Tips for getting discharged ASAP from postnatal ward

[LillianFullStop]

Just wondering if anyone had any tips for getting discharged ASAP from the postnatal ward for a VB or ELCS?

I had a VB for my first pregnancy but had a spinal (prepped for EMCS but baby came out via forceps) and I wish I'd known the following beforehand:

1. They want to see you pass a decent amount of urine after removing the catheter otherwise they put it back in! I cried when this happened to me as I was so happy not to be stuck in bed anymore with the prospect of going home. A lovely midwife then advised I need to drink a whole lot more than I was drinking and to sip on water constantly as if I was at a bar having cocktails with a girlfriend

1. They want you to have your first bowel movement (wasn't an issue for me as I was given both Movicol and Lactulose so things got moving pretty quick)

Anyone have any tips for a VB without a spinal/epidural or ELCS?

Do they wait until you've established feeding? My milk didn't really come on until day 2.

Do you need to show you can get up and around after ELCS?

Just remember - it’s not a prison. You can literally leave whenever you want to!

Not a tip for leaving but some post natal wards have a few private rooms. They are given to those in need first (eg traumatic birth) but otherwise are available first come first served. Worth asking if one is available the moment the baby is out!! Some hospitals charge (if you’re not an “in need” case) others don’t.

Tips for leaving - start hand expressing asap after birth to get the colostrum/milk flowing. Especially if baby is a bit early or small or if you have GD as then they will want to be more careful about feeding/blood sugar etc.

Get someone to help you with latching if you are planning to BF (if you are a first time BFer anyway). Keep asking till someone does.

I think (can’t recall exactly) that they may want to see baby has done its first meconium poo and wee so erm you may wish to save the nappy!! Or photo it or something 🙈

I was only on the ward for about 24hrs before I was discharged (ventouse birth with episiotomy, no spinal or epidural or anything like that). It would have been even sooner but they were waiting for a wet nappy from DD as she did some tiny bits of poo but didn't seem to be peeing. Once she had a wet nappy we could go.

I was discharged 6 hours after giving birth. No interventions, just gas and air. As soon as I had passed urine and had a shower, they let us go!

When I left the postnatal Ward, I couldn’t BF, baby wasn’t getting fed. I was in a state of total confusion and they let me go.

If the hospital does Enhanced Recovery they will be trying to kick you out asap after ELCS. The sooner you go home the less likely you are to get a hospital acquired infection or VTE.

After an ELCS they will make you get up and about as soon as the spinal wears off - about 6 hours after birth. Ask for the good drugs.

They won't need you to have a bowel movement before leaving because constipation is so normal due to the surgery. I was constipated for 5 days and told that is completely normal.

If you're weeing and mobile and baby is feeding ok (however that's achieved) then they'll encourage you to go home.

Every time I saw any member of staff, I asked when I’d be leaving... even the cleaners. I asked to be put first on the list for discharge (was in over night) and badgered everyone who’s listen. Was still 6pm befor I got my tinz injections and iron and could be discharged properly. Hound them every chance you get ! They are generally more relaxed with a second !

If you are both fit and well then you can leave. You have to be clear and reasonable.
I refused to go the the post natal ward with DD2 so we left the hospital about2 hours after birth at 2am. I'd had an awful experience there with DD1 and knew I was better off at home.

I came back the following day to get anti-d and her doctor check, took about an hour.

It's a common misconception that you can only leave hospital with permission but this isn't true. It's not a prison, leave whenever you want. If anyone says "you can't leave" or similar, they are wrong, of course you can. I recommend asking for their reasons, as it may be an important medical reason, but if you don't agree and feel fine, or it is some silly reason like "the doctor needs to sign your discharge papers but he/she is busy and won't be back for 10 hours" you can leave.

Although I wouldn't worry as most hospitals have discharging patients asap as a number 1 priority, so neither you nor they would be wanting you to hang around unnecessarily.

Be very clear that you have help at home. I was discharged after 6 hours with DS1 having said I didn’t need to stay overnight because I had two former midwives living close by and a medical centre across the road. DS2 they were much keener to let me out...but both were VB and I hadn’t had an epidural.

Agree with drinking gallons of water. Also helps diluting your wee so it's less painful post stitches.

Four vbs so can't comment on c section.
1st and 4th births were both four hour discharges.
I had an epidural with fourth but wasn't catheterised so they were happy to let me go after I'd done a wee.
I had very straight forward births and no stitches or tears 4th was a ventouse.
Actually I didn't go to postnatal after my first just discharged from the delivery room, I am a bit dubious about the fact I did a four hour discharge with my first as I had meconium in my waters I'm surprised they didn't want to monitor her.

Oh and yes to asking. I hadn't even delivered the placenta and I was asking to go home

I had an ELCS 4 months ago. They gave me this leaflet with all the things they wanted to see before discharging me. In reality, they got rid of me as quickly as they could and I'd hardly done any of the things in the leaflet. I was even told my heartrate was too high and they'd keep me in til it came down, a couple of hours later it was still high and they just said to monitor at home. I guess they needed the bed.

After my second emcs, they removed the catheter as soon as I got to postnatal. They just gave me a pot to pee in and said I had six hours otherwise the catheter would need to go back in.

They didn't care about bowel movements after either emcs.

I stayed 3 nights for dc1 because he was in NICU and 1 night with dc2. Both times it was obvious I was up and about really fast though. I told them I was going home the next day with dc2 unless an obvious issue presented itself or they were concerned about her. They didn't have a problem with that.

They might "want" you to have passed a certain amount of wee but they cant force you to stay.

I didnt have a BM for 9 days after DD was born, I find it hard to believe they would try to keep you in for that long!