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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Are there risks if I go home really quickly after the birth?

37 replies

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 07:35

Assuming everything is straightforward and I have the energy to, what risks would there be to be and the baby if I left say a couple of hours after the birth?

Last time DH was sent home at 5am after I had some fun poking, prodding and sewing for 5h, but I hope that won't take so long this time and that is go with him instead of lying awake on a ward....

My worry would be that I might have problems eg haemorrhage or baby have a problem eg I know someone who's baby had heart issues.

When do these type of problems appear? Is it risky to go home super-quick?

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adagio · 18/08/2013 07:45

No idea how risky but I did - in at 10.30, baby at 4pm, delivered placenta and had my stitches then discharged at 8. Never saw any part of the hospital apart from the delivery suite.

I only live two minutes from the hospital though so I figured if anything went wrong I could be back in a jiffy.

MW came round the next day to do new baby checks and check my stitches (all fine).

Original poster

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 07:47

We're less than 15mins in the car, so quite close too. I think not seeing the ward would be my aim ;)

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aGnotherGnu · 18/08/2013 07:52

As long as you and baby are fine and birth uncomplicated, then they will probably be glad to have the bed free :o

I had a homebirth with DC2. We were left as soon as I had been stitched, showered and into my bed with some toast. Baby born at 9:45 pm, midwives gone by midnight (leaving th house cleaner than when they arrived!)

Rooners · 18/08/2013 07:53

I'm not sure if you can choose iyswim.

I had my last one at just before 1am. It was normal, no issues except I had an epidural, and felt a bit sick after and didn't want to eat - but I did eat, the baby was fine, I felt fine by about 10am and still wasn't allowed out till 5pm!

It was paperwork apparently and waiting for the paediatrician to come round and she was apparently very busy all day.

They aren't always allowed to just sign you out.

It was grim - after a home birth the second time I spent the 15 hours after I was put in the ward, sitting in one position on the end of my bed, awake, staring out at a biochemistry lab and a lightening, then darkening sky, waiting for someone to let me go home!

Good luck is all I can wish you, I hope you have a better time of it than I did

Rooners · 18/08/2013 07:55

Sorry I mean, it was a shock after having had a nice home birth with ds2! Can you have one of those perhaps? It's generally the best way to make sure you get home asap.

Original poster

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 07:57

Obviously if I need any interventions like epidural I would expect to hang around, although I don't think paperwork would stop me, I would just pack up and go if no medical reason...

I was planning a home birth last time so knew the GP could do the newborn check anyway.

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Original poster

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 07:58

If love to try for a home birth again but mum will be here looking after DD so don't think it'd work for us this time...

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sweetkitty · 18/08/2013 08:00

After two homebirths with DC2 & 3 I had an induction with DC4. He was born at almost 5am, I was out at 12 noon, they wanted to keep me in until dinner time but I was like no I'm going home, they said fine that was at 10am, took 2 hours for the paperwork to be done. I think that's the hold up the paperwork because I suppose looking after mothers and babies takes precedence.

All you can do is state in your birth plan you want discharged ASAP all being well and just keep badgering them.

gintastic · 18/08/2013 08:06

I was discharged 3.5 hours after DD2 was born, never saw the ward. You don't have to wait for the paediatrician to come as long as you take baby to the GP next day.

maja00 · 18/08/2013 08:14

They can't detain you in hospital because of their paperwork - what are they going to do, call the police?

lljkk · 18/08/2013 08:15

I'd be amazed if you could escape that quickly. They are so slow at sending people around to checklist you out. I've heard of people getting out in less than 12 hours, to be fair.
Could your Dd go to your mum instead to make a homebirth seem easier?

badguider · 18/08/2013 08:20

It depends where and how you give birth.
Here if you manage to stay in the mlu it is normal to go home after six hours if the baby has fed once and you're happy with bf. you are signed out by a MW.
but if you've had induction or epidural or instruments you will have moved from mlu to clu and they would like a doctor to sign you and baby off which takes longer.

Hawkmoth · 18/08/2013 08:25

Can't you ask your mum to entertain DD upstairs? I did for my two home births. She didn't mind.

Original poster

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 08:27

Mum is staying locally but lives hours away, so will be at home to look after DD.

It was really just the risks I was trying to work out but doesn't sound like anyone was 'detained' due to keeping an eye for potential problems.

And I hope I'd have the guts to just pick up my baby and walk out, even though I think they electronically tag the babies at the MLU at our hospital!

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NulliusInBlurba · 18/08/2013 08:37

I'm not in the UK and had my babies at private midwife-run centres, but the first time I was out after 7 hours (including a general anaesthetic for retained placenta - had to stay 4 hours after the anaesthetic then we buggered off in the middle of the night) Second time all went well and we left after 2.5 hours. It was so great being home with the baby, cuddling up in my own bed in a quiet room. Here in Germany the minimum requirement to stay is 2 hours post birth, after that you're legally free to go as long as there are no health complications. Is there a legal minimum time in the UK?

