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

8 days. EMCS nearly died & had to have my kidneys monitored. Baby was in nicu for 3 weeks, so was easier as obviously not allowed to drive.

Bounty - they don’t do it anymore. I was disappointed when I had my second that they didn’t come 🤣

DS1 - horrific birth with a barely competent midwife, was v v v scary from a HCP point of view. Gave birth at 0449 and was allowed to drive myself home at 1730. Despite a big tear, incontinence and be being unable to care for my son. No one even checked I could feed him.

DS2 - much better birth, very healing. Lovely midwife and after hospital birth I checked into the local MLU and stayed for 3 days and nights for support.

All 4 home births and the last one was twins. Loved it, everything I loved around me, my own bath afterwards my own coffee cup haha

After horrendous tears and blood loss they were ready to discharge me after a few hours. I refused as I couldn't walk and was extremely weak.

Dc1 - stayed for 24 hours (as everything went smoothly but I had an epidural and apparently it’s policy to keep mother and baby in for 24 hours to monitor afterwards) I was lucky enough to get a private room so wasn’t put in a bay on the ward!

dc2- from first contraction to dc being born was less than 2 hours. Had no pain relief and so was able to be sent home straight from the room I gave birth In (was never transferred to the ward) I think that was 5 hours after giving birth.

DC1 5 days around Christmas time so everything a bit grantic. Got NHS Christmas lunch.. an experience I won't forget 😅

DC2.. 7 days on a noisy ward but adrenaline gets you through (stayed for me & some bf support). Home for 2 days, back for 5 weeks. Moved into 3 different rooms then isolated on HDU. Septic lucky fmto be here. Hospital fab both times.

First baby born at 9.20pm out by 11pm.
Second born 4am out by 7am.
Maternity unit in a small town. No option to stay.

I always think that about my DS. He was perfectly fine, born at 37 weeks but he weighed 4lb 9oz. I always wonder why they let such a tiny baby go home after less than 24 hours 😳

I had my DD at a birthing centre and we were back home within 2 hours of giving birth to her

DC1 - midwife unit - 7 hours. Excellent care. Went straight home, so I wasn't on a post natal ward.
DC2 - midwife unit - 8 hours. Excellent care. Again, no postnatal ward.
Miscarriage at 12 weeks - 2 days, in a room of my own. (ERPOC, blood transfusion) Excellent care, but a total shock that a miscarriage at 12 weeks could be so much worse than childbirth.

3 days with first because of meconium in waters and then jaundice. With second, born at 5am and home just after lunch. Would have been out earlier but they had a spare room so let me rest for a bit and even asked if I wanted to stay the night.

Had my baby at midnight, I was home by 3am. I didn't need to stay. Third baby, all fine.

In 2008 I had a baby Thu and was home on Sun.
2023 baby was born Mon PM an I was home Tue afternoon.
Great care both times, all the staff were lovely.

DS1 induced third degree tear discharged after one night but spent most of the day waiting for a doctor for the discharge plus hearing test. Midwife visited after a few days. Back 6 weeks later for tongue tie snip.

DS2 ELCS discharged after one night again delayed by lack of doctor - spent the day in the waiting area as the bed was needed for new mums. Back 8 weeks later for tongue tie snip.

Home as soon as possible with each. Pandemic experience was that I was encouraged to go home as soon as possible (about 3hrs after birth).

Post-pandemic I’ve had to fight harder to go home quickly but no complications etc so again a few hours after birth, as soon as checks had been done.

24 hours with the first. Was awful. No sleep, constant jabbering for the next door bed with all her millions or relatives.

Home birth with the 2nd so never even stepped foot in a hospital - utter bliss and to be recommended!

First baby, in at 9am, had baby at 5:44pm, they made us stay in for the night. I was discharged next morning. Care was crap. I was told I'd be days as it was my first baby. I was told I was going to be hours yet, and pushed the baby out with just midwife in the room. I puked as soon as I had DD and they tried to leave me in it.
Then they told me to try and breast feed infront of a window, no one could see in apparently, but my mum called me and told me to move from the window. They then lost my notes so couldn't discharge me.

Second baby, admitted Thursday night for induction to start, which didn't start until Saturday at 2:30 am.
Had baby at 3:20 I believe (stressful labour, he was born in theatre)
Was all ready to go home by 8:30- the spinal block had worn off, I went for a wee and got dressed to go home.
Home at 4:30am once baby was checked over by a paediatrician.

Great care the second time, I wish they'd have just sent me home when they couldn't induce me. I only live about 3 minutes from the hospital... I could've rushed over when they needed me instead of waiting bored.

6 weeks with my eldest. I had eclampsia and hellp syndrome and had a PPH during the c section and was really unwell. In a way I was grateful as it meant I could stay near my child.

5 days with my youngest. Again, I had a section and had another PPH. They kept me in as a precaution, incase I needed a transfusion and also because I had pre eclampsia again, at term this time though.

Safe to say I won't be having anymore children and I'm fighting to get sterilised, or at least for my husband to be sterilised.

To add, eldest was born at 31 weeks which is why we had such a long stay. They were in NICU and then SCBU for a total of 7 weeks.

One night for both my children. Myself and DH were itching to get out but on both occasions but had to wait for discharge paperwork which took HOURS. I'd say that we left around 2pm-ish the following day that I gave birth. I wish we didn't have to stay overnight and would have definitely left the same day had I not had a pre-existing condition.

First baby: 2 nights to get support with BF.
Second baby: 6 hours.

In the 70s, it was normal to be in for 9 or 10 days. Lovely food cooked on site, the breakfasts were enormous! Ward was very much run under the control of one tiny powerhouse of a matron who's word was law. Babies slept in the night nursery and I had to insist that I didn't want staff to bottle feed during the night, but to wake me up to BF! You received heaps of 'freebies' and samples of baby products to take home.

Vaginal birth, first baby. 2 weeks.
Not happy with the care

1st c section, second baby 3 days
2nd c section, 3rd baby, 3 days
3rd c section, 4th baby, 5 days

I was climbing the walls to get out each time.

What was your experience of care on the postnatal ward?
1st baby: We had an incredible and hardworking midwife from 8am-8pm, but she was totally overstretched. Our first was very small (she had IUGR) and was really struggling to feed along with jaundice and other fun things like that.
2nd baby: Never made it to the postnatal ward!

Were you happy with the length of time you were in for?
1st baby: 5 nights after birth. Felt like an absolute eternity, but we were struggling with feeding so we had help 24hrs a day, even if we had to wait a while for the midwife to come to us
2nd baby: In a private room for 24hrs before being discharged. Easy!

Did your baby settle on the ward?
Yes (both). Night two was the hardest for both of them.

Did you get support at home if you had a difficult birth or you were a first time mum
The HV visited both times, and I had a breastfeeding consultant for 1st baby which helped immensely.

I'm looking forward to 4/5 days when 2nd arrives. Own room, ensuite. 2 midwives (1 for baby)
All free / basic insurance covers. 8 week pelvic floor sessions.

Guess what country I'm in?