!

Care n the ward.following the birth varied greatly depending on shifts. Some staff spent most of their time in the desk bit and the impression I got was that patients were a bit of an inconvenience to them.
Care at the actual birth was fine, and the midwife who was present stayed beyond her shift to accompany me up to theatre to be fixed up. We had to wait until the consultant started his shift and she stayed with me for an hour so I wasn't alone. Lovely woman and extremely kind.
Back on the ward, I was scared to ask for assistance with breast feeding and when i eventually did the nurse did a massive huff and stomped back to my bed with me forced DS on to me and told me do it myself next time really gruffly Nd turned her back and walked baxk to her toast and tea . Which obviously yes I wanted to do!

I also had nothing to eat at all for nearly 24hrs as no one told me that I had to walk the length of the ward at a set time and collect food. I eventually thought to ask, and I just felt really stupid and was in a bit of a brain fog after the birth and struggling a bit to walk .

I duly went the next set time and i cant remember what was the last thing left was only that it was awful. I looked around and saw the staff all tucking into food that looked marginally better from the trolley.

This was the Queen Mums in Glasgow. Toilets were filthy , same dried blood on cubicle doors all week. I watched housekeepers mopping ward floors with those string mops that must have been weeks old and black and left a mouldy smell where ever they wiped. Ward was freezing. High ceilings and no heat. Again , at night the nurses were very unapproachable and I should have asked for a blanket rather than shivering with the cold. Bit for some reason I just felt like a fool. So glad it was closed when I had DS2.

My dear Mum who was a retired nursing sister , and then later a nurse tutor at the Royal College of Nursing was horrified at literally every standard of care and cleanliness .

I had exemplary care and kindness in the Southern General.with DS2 Out in 36 hours too.

Sorry that was a rant that came form nowhere! I don't think I have ever thought about this in detail and blocked a lot out!

I was discharged to go home from the delivery suite in less than 24 hours. First baby so didn’t know any different.

Went in Saturday 2am for induction.

Induction progressed too slowly. I had in my head I’d give it two days (48 hours) before stopping as I knew mentally I wouldn’t cope.

Had c section on the Monday. Then home Friday lunch time.

Postnatal ward care was awful. I’d ask for pain meds and it would take two hours to get them. It would be a very long time that buzzers were answered too and normally just an assistant would turn up and have to relay the message onto the midwife which took ages.

Also no support given for breast feeding. I asked but the midwives just said later they’d help but never would.

We were supposed to be discharged the Thursday but we were forgotten about. I think we were far too passive as others around us seemed to put a lot of pressure on midwives to go home or do as they requested. Next time I know to be a bit more pushy.

Dc1 - born at home
Dc2 - arrived at hospital 11am, baby born 12:30pm, home at 3pm
Dc3 - arrived at hospital 8am, baby born at 10:46pm, home at 1am
Dc4 - arrived at hospital Saturday morning, baby born monday morning, me home Thursday morning, baby home aged 4 weeks. First experience of the postnatal ward. On main ward with no baby and no dh as he is at home with other dc. Patient in bed opposite's mum loudly talking about why she thinks my baby isn't there. Children not allowed on postnatal ward in morning, only from 2-4 and 5-7. Midwives kindly let 2 year old dc3 in for a few minutes in morning as we usually go to neonatal unit then anyway. I struggle a lot with carrying food trays, sterilizing bottles, walking to neonatal unit etc after c-section which you have to do yourself as soon as catheter is out.
Dc5 - arrived at hospital Thursday morning, baby born early hours of friday, in hdu until Saturday evening, home following Friday evening. Baby in neonatal unit until Wednesday morning, then on postnatal ward with me. I am thankfully in side room next to kitchen while baby is in neonatal and then on the main ward. Main struggle was showering as not allowed to take baby into shower room but also not allowed to leave baby on ward. Am told to wait for visitors, then shower but when Dh is only able to visit once a day for 10 minutes with 4 dc under 8 in tow this is impossible. Ward clerk takes pity on me and has baby asleep in for next to her desk a couple of times. Other difficult thing is we are stuck between a rock and a hard place with ds being allowed to leave neonatal. Postnatal ward won't take him with a feeding tube in. Feeding tube can't come out until breastfeeding established. I am struggling to be in neonatal unit for all feeds and also being on postnatal ward for meals and painkillers. Postnatal ward want to discharge me and I end up crying because I am struggling to breastfeed him when we are in different wards and it's going to be harder if I am home and he is at the hospital. Eventually, nice neonatal ward sister takes pity on me and wheels ds up to postnatal ward for every feed for 12 hours. He breastfeeds brilliantly so tube is taken out and he can join me on postnatal ward.

1st baby - 3 nights (back in 2004). It was a lovely, tiny, cottage hospital, everyone had their own rooms with nice furniture, a farmhouse kitchen for meals and nice food to choose from. Also the weather was grim and it was nice and cosy there. Basically I stayed as long as possible so I didn’t have to go home (to my caravan) and fend for myself 😂. But they kicked me out after the third night.

2nd baby - different hospital - 5 hours and that’s only because it took that long to get the doctor to check the baby. By that time the NHS was very much about turfing you out asap if no issues, but that wasn’t a problem because I didn’t want to stay there.

3 days with no1
2 and 3 were home deliveries
4 and 5 (twins) I left after 2 hours.

It’s been awhile but I spent 2 nights with all 3 kids. Straightforward births.

