After birth, can you discharge yourself and leave before they discharge you?

[swampwomp]

Not sure I worded that brilliantly so I’ll explain!

I need to have a c section next month but I’ve only heard not great things about the hospital I’ll be going to for after-birth care on the ward. I know working for the NHS is very difficult right now so I’m not judging the staff, who I imagine are overworked and stressed enough. However, when I gave birth before (different hospital), after being told I can go I still had to wait about 7 hours to be discharged. When I’m fit to leave hospital, do I have to wait until they discharge me or can I leave once they say I’m physically okay to go? I don’t want to stay any longer than necessary.

It might be different this time! I had my EMCS 5pm Tuesday and was discharged by 2pm Wednesday, even though I still couldn’t walk! The hospital was busy and they were keen to free up beds.

I’m not sure about the NHS tbh I know you have two midwives with you for the birth (one for you and one for baby) but I’m not sure about NHS aftercare. I went private for both of mine and then they came to see me the next day to do the heel prick test on the baby and ask about bleeding etc. It’s probably the same with the nhs

I love you handle btw @CrispAppleStrudels

i wouldnt
i dont think they keep you in long anyway

yes you can discharge urself. It’s hospital not prison. If they don’t feel ur fit they will speak to you and have you sign paperwork to document you left against medical advice. If you went home and became unwell you would just be admitted again it’s not like treatment would be withheld. However all being well u will likely only stay one night as long as u and baby r ok. I’ve had 2 sections and my advice would be get up and moving as early as u can and make it known to them ur keen for discharge Asap. It might take a wee while to get ur discharge paperwork organised but they will be happy for one less patient. The wards r well under pressure and under staffed !

My midwife friend said that if you were asking and discharging yourself they would take that as a red flag. Kind of like abuse or no support. I wouldn't leave without the good drugs.lol

If all is ok and you and baby are well then c section mothers are ‘allowed’ to leave after 24 hours.

Stop scaremongering. Taking a healthy baby home from the hospital because you don’t want to wait around for paperwork is nothing like abuse or no support. Take it from someone who’s done it, nothing will happen.

a section is a major stomach operation
i wouldnt discharge myself

Blood thinner injections are vital but don't assume you'll be getting painkillers. With my first ELCS (6 years ago) I was prescribed dihydrocodeine due to blood loss. HDU for first night was amazing care. Second night on the Post Natal Ward = zero care, not even painkillers for over 9 hrs despite asking repeatedly. Then had a fight with the midwife on discharge to be allowed my prescription painkillers, was eventually shoved them in a huff and then asked very sternly why I hadn't been taking movicol for the past two days ... which I had neither been told about nor provided. Also, thank goodness I hadn't taken it in hospital - I could not imagine dealing with those effects in the ward loo 🫣

Second ELCS 3.5 years ago went as planned, and was only ever given paracetamol and ibuprofen, so just asked on discharge to make sure I had some in at home.

Did have to have 6 weeks of injections for both, given family history of heart issues.

Also OP, if you are in the NHS system, expect to be in and out in 24 hours, unless you or baby have any issues.

I did - I can only be discharged in the morning (due to ASD) and I told them this but they hadn’t got anything ready despite the fact I’d made it really clear and I’d been stuck there for 3 days so I discharged myself. nothing happened the midwife didn’t even turn up the next day as they were too busy !

I did recently. They make you sign a form and waive away their responsibility and put you down as “discharged against medical advice”. Doctors were super supportive of my choice because I was anxious to get home to the toddler. But I knew in my heart that I was fine and the only reason they were keeping me was as a precaution. I’d be nervous if I was anything less than 100% okay (and that can be difficult to judge, especially if you’ve just had surgery).

You can discharge yourself but after a C-Section I’d wait to be discharged by a doctor, just get out of bed, have a wee, get dressed, packed and ready to go (if well enough of course). I had to stay in longer because I had a drain unfortunately.

I had my section just 8 weeks ago, surgery was 9am on the Wednesday, I was discharged about 10am on the Thursday. 25hrs in total it was a joke.

You can leave as soon as the epidural wears off and you’ve been to the toilet, but I’d wait to see the doctor and get your meds prescription.

I was in for 48 hours after my son was born by EMCS. He was premature and up in NICU whilst I was down on a maternity ward. In the end I told my nurse that I wanted to go home that day. When nothing happened after five hours, I told them that I’d be leaving in two hours time when my husband picked me up, with or without an official discharge. Everything miraculously got moving and notes and medication got sorted.
I’d give a time that you’ll be leaving, with a few hours notice to give them a chance to sort everything, and stick to it.

I was discharged after 24 hours (C-section) - I just firmly said I was fine, baby was fine and I wanted to go home. They needed the bed and I was going home to lots of help so they were pleased.

They were having to really firmly tell some women they really needed to go home as one woman was refusing after nearly 5 days, she was absolutely fine, walking around, no infection etc. loudly telling everyone who listened that she wasn't leaving as it was like a holiday away from her kids.

DD recently had a C section. Delivered early evening and sent home first thing in the morning. Nurse tried to deny her the medication she had been prescribed. No midwife visited at home, DD had to travel to them.

Am not sure if it's changed because mine were a few years ago but with both of mine they gave me injections to take home with me to self-administer over a few days to help prevent DVT (I think - can't quite remember now). Wouldn't say that it's wise to say that you're just leaving and go without checking what you need. Also with one of mine the baby needed longer observation so I wasn't going anywhere anyway. Also agree that it could be a 'red flag' and will put extra pressure on the already pressured staff... but I do appreciate your point about wanting to get home, especially if the care isn't great. After my first c-section I practically skipped out of the hospital, but was in quite a lot of pain for some time after my second and probably should have stayed longer - which I was given as an option, so it's really hard to plan for when you'll be ready.

You can self-discharge if you like, but you’ll have had major abdominal surgery as well as a baby. Wouldn’t you want to make sure everything was okay before you went home?

I was being prepared for discharge the day after my C-section but I’d been in induced labour for six days so my body was exhausted and I could barely manage the walk to the toilet on the ward. I knew I couldn’t have got myself up two flights of stairs to my bedroom at home and asked to be kept in another night, which the staff were more than happy to do. I spent 7 nights there in total and couldn’t wait to go home, but I wanted to be sure I could actually cope when I got there!

If you haven’t had a C-section before, please don’t take the decision to self-discharge lightly as the recovery can be bloody rough. I was readmitted after 5 days for IV antibiotics after as my wound reopened and got infected.

If you are going to have a baby, in all likelihood you have planned it – and the inevitable outcome will be some form of medical intervention.

It should be no surprise then that, if all goes well, after 9 months you are likely going to end up under the care of the NHS. So all this, I made a fuss and suddenly there was action, and I said I was leaving so there, should really be factored into the plan as an expectation. (Indeed, you know it's coming, rather than finding yourself in hospital because of some unexpected illness).

What do you think happens when you go into hospital? Discharge can be notoriously lengthy for ANY hospital stay.

As a pp said, there are likely patients in need of urgent care or attention who must take priority over your paperwork.

Conversely, they can also discharge before you feel you are ready. The point is, this is the system you are knowingly entering into.

Of course you can leave. No one is going to say oooh, you went, now we're not going to treat you again. Or leave you to your own devices if something else goes wrong. So go if you want to. But no need to flounce!

I discharged myself two days after a section because the care was really poor and I knew I’d get taken care off better at home. They tried to persuade me to stay but I was determined to leave. They did my paperwork pretty quickly. I wouldn’t leave without having the paperwork done or it could trigger a safeguarding alert possibly.