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

[jennimoo]

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?

[Troubledjo]

I went home 6 hours or so after having DD. I was told I had to stay overnight for paperwork but I just refused. Mind you, I did have to sign some pretty scary forms saying I was discharging myself and that it was my fault if anything went wrong. It had been a normal birth though and baby was fine. We are in London so close to hospitals/ ambulance service. I didn't have any worries about it and didn't regret it at all. I just knew we would both be happier and sleep better at home.
I had to take DD to the GP the next morning for a full check.

[nextphase]

Well, paramedics turned up at 7.29, DS2 arrived 7.30, midwife arrived 7.40. iirc, all gone by 9am. And I suspect that if there had been a more important call, the paramedics would have up and left - it was more drinking tea and chatting, checking we were all OK than medical intervention - didn't need all of them there!

Midwife popped back that afternoon with the paperwork.

fwiw, DH, DS1 were here all the way through labour. My Mum turned up just before the paramedics. DS1 not bothered by me being in labour!

[Cavort]

I was told I could go as soon as epidural wore off and I could successfully walk, which was about 6 hours after birth. I expect without epudural I could have gone straight away. They were very relaxed about it.

I didn't end up going home until 12 hours after birth because DH fell asleep and slept through his alarm and several increasingly annoyed phonecalls from me but that's not the hospital's fault. Bloody men!

[northernlurker]

I went home 4 hours after dd2 was born and wanted to do the same with dd3 but as I was getting dressed the midwife came and said the amount of blood I'd lost was classed as a pph and so they wanted me to stay in overnight. It was then 5 am and I said no way would I stay till the next day but I would stay a few hours and see how things went. I went home at 3pm and tbh was glad I'd stayed as the lochia was v heavy for a few hours and I dh would have been scared I was actively bleeding. A bit of reassurance from the midwives plus rubbing up a contraction or two was very helpful.

[Pigsmummy]

I gave birth at 0515 and was asked to stay in over night. I anticipated being discharged after breakfast but we were still waiting for paperwork hours later, I stupidly turned down lunch thinking we were leaving and then longed for the sponge cake and custard I had ordered! In hindsight I should have asked to leave the same day and would next time.

[VisualiseAHorse]

I gave birth at 4pm, left the MLU at 7.15 ish, home an hour later.

we were both fine, but....I do think that I should have stayed a wee bit longer, because I hadn't BF while in the MLU and baby ended up being a little underweight and going back into hospital a few days later. He was fine though in the end, but it just meant he didn't get a proper breastfeed until the next day when the midwife visited.

[VisualiseAHorse]

I think that most MLU or birthing centres have a six hour discharge anyway.

[DorsetLass]

I had second DS at 9 am and home by midday - no intervention required apart from stitches. If all straight forward where we are, and not your first, you are positively encouraged to go quickly. Midwife comes next morning to do all checks. Good luck!

[TerraNotSoFirma]

Think the minimum you have to stay is six hours after the birth.
With DD, I arrived at hospital at 4.13pm, had her at 4.53pm and left hospital just before midnight.

[MortifiedAdams]

Very jealous of all the early departures! I'm strep B positive so have been told to expect to be in for supervision for 48 hours.

[riskit4abiskit]

6hr minimum in our area too!

[jennimoo]

Thanks for the stories. Obviously if there was a particular reason / risk I'd gladly stay in, I just wondered about general ones but if home birth MWs happily leave you after about 2h I guess that's not an issue.

Hopefully will be making use of the info very soon!