Care was amazing. We even had a “celebratory” dinner delivered complete with wine! Not sure if they still do that.

I’m in the US so I always had a private room/bathroom. That’s pretty typical for childbirth.

First (only) time mum. Vague labour twinges started Saturday afternoon, waited until Sunday lunchtime when 6 mins apart and getting uncomfortable.

Ds born 7.50 Monday morning after a tough labour that resulted in loss of heartbeat and intervention to get him out fast. He's fine.

Came round & moved to post-natal ward at 3pm.

Was told I could go home Thursday morning, only to have ex say he had a business meeting and I would have to wait ! Me & ward sister deeply unimpressed but ex finally collected me Friday morning. So four days in hospital after ds was born. The care was good, we spent the extra day practising breast feeding & sleeping a lot, and I'm still glad they let me stay in. I didn't notice any noise. I was very tired.

No support at home at all. Ex's behaviour at hospital was the beginning of control & abuse. Ds & I left when ds was two.

All good now 🙂It's a long time ago.

I recently had a baby in Melbourne, Australia.

I arrived in labour on the Monday and left on Sunday, so 6 nights. Spontaneous labour and vaginal birth, no epidural, but a complication after birth - a post partum hemorrhage.

It was a lovely private hospital with my own room, with a double bed for my husband to be able to stay. Midwives were on call for help with anything, as well as lactation consultants for women choosing to breastfeed and pelvic floor physiotherapists who visit with you in the room. Midwives provided private mini “lessons” or demonstrations like bathing, swaddling, burping, settling, etc. Midwives were also able to bring fresh pads with ice/frozen pads every few hours as needed - especially welcome after a tear/episiotomy.

Having lactation consultants available to sit with me and support me through feeds really helped me establish breastfeeding - my milk was slow to come in due to the PPH so I was given a mixed feeding plan which involved a mixture of breast, bottle and using the hospital pumping equipment, but by the time I was discharged their support meant I was exclusively breastfeeding.

Here a 5-6 day stay is very normal for women giving birth in private hospitals. I am absolutely appalled that women elsewhere don’t have the option of staying longer and found that having professional support was so important in helping me bond with my baby and feel confident in caring for her.

There’s extensive support available in the community following birth - through my private obstetrician’s practice and additionally with community maternal child health nurses with set appointments and then you’re free to request as many additional appointments as needed.

Public hospitals offer adequate care as well, but with shorter stays and shared rooms but it is completely free of charge (except maybe hospital parking). From what I’m reading about birth in NHS hospitals even the public system in Australia is miles ahead of the NHS. I think it’s a disgrace the way some women are treated and we should all be pushing for longer and more supportive hospital stays for all new mothers.

First - 5 days. Had emergency c section and sepsis plus complications like bladder shock (couldn't pee. Had to have catheter out back in twice)

Second - 3 days. Planned section. Only kept in as gas build up in abdomen was initially feared to be a more serious complication

Both times post natal ward was hell.
For some reason a couple of dads were allowed to stay overnight.

One was a local obnoxious businessman who snored all night and started running his business from his wife's bedside at 6am.

Pair of them talking at 2am made no attempt at keeping voices down.

Ended up having to get midwives involved

In US both children 24 hours. Private room, wanted home after second to see my first baby.

Gave birth at 4am, on ward at 7am. No complications etc. The ward was busy and communication was terrible. I didn't understand why I had to be there as it wasn't explained we won't discharge you until x, y and z. I hated it (it was during Covid so husband could only stay a couple of hours) I got so worked up I discharged myself in the evening.

Looking back, I should have stayed but like I said, the communication was awful so didn't see why I'd stay if I could be at home. My birth was a positive experience so I was upset about what happened next as I had no idea what to expect, I just seemed to by lying/sitting there while someone occasionally took some stats but didn't tell me whether they were normal etc or what the purpose was. I didn't know it was okay to leave baby while I went for a wee (I know that sounds silly but it was a busy ward) Just lots of silly things like that that all added up and made me want to get out.

I completely agree it’s crazy to me that any hospital setting in a first world country wouldn’t have private rooms for all patients on all wards! Here in Australia you essentially need to pay for private health insurance to be confident you’ll get a private room with private bathroom. It still costs a hell of a lot less than in the US and health insurance isn’t in any way connected to employment.

I was in hospital early last year with complications from IVF, I went to my closest emergency department at a public hospital and whilst I was admitted immediately and the level of care was adequate, I was in a shared room, with only a curtain separating me from a stranger. I heard every detail of this person’s sensitive medical issues, could tell you their name, address and date of birth - they had to confirm the patients details before administering medication. How this doesn’t violate privacy policies is beyond me and in my view it’s totally unacceptable. I think it’s a matter of basic dignity to give patients private rooms. And surely shared bathrooms is just plain unhygienic unless they are being cleaned between each use - you can’t expect seriously ill and often elderly people to manage the cleaning themselves.

I requested a transfer to a private hospital and the level of care was so much better - basically a hotel room with medical staff and equipment. High quality, nutritious food as well - nutrition is important to wellness.

There is also universal free healthcare similar to the NHS and whilst it’s underfunded it’s nowhere near as awful as the NHS right now.

First DD - was on a domino delivery, so literally went in, had DD, came home after post natal checks. So only in for 5 hours overall. Discharged from delivery suite.
Second DD - opted for homebirth - was very lucky to be able to do that.
Both births very straight forward, no complications.

4 hours. Baby 2 weeks late...12 lbs.