Rooners · 18/08/2013 08:39

That was the reason I went in actually - my folks came here to look after the children, who had just gone to sleep - it started at about 9ish. I didn't want to wake them by sending them off somewhere else so I went instead.

Part of the reason I didn't get out sooner was that I couldn't ring my dad to come and get us - and they let me use the ward phone to ring out once, but wouldn't tell me what time they could come and pick us up - so my parents were waiting to find out, I was waiting to find out, it was awful. Like being stuck in limbo between there and the real world.

Don't underestimate how much of a hold a hospital will have on you once you are in there iyswim. It's really bloody hard to get out especially if you're on your own, with no mobile and no backup and no car seat!!! Or car, come to that...I went in in an ambulance.

teabagpleb · 18/08/2013 08:42

Ds had to stay in for 3 days after birth, so I had to too. He was signed off as fit to leave at 9am on the last day but it took until 5pm for various bits of new-parent paperwork to be done, mostly getting different people to come lecture me and DP about stuff. I said next time I would be leaving as soon as the baby was fit to leave.

Second time, baby fine, but I was in a state after rough pregnancy, so taken to pn ward just before midnight. Felt better in the morning, insisted on getting catheters etc out ASAP, and nurses were great at chasing docs to establish if it would be sensible for me to go home and by lunchtime had a big bag of meds and instructions and said I was welcome to go home if I agreed to them and a checkup at home two days later. This included self-administered injections which I thought unnecessary so they called the doc who prescribed them and he said he recommended them so I could go then, or he would come debate after he got out of theatre (just heading there), but that might take a few hours.
I figured I'd go along with the jabs (anti-DVT) and go home. Obviously I wasn't sectioned so could have just walked out, but wanted to ensure I was aware of what risks the medics were concerned about. Also everyone I spoke to that day started with "I know you want to go home ASAP", which helped.

So if there are risks in your case, they should make you aware and explain why you aren't a routine case if you aren't.

They seem a lot less bothered about paperwork the second time, and are aware there's a first child you want to get back to. We did get ds to stay another night at his grandparents, so had that first night at home with just dd.

Nemanemo · 18/08/2013 08:42

My ILs took DC1 to the park while DC2 was being born at home. Just managed to get DCs 1&2 into bed and asleep before calling midwife who delivered DC3 around 9.00pm and left us tucked up with tea and toast an hour or so later.

Is it not possible for DM to make plans for entertaining your elder child while you have a home birth? The second one is often quicker too.

RakeABedOfTyneFilth · 18/08/2013 08:43

I'm planning hb so we're only going to call round the cavalry to look after DS if hosp transfer is threatened, I realise with your mum being hours away, you'd have to call her to come at the very latest when it kicks off and you won't be able to go in until she's arrived. You could find you're labouring at home for quite a while and if I was in your shoes I'd have a shadow home birth plan in case it was quick!

I think I read in Ina May's book that they recorded (objectively) less haemorrhaging and similar small complications in like for like non-hospital vs hospital births (e.g. a vaginal delivery in a pool at home, vaginal delivery in pool in MLU), something about the comfort and safe feeling of your own environment being good for the oxytocin/adrenalin levels, helping your body to control bleeding etc.

HaPPy8 · 18/08/2013 08:45

They cant force you stay for paperwork but they are doing it for a reason! The paperwork they give you communicates important information to the the midwives who will visit you at home, and also to the person doing the paediatric check on your baby.

Original poster

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 08:46

My mum isn't super mobile so staying upstairs / out wouldn't work.

And no idea if this will be a quick one as seemed to be in labour yesterday then everything's stopped!

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Original poster

jennimoo · 18/08/2013 08:47

And I have got the emergency HB plan at the back of my mind although DH is in denial ;)

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Rooners · 18/08/2013 08:50

Good luck.

If you have a DH on hand then surely he can take dd somewhere? Unless it's the middle of the night obvs

I didn't have anyone apart from my parents so it was a bit more tricky. I gave birth on my own which was fine tbh but the waiting around after was the worst bit.

highlandbird · 18/08/2013 08:52

They let me go home 2 hours after DS2 was born so I think you'll be fine, and we live an hour and a half from the hospital. Mw came round to see us next morning.
Good luck!

StrawberryMonkey · 18/08/2013 09:00

Isn't it normal/usual to be sent home within an hour or two after a normal delivery (especially with 2nd or more birth)?
They do this at our hospital as matter of fact. They rarely have any beds on the wards anyway (princess Anne's - Southampton)!
I was almost sent home 24h after a c-section here too.

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