homebirthers: did you have your post birth baby check in hospital?

[soandsosmum]

I'm just planning logistics, esp what to do with dd1 during and post birth.

Did you have to go to hospital the next day to get all those new born checks or did someone come to you? Did it take long? (i seem to remember it taking hours in hospital). And did it kill your homebirth afterglow?

It was done at home by the community midwife team the next day.

The only issue was with the hearing test which they forgot to make an appointment for; the letter came through when he was 4 months old. The equipment for that was only available at the hospital.

I had a home visit by my GP each time - the day after the birth and about a week later.

Midwife came to us at our home. Don't remember it taking that long. Still glowy! :)

Speak to your midwife because it varies from area to area. We had to take DD2 into hospital for her checks the day after she was born.

We had family staying so they looked after DD1 while we were at the hospital and yes, as usual we were kept waiting a long time for the paediatrician.
DD2 had her hearing checks that day too but because she was so new one of her ears still had a lot of fluid in it and we had to go back a week later for a re-test. It didn't spoil the glow but this time around I will be declining appointments that close to the birth.

We had ours at home with the exception of the hearing test which was done a couple of weeks later.

it'll be done at home.

mine was in hospital because i was transferred in to be stitched up.

Also done at home by the GP. I think it was about 6 hours or so after the birth. GP remarked how DC was the newest newborn he'd done a check on!

Newborn hearing check was done at the local hospital a week or so later by appointment.

no, when I had ds1 and ds2 the GP came out to do them at home. the midwives called my surgery before they left to arrange for someone to come and do it

yes my GP came just a few hours after birth both times. Hearing test was done at home too

i'm in west sussex in case that's relevant at all

GP came round the next day and the hearing test was a couple of weeks later in our local health centre. I'm not sure there was a glow after the birth, I have never been so exhausted in all my life, but it was good being at home and the GP visit didn't disturb us at all. Good luck with the hb hope it goes well for you!

Also done at home, by a midwife, the next day. Hearing test also done at home a few days later.

Had to go to the hospital - am in Wales if that makes a difference

We had an IM and the back-up MW was able to do it. I think she came back and did it the next morning.

Hearing test was in hospital though which was a pita (parking etc) but do-able.

Thanks ladies

I'll ask how it works in my area when I see the midwife next week

Home visit by GP for DDs1 and 2, MW came out to do it for DD3 - stood over her and counted down until she was 6hrs old

The gp came to us the next day to do dd's check, he told me he loves babies and was really pleased to see such a new one! The hearing test was done by the hv at home when she was 12 days old.

Midwife visit at home, apart from the hearing test at the hospital. All very straightforward and lovely, and the midwives very kindly didn't blink at the trail of DC1's toys all through the house.

We had to go to the GP surgery and waiting for the hearing test appointment to come through. Am assuming that will be a trip to the doctors again or the hospital.

at home with gp for dd2 :) then we moved health authorities :(

for dd3 they insisted we went to the GP surgery (only 5 mins walk away, but still) they then made the 5 of us wait in the waiting area for over half an hour with all the poorly sick people - I was very unimpressed and wasn't shy about telling them so. When we finally saw the GP he was clueless and it was a total waste of time. It was done on the Monday afternoon dd3 was born Saturday evening.

for ds they insisted again that we went to the surgery I agreed on the understanding that we would not be waiting in the general waiting area (it was early January and loads of people had flu / nasty coughing viruses). They agreed but when we turned up no room was available and they were running at least 30 mins behind scheduled appointment times. I was extremely unimpressed and threatened to leave straight away. They let us see the next doctor despite it not being the appointment we had booked. Again the check was a total waste of time.

We had all our early checks done at home, then from the 6 week check onwards, all the rest were at the surgery.

At home with GP and all follow ups with community midwife team.

I had to go to hospital for mine, my GP refused to do it . It didn't ruin the glow though - my DD was born on Feiday night and checked on Monday

Had to take DD2 into hospital to get it done but that was only because she was a Christmas Day baby. It's usually done at our GP's but as it was Christmas and then the weekend, they weren't open for another 4/5 days. The midwife that delivered DD2 made the decision for her to get checked in hospital as she felt that was too long to wait. We went in on Boxing Day and found that hospitals can actually be quite festive-y at Christmas! We also had to be seen by a Paed in SCBU so felt like a fraud to be in there, esp with a boisterous 3yr old in tow
Hearing check was with HV a week later (as it was with hospital born DD1)

I didn't bother with DD2, the GP checked DD3 at home on the day she was born.