Hospital discharge following childbirth

[ValerieA]

I have just heard from my daughter-in-law that she will be sent home from hospital 4 hours after giving birth with her first baby. She will not see a midwife for a further 2 weeks! I am horrified that there will be no monitoring of her or the baby's welfare. Is this now standard practice?

[FreyaStorm]

Sounds like par for the course sadly.
I was discharged 24 hours after an EMCS and bladder problems.
Next day was Easter Sunday (this year, so nowt to do with Covid) so midwife only phoned me and wouldn’t visit even though I was worried about Jaundice. Told me to take her to A&E where they checked baby out (she was J). Apparently A&E is the last place you should take a 1 day old newborn but my birth trauma addled mind wasn’t thinking straight.
I’m in London.
Can your DD contact the midwifery team at her local hosp to see if they can help? 🌺

[Skinnermarink]

@Petcarb

There was a thread recently and most had seemed to need go into clinic to see midwives post delivery rather than them doing home visits any more. I don't know if that's still the case now covid restrictions relaxed, but seemed most had regular check ups but had to travel to them.

Yes, I was on the bus to get to my five day check after having a c section. I coped alright but I did think it was ridiculous, I was still trying (and failing!) to establish breastfeeding, DS was absolutely tiny, and I was pretty mobile but sore and still bleeding!
turns out of you say you need a home visit they will do one, but I didn’t know that at the time, and dutifully trekked in.

[Petcarb]

There was a thread recently and most had seemed to need go into clinic to see midwives post delivery rather than them doing home visits any more. I don't know if that's still the case now covid restrictions relaxed, but seemed most had regular check ups but had to travel to them.

[Phineyj]

I'm sure there are videos covering safe use of car seats. It's worth practising with the Isofix kind though - not getting the baby in but fixing the damn thing to the car!

That sounds awful, whatelse. I'm sorry that happened to you.

I must say I don't remember all these visits and checks. I think one woman came round to the house once - not sure of her job. I do remember needing to figure out what boxes had to be ticked before the hospital would let me out post c-section. It wasn't wellbeing stuff so much as things like pharmacy sign-off, doctor sign-off. Came in v useful to brief my mum when she was having difficulty getting my dad discharged some years later that the issue would be a specific professional not having signed some form or other.

Do make sure DIL has food, drink and painkillers if you can, OP. That really made a difference to me because everything is so sloooow.

[QuebecBagnet]

@HalloHello

They need to clarify who will visit and when before they are discharged. Also the staff will help putting baby in the seat for the first time.

We don’t at any hospital I’ve worked at, in fact it’s strictly forbidden. We get no training in the various different car seats and the hospital are not taking any risk of liability.

[Whatelsecouldibecalled]

I never saw a midwife again after the birth of my son in April 2020 was discharged 14 hours after needing surgery to repair a horrendous tear and a blood transfusion and a reaction to the anaesthetic. I was in a bad way. I had to take him to the hospital at day 5 for his heel prick test on my own to see a HCA. All because of covid. A midwife phoned me on day 3 maybe and asked me to check for jaundice over the phone. It was dreadful and I still am not over it.

I honestly thought we were past this shit now.

Maternity services are really struggling clearly.

[Skinnermarink]

@User3568975431146

I was out a few hours after, there's absolutely no reason why not.
My husband said it was like going to Tesco and he was probably my right 😆

That’s very good for you but I wouldn’t say there’s ‘absolutely no reason’ that many women are in for longer. You were fortunate enough to have a straightforward birth and an efficient discharge.

[User3568975431146]

I was out a few hours after, there's absolutely no reason why not.
My husband said it was like going to Tesco and he was probably my right 😆

[Pac35]

There will be visits prior to 2 weeks as the baby will be weighed and will need the neonatal screening test NNST on day 5. Perhaps these visits will be appointments at the hospital rather than home visits?

[underneathleaf]

Also, as keen as she might be to be discharged after 4 hours, this will likely not be the case even after a straightforward birth. Hospitals are rarely that organised to actually discharge promptly, and for FTMs they want to see established breastfeeding.

[Cherryblossoms85]

After my third I was home within two hours and was made to go to the midwife checkins myself. There were no home visits.

[HalloHello]

They need to clarify who will visit and when before they are discharged. Also the staff will help putting baby in the seat for the first time.

[kegofcoffee]

'Her' midwife won't be seeing her for 2 weeks. But a midwife will have to come and do the day 5 heel pricks and day 10 weigh and discharge. So she should be seeing someone at least twice before then.

