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Childbirth

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

Original poster

How long did you stay in hospital post C/S? Was it too short?

147 replies

mears · 25/03/2007 11:58

The reason I ask is that a lot of you seem to go home at 2-3 days. Are you fit enough?
We advise women to stay 5 days but I am sure that will change soon more due to shortage of beds. Midwives worry about women going home too soon. What is your experience?

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Original poster
mears · 26/03/2007 14:47

I think what your responses show is that it is a very individual decision depending on how you are coping opost op and what help you have at home. I do think we need to shorten our stay but with a caveat that women can stay longer if they want to. 3 days sounds kind of average.

Madmarchhare - could you have stayed in till your DS was ready to come home or was that not an option?

OP posts:
mrsflowerpot · 26/03/2007 14:52

With ds I went home after 3 nights and after 2 nights with dd. Community midwife did the fragmin (?) injections a couple of times at home for me after dd but I don't think that happened with ds.

I was fine and although I did feel a bit fragile at home at first, it was just good to be comfortable and in my own bed, and I had dh (and MIL too second time round) there to look after just me, rather than sharing 2 lovely but hard-pressed midwives with everyone else on the ward.

Kraut · 26/03/2007 15:00

I was home 48h after the c-section, 2 nights. But they had a shortage of beds. It was ok though and I had dp at home to help.

piglit · 26/03/2007 15:06

I had ds1 on Tues night and went home Fri afternoon. I couldn't get out quick enough. I understand that the hospital I had ds1 and ds2 at is cutting the length of time that c-section mums stay in for (they are really busy). A friend of mine was "sent home" after 36 hours but her community midwife popped in twice a day to check on her. I think that a lot of mums push to get home early (I know I did) because they are so keen to get back to their own bed, a clean bath and a clean loo! Oh, and some decent food!

sophiewd · 26/03/2007 15:23

Any particular reason for the question mears?

Original poster
mears · 26/03/2007 15:30

Not really, just been think about it. One of our conultants won't let women home before the 6th day. He makes then sign an irregular discharge form! The ward is so busy that i just think women with help would be better of at home earlier anyway. It isn't the norm for women to go home before the 5th day here so I just wondered what other experiences there were.

In fact it was eidsvold's birth announcement thread that got me thinking more about it.

OP posts:
madmarchhare · 26/03/2007 17:21

No, I couldnt stay. I had to go home and then scbu would call if a parents room became available.

Original poster
mears · 26/03/2007 17:53

That's terrible. At my unit mothers can stay in the ward for at least 10 days if their baby is in SCBU. If by the end of that time it looks as though the baby will be going home in a couple of days they can stay longer.

I stayed in 2 weeks with my last 2 babies because they were in SCBU and I wasn't even a C/S!

OP posts:
BetsyBoop · 26/03/2007 20:59

went home after 4 days - wouldn't let me home after the standard 3 days as I was slightly anaemic.

TBH I'd have been better at home ASAP & getting sleep in my own bed (so noisy in hospital, even though I'd paid for a private room....)

My community mw saw me on the day I got home & the following day - she said I looked like a new woman, surprising the difference one night's decent sleep (including up b/f DD twice) can make.

I think as long as there are no complications & your pain relief is sorted & you've FT help at home, then 3 days max is needed.

I also felt DH missed out a lot on the early bonding time, as he was only allowed to visit for 3 hours a day (in two 1.5 hour slots, really convenient) - on the last two days I "hid" him in my room between the two visiting slots so he could stay a little longer - luckily the mw was happy to turn a blind eye although the HCA was complaining about him breaking the "protected mealtime" policy, until I pointed out that I normally ate with him at home & as I didn't mind why should she - bloody jobworth.......

BetsyBoop · 26/03/2007 21:11

forgot to say had the TED stockings, but no injections - and this was AFTER pointing out to the obstetric registrar doing the c/s AND the anaethetist (sp?) that there is a history of DVTs on both sides of my family (my Mum died of a PE & my Dad had 3 DVTs) as well as my high BP (170/110 when I arrived at delivery suite ) which ups my risk as well.

oh & this was in Dec 2005

I will remember to ask specifically about them this time if I end up with another c/s

lucy5 · 26/03/2007 21:20

I had an emergency c-section on Friday lunchtime and I came home Monday teatime. To be honest I pushed for this and with hindsight I should have stayed longer. I think it was a mix of post birth high and all the drugs they had pumped into me I was fine when i got home and really overdid it. I don't know if it is related but I ended up getting an infection in my wound and now 4 months on, am still walking around with a hole in my scar! Mmm nice!

ScottishMummy · 26/03/2007 21:25

baby Thursday emergency c-section
home Sunday - glad to be out of the grimy-one-mop-does-all-including-the-toilets-and-under-my bed-north-london-shitpit-hospital

ted stockings for a few days

overall cranky unhelpful MW

i begged em to let me go frankly

jamiesamfreddie · 26/03/2007 21:35

Had ds1 (5yrs old) by em c/s on Monday and was out by Friday, no problems.

