To be expected to go to the hospital 3 days postpartum?

[Lafoosa]

So I'm currently 3 days postpartum and originally the midwife said they'd be coming out to me to do a home visit, but now they've said they expect me to come in. They know I don't drive and neither does DP. I've torn in two places and I can hardly walk up the stairs. Even if I were to get a taxi, which we can't really afford anyway I'd still have to walk the whole way around the hospital and up 2 flights of stairs just to get to where they want me to go (lift if always out of order).

I also have no childcare arrangements for my other two children, so I'd have to go alone which isn't the best idea because I'm not very steady on my feet yet so I don't feel like it would be particularly safe for me to be out alone with baby so quickly when I can hardly even stand.

I had home visits with dd1, I had moved overseas by dd2 and you get no check ups at home at all, I had to go to the hospital at 2 weeks. Obviously 2nd baby and straightforward I was ok but it makes you realise how lucky we were with home visits

👏👏👏👏 exactly, it’s not a race to the the bottom.

we are paying more tax and national insurance. Where’s it all going?

Goodness this country is in a sorry state. Cannot actually believe this is being expected of new mothers, totally unacceptable, please refuse.

In my experience hospital transport is for beggars who can't be choosers. You hang around for ages and it can take a lot longer as there will be multiple people to pick up and drop off. Nightmare with a baby who needs frequent feeds and you wouldn't be able to bring other children.

I'd decline if you think this trip will do you more harm than good.

congrat on your baby OP, completely unacceptable to expect you to travel to hospital, insist on a home visit.

Don’t go. Just because it’s ‘normal’ and other women have half killed themselves dragging their sore arses to see their midwives, why put yourself through the same. I absolutely would not go in your position. Be honest, you’re in too much pain and don’t have transport.

OP updated. She didn't go in.

Thank goodness.

Every newspaper should be reporting this. It's very literally a scandal.

NHS managers seem to like to adopt cost cutting strategies from elsewhere. The Netherlands is one - discharging people asap for example. But in NL where women who give birth in hospital are discharged quickly, they have midwife visits at home on wet days and a maternity nurse who is in house for up to 8 hours a day for a week (a bit longer for c-sections)! They're not just told to get on with it.