Average hospital stay for C-section

[SamT210]

Hi Ladies,

Can you tell me how long you had to stay in hospital for after c section? My baby is due 5th July and will be born via section but my anxiety is through the roof to be leaving my son overnight. TIA

I had my son at 11pm Thursday night and went home at 4pm on Sunday. We both had to have antibiotics though so had to stay in longer than usual

Emcs at 6pm on Saturday and I was home at 4pm on Thursday.

Pre pandemic I was in for 48 hours.

My second c-section happened mid lockdown. Baby was born at 9am and I was home 12pm the day after

They were both straightforward and thankfully me and the babies were fine so no reason to keep us in once all the checks were done

I would expect to be in for three nights and then if you get out earlier it’s a bonus. I was in for a week with my first section (infection and pre-eclampsia) and three nights with my second (no complications).
Enjoy the food three times a day and the mechanical bed, you’ll need it! You can’t rush it afterwards or pick up a toddler.

First one 3-4 days to establish feeding and I wanted the drugs! Second c-section in at 9 am out at 2pm the next day.
Get yourself all set up to make life easy as possible before you go in!

2 nights after a morning EMCS first time, and just under 24 hours after an afternoon ELCS second time round. My hospital aimed for 24 hour discharge for ELCS patients unless there were medical indications otherwise.

I was in for 24 hours only following 2 EMCS. The first one I self discharged as my son was being transferred to another hospital.
The second one, policy has changed and I was discharged after 24 hours.

I struggled but I wanted to be home for my son who was only 2.

24 hours after planned section. I was ready for discharge after around 20 but had to wait for /4 hours to pass for 'procedure'

6 nights

@SamT210 I had an emergency c section last March at 8pm on the Friday and was home for 8pm the next day.
I'm booked in for a c section next month (pregnant again, yes I know they are close) and hoping to be in and out the same

I had a EMCS on a Thursday and went home on a Friday. In hindsight, I wish I hadn't pushed so hard to go home as I was in so much pain I couldn't get in and out of our bed!

For three emergency c sections I stayed around 24 hours each time (anywhere between 22 and 25 hours). For my only elective section I stayed four days.

Surprised at how long some of PPs have stayed. Wondering if this was a while ago or there were issues with mum or baby?
I had EMCS just before COVID and was home the next day.

For planned c sections hospitals have a 24hr turnaround set up unless there are complications. So they will have everything checked, signed off etc by that 24hr mark so you're able to go if you're feeling ready.

I had a 3pm section and went home baout 4pm next day (very start of pandemic and they were short staffed-if they had 2 midwives instead of just 1 working, I'm sure I would've been home for lunch).

Although the first night home I was very sore, I felt 100 times better the day after because I was comfortable and got some decent sleep. Recovery much better at home for me.

I had an EMCS at 7am on Friday and was released on Saturday afternoon with my first. This was 4 years ago, the midwife said they were happy to discharge as long as she was feeding well and I felt fine.

Thanks ladies for all your responses, it makes me feel so much better knowing I could only have to stay away 1 night. As stupid as it sounds I'd rather be totally useless and in pain at home than in hospital away from my son. Fingers crossed everything goes okay.

I had an ELCS last summer baby was born at 9am Wednesday and I was at home with my feet up on the sofa by Thursday lunch Time! Absolute dream compared to the 8 day stay required after a difficult forceps delivery with my first and much less painful!

I had my baby at 3pm and stayed two nights but if I’d had him earlier in the day I would have been happy leaving after 1 night. I did actually want to leave after 1 night for various reasons but it was assumed I’d stay for 2 and for some reason I went along with that

Emcs- 36ish hours, planned section - 24hours

@Buttercupcup that sounds similar to my first, hence being desperate to be in and out this time!

I was discharged exactly 24hrs after my c section in November. Hospital policy of a min of 24hrs for me and baby being a min number of hours for her baby check dictated I couldn't leave any earlier.

I had a c section with dc1 in 2016 at around 5pm (was emcs), went home at 3pm the next day.

If you feel ok in yourself you can leave as soon as you want (it's a hospital not a prison). They will want to do newborn checks, hearing test and for you to do 2 wees. Let them know you want to be out asap and they'll try to accommodate you.

I and an emcs for my first. Gave birth Wednesday midday and went home Friday afternoon. I could have been discharged after one night but decided to stay two

OP, I felt exactly the same - and I would actually say, don’t rush it. I was determined to be out to get back to my older one as soon as possible. I was very emotional and exhausted when I got home and not actually fit to be downstairs - I remember having about half an hour downstairs and then just going up for the loo and putting pyjamas on and staying there! I was also in a huge amount of pain the third night.

In hindsight, I don’t think I did the wrong thing coming home but I could have stayed in for a second night and that might not have been a bad thing. Depends on the hospital and the ward but basically, don’t be too fixed in your thinking on this - see how you feel based on how the ward is, as well as how you and baby are doing.

@SamT210 I'm the same, got an elective c-section booked and worried about leaving my daughter, I haven't left her except for work.

Anyway, for my emergency c-section I was in for 48hrs (2018), I have been told it'll probably be 24hrs stay this time because of the pandemic they don't like to keep you in for long if unnecessary.