Had ds3 (5 months old) by elective c/s on Monday and was out by Thursday. I had hoped to be out by Wednesday but there was no chance of that happening - hospital policy - and thank God because Weds night was awful and I really needed the support I got from MW's that night. Was fine when discharged Thursday.

Have no recollection of injections you refer to, though I don't exactly know what I had in the operating theatre (mmmm!). Was told I had to wear the TED stockings for 6 weeks post operatively...because you are less mobile after major surgery. As mum to (now) three boys, I laughed hollowly at the idea that I would be 'less mobile' for six weeks and took the blooming things off when I was home.

hex · 27/03/2007 12:51

After 2 nights. Badly wanted to be home...dirty hospital, communal room, patronising matron. Luckily my blood count was okay and they were fine about it.

hex · 27/03/2007 12:52

oh and it wasn't too early - but I recovered really quickly and had no problems healing. Crucial is the support at home I think - dh was on sabbatical from work and we had no other kids.

saralou100 · 27/03/2007 12:59

i went home 3 days post section (would have been 2, but dp wouldn't let me self discharge!!)... was it too early? in hindsight yes, but at the time i didn't see the point in staying their when no-one was actually doing anything for me!

i'm a bad bad patient though!

Mum2FunkyDude · 27/03/2007 13:08

5 days, was told it will be 3 but after 3 days they assessed ds and decided breastfeeding wasn't established well enough and thought he was a bit dehydrated so kept us another 2 days to see the breastfeeding consultant who comes in once a week. So more to do with ds' wellbeing. I had some tearing in my scar due to previous emergency operation scar that crossed the cs scar at 90 degrees, but they just told me to put antibacterial cream on and gave me painkillers.

Eleusis · 27/03/2007 15:04

I was booted out 24 hours after DS was born. It was a bit short and I was bit reluctant, knowing the support at home might not be ideal. But, I told them I'd go if they gave lots of nice drugs, which they did.

It wasn't bad actually. I think it really depends on the level of support you have at home and if there is also a toddler there. My DH took the toddler out every day for a couple of weeks and that worked out well.

Ideally, I'd like 3 - 5 days in the hospital in a nice private room. But, I can appreciate funding restrictions. I don't really mind so much being booted out. Not nearly as much as I mind things like suggestions that women shouldn't get epidurals on the NHS, or women should get to choose method of delivery.

Eleusis · 27/03/2007 15:12

Mears, regarding the injections, one of the midwives told me that some hospitals do the injections, some do the stockings, and some do both. I had both after both sections. But only for a couple days following op. Deffo not at home.

I'll take the injection over the stocking any day!

jabberwocky · 27/03/2007 15:20

With ds1 I stayed 3 days, with ds2 5 days. I liked the 5 day stay. It gave me time to work with bfing consultants - we had a tough time with ds2 taking one side - and also gave me time to be with ds2 and not worrying about ds1.

I might have felt differently if not in a private room though. The hospital I used for ds2 is very big on its labor and delivery services and pampers new moms.

Eleusis · 27/03/2007 15:30

And you are in the states too aren't you? Whole different class of service than an NHS 4 or 8 bed ward!

jabberwocky · 27/03/2007 15:33

Too true eleusis I don't know if any hospitals over here have wards. Maybe the charity hospitals?

Eleusis · 27/03/2007 15:41

Actually it wasn't too bad for me because I am a truly deep deep sleeper. But, anyone who is light sleeper I imagine would like to go home the next day.

ProfYaffle · 27/03/2007 15:51

C/S 1 - stayed in 3 days. No stockings or injections, I think policy here is to turf you out of bed asap but I was forgotton about and stayed in bed about 12hrs longer than I should have done.

C/s 2 - was out in 48hrs, no stockings one injection.

Felt fine and ready to come home both times. Wards too hot, noisy and busy, no chance of getting much sleep or rest. MW v grumpy first time as well, lovely 2nd time though.

JimJammum · 27/03/2007 21:00

I had ds early on Tues am and left Sat am. I was out of bed by Weds afternoon as was desperate to get off drips etc, but refused to have injection, so had to wear the attractive stockings. However, by the time I peeled them off for a shower, I couldn't be bothered to put them back on, and no-one could tell anyway as had pj's on.

I was v v lucky as had a side room to myself for the duration (dh asked if there was one free, and we didn't have to pay for it - worth asking??!!) and the wards were busy, plus a couple of lovely trainee midwives who kept an eye on me.

My advice would be to stay in for at least 3 days. I had trouble with sore nipples while bf on day 3 coupled with day 3 hormone surge (3rd day blues) and spent the entire day in tears, and was ready to hand him back. Could not have coped if I had been at home on that day....!