Plus the HV should be popping in at some point.

[lucyapplejuicy]

She will be discharged according to her and baby's condition after birth they don't just kick you out. Midwife will visit day after discharge then say 3 & 5 I think. Then usually health visitor will come around a week or 2 after. There are a few visits and you can go straight back to hospital if anything is wrong with Mum and baby. I wouldn't worry! It's better coming home sooner anyway!

[Phineyj]

I think there are fewer hospital beds per head of population now? So they have to get everyone out quicker. There's pros and cons of that.

[ValerieA]

I think I was surprised because, a long long time ago when I had my first, 46 years ago, you were kept in hospital for 10 days (much too long), with my second two it was 48 hours, so I was very surprised when I was told she would be discharged after 4 hours, all being well of course.
Again, thank you all for the information you have given, I have passed it all on. Only thing that worries my son is putting a new born baby in a car seat, I assured him that babies are tough little things & it will be fine.

[Hallyup89]

Discharge time is normal for a spontaneous vaginal delivery.

A community midwife will see her regularly and not in two weeks. It may have been two weeks if she was still pregnant but once baby is here it'll be around 24 hours after birth, day 5 and day 10. More visits if necessary.

[Phineyj]

You could offer to stay nearby if you have funds to do that and you think they'd find it helpful. My DMum stayed in a B&B in my sister's town for a week when she had her 2nd - mainly to look after the older DC though. But you could suggest it.

[CatSeany]

I believe they often discharge the same day for natural births (6 hours plus) as long as they were uncomplicated and feeding is established. Next day is the aim for C sections but can be longer. They will definitely see a midwife at day 5 because the baby will need a heel prick test. Often they will see a midwife a little earlier than that, but it all depends on personal circumstances and will be discussed on a case by case basis.

[Minster2012]

Definitely not the case. DD is 5 weeks & we saw a midwife (& HV) plenty. HV had to come around day 10, and skin prick test has to be done day 5. My baby lost a lot of weight so I saw them every other day for 2 weeks but even if that's not the case then she won't be left high & dry

Good luck to her!

[Mommabear20]

@ValerieA

At the moment she sees the community midwife every 2 weeks, at her latest appointment last Wednesday, the midwife said baby could be born within the next few days and if so she wouldn't be seeing her until the Wednesday after next - can't believe that a new mum would be sent home with no support and no checks on her or baby's health.

PS this is in the UK in Hertfordshire.

She won't see THAT midwife till the Wednesday after next. She won't be left alone for 2 weeks! Midwives will come to visit either the day after discharge, or the day after that. There'll also be a visit from the health visitor and a visit to a midwife, for me it was at the hospital, but some do it at childrens health centres, before they'll discharge her from midwife care at around 2 weeks.

[Skinnermarink]

@ValerieA

No - I am the last person to bash the NHS - at 71 years old I have owed my life to the NHS on two occasions. I have a wonderful local hospital & GP. The NHS has been grossly under-resourced for a while now & staff put under immense pressure. It is this that I would bash.

Apologies OP. Yes it is at the moment chronically understaffed and hand on heart there probably will be something that doesn’t ‘go right’ because of that- whether that’s taking ages to discharge, waiting to see a specialist if needed, even just the amount of help on the ward. There is likely to not be a lot of breastfeeding support for example unless you take the initiative and push for it. I found it was there if I was proactive about it but unfortunately it all came a bit too late for me.

but they reassure you about the original question, there’s no chance of simply being discharged without ongoing support hours after having a baby.

[newname120484]

Has your DIL actually had the baby or is this theoretical?
With my first I was kept in for 2 days with my second I was discharged after 7 hours. It all depends on the needs of mother/baby after birth.
A midwife (not necessarily the one at your appointments) will visit the day after you get home and every so often after along with Health Visitors. I highly doubt no one will visit for 2 weeks.

[QuebecBagnet]

She would normally be seen the day after discharge, day 5 and day 10 as a minimum. Some places also do day 3 if breastfeeding. Everywhere should do extra visits if necessary. Baby will have their heel prick on day 5. The HV will be in touch following discharge from midwifery care on day 10.

[ValerieA]

No - I am the last person to bash the NHS - at 71 years old I have owed my life to the NHS on two occasions. I have a wonderful local hospital & GP. The NHS has been grossly under-resourced for a while now & staff put under immense pressure. It is this that I would bash.