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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

How quickly were you released from hospital after birth?

58 replies

Sn0wflake · 03/08/2009 13:55

Hi,

I just wondered how long afterwards I could get out as I hate hospitals and would much rather be at home if I can. So can you tell me what sort of birth you had and how quickly you went home.

Thank you!

OP posts:

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 03/08/2009 17:00

"My doula said you can walk out whenever you want. You are not legally required to stay so they can sign you out. Wish I'd known this first time round as I was hanging around for ages.
"

Well she sounds nice and helpful. How fantastic it would be if everyone just decided to go without a paed check, hearing screen, bloods, p/n check, paperwork.

pagwatch · 03/08/2009 17:01

DS1 about 12 hours
DS2 about 12 hours
DD was fab.
I had DD at about 3.00pm and I was home by 8.00pm
Although t'was ironic as we had a huge birthing suite and the midwife bought the two DS's sandwiches and i slept a bit while DH rocked DD and bathed and changed her. So actually wouldn't have minded staying a bit longer!

iwouldgoouttonight · 03/08/2009 17:05

If you have a straightforward vaginal birth without an epidural, etc there isn't normally any reason to stay in for very long at all. But it often depends on the time of day and whether there is someone to sign you out.

I had DS at 7.30pm and was home by midnight - was very straightforward birth. I could have actually left at 9.30pm but the midwife suddenly had to go and deal with someone else and couldn't sign me out.

I had DD just after midnight and was home by 6pm the same day (had retained placenta and epidural to have it removed).

Would recommend staying at home for as long as possible while in labour, although possibly not as long as I did with DD - I had her 15 mins after arriving as hospital and they only just had time to find me a room!

TheChilliMoose · 03/08/2009 17:06

16 hours. I thought they were going to show me how to feed and bathe the baby, so I kept hanging on but in the end they told me to go.

iwouldgoouttonight · 03/08/2009 17:07

You don't have to wait in for the hearing screening but if you don't you will need to go back into the hospital the next day for it (so you might prefer to wait a bit longer at the time rather than having to go in twice if you don't like hospitals).

pagwatch · 03/08/2009 17:10

Ahh ChilliMMose

When I asked if someone could help me bathe DS1 after an particularly difficult, albeit quick birth, the charming nurse called me a stupid bitch.
As soon as DH re-appeared we left.

aquavit · 03/08/2009 17:11

Like you OP I was really fretting about this. Had normal delivery but not in midwife unit as I had wanted, so I ended up having to stay overnight in a ward which was exactly what I'd been dreading. BUT it was actually really OK! I got lots of sleep - much needed because I hadn't had any for three days of contractions - more than I would have had at home because I was more relaxed knowing that help was at the end of a buzzer. I also enjoyed having other new mums to chat to (normally I am v antisocial ). DH got a proper night's kip too so he was much better placed to look after us when we got back.

So I'd say try not to worry about it - you'll be spaced out whatever happens, and there are some advantages either way. Good luck with your baby

TheChilliMoose · 03/08/2009 17:12

Pagwitch that's awful.

pagwatch · 03/08/2009 17:14

It was. But they were all really horrible in that hosp

It was 16 years ago though and i moved in time for next birth.

TrinityRhinoIsInDetention · 03/08/2009 17:15

cant remember with dd1

different with dd2 as she was scbu

gecko - I went into hospital at 3.15am,, had her at 5am was home at 4.30pm

MuppetsMuggle · 03/08/2009 17:17

2.5hrs I wanted to get home for football

igivein · 03/08/2009 17:46

Midwife-led unit at Bishop Auckland, absolutely brilliant. They welcome you with 'stay as long as you like, but we ask that you leave before the baby starts school!'
Transferred there for recovery after ecs, sorted out bf, came round from op, discharged myself after a week (given choice I think I'd still be there...)

stubbyfingers · 03/08/2009 17:54

I know someone who discharged herself 24 hours after a section. I'm completely in awe of her as I could barely walk at 24 hours (but am pathetic). She was lucky that her mum is a nurse though so kind of had her own professional at home.

I was in for four days after both my sections and hospital is indeed horrible.

Good luck!

whitenoise · 03/08/2009 18:04

DS1 born at 6:37pm and home at 2pm next day
DS2 born 4:12am (I think-that's bad isn't it?!) and home by 10ish next day as they needed to keep an eye on his breathing(he had a grunt)and i wanted to wait for breakfast
ds3 born 3:10pm and was home by 7pm. could have been home earlier but DH fell asleep when he went home to get the baby seat

CarGirl · 03/08/2009 18:06

Our local hospital wants you to wait 6 hours after delivery as if problem occur it is usually within that time slot.

Kayzr · 03/08/2009 18:08

I went home 9 hours after DS1 was born. Nurse was a bitch and when I asked for help BF, she pointed at DS1 and said "baby" and then pointed at me and said "breast, not hard to work out is it". And I wonder why he was FF from 3 days old.

DS2 I had at home. Much much nicer.

MaybeAfterBreakfast · 03/08/2009 18:09

Ds1 1 week (he was in scbu)
Ds2 born late afternoon, out the following lunchtime. We were ready to go hours before that but had to wait ages for all the paperwork and the paed check.

GeeWhizz · 03/08/2009 18:18

DD Natural birth (hospital)- 5 days but she was in SCBU - I had high blood pressure.

DS Natural birth (home which I wasn't planning on delivered by my neighbour) - less than 24 hours, waters broke at 4.00 pm had him at 6.00 pm in our small bathroom at home. I was not planning a home birth - supposed to be waiting for DH. Went into hospital by ambulance just to get DS checked.

lara27 · 03/08/2009 18:23

I had to stay in for 3 days because my waters had broken more than 24 hrs before I went into labour so they thought ds might have an infection (he didn't) so hospital insisted on pumping him full of antibiotics he didn't need and refused to let us go home, we weren't even allowed off the ward, I was going insane!

maxbear · 03/08/2009 20:40

I'm a midwife in a birth centre that is located close to an obstetric unit. We have loads of women who give birth and then go home a couple of hours later, the gp then checks the baby if all has been normal. If there are concerns we ask them to wait for a paed. I ask that women have had a good big wee and that ideally the baby has had a feed before going, obviously the blood loss has to have been normal and have settled down too. Sometimes if we are busy women have to wait a bit for the notes to be done, but most people are patient and not chomping at the bit to get out. I personally waited six hours after I had had my first because I wanted to show her off to all my friends when they came in to work in the morning. In hindsight I should have gone home and slept.

Mammina · 03/08/2009 21:13

DD was born 11.38am, went home about 9pm. They told me the minimum amount of time you have to stay in is 6 hours - I stayed a bit longer bec I had to wait for DD to be checked over

puffylovett · 03/08/2009 21:18

I opted for 6 hour 'express checkout' but 12 hours later was still there

they were very busy. I had people traipsing in and out of my room, no sleep at all - have opted for a home birth this time around, fingers crossed

Maria2007 · 03/08/2009 22:11

I had forceps delivery, stayed 2 nights, left during afternoon on day 3. I really pushed to leave at that point as I couldn't stand the idea of a 3rd night alone in the postnatal ward (without my partner present).

Sorry, but whoever said you can just 'walk out' & are not 'legally required to stay', well even if that's true it's crap advice because after birth there's all sorts of screens for the baby (hearing screen, general paediatric screen etc). All those things are really useful- in our case they spotted a minor paediatric issue which I doubt we would have found quickly otherwise.

That said, I found the postnatal care appalling. Not because of my particular hospital which was fine. Just because, even in the best of cases, they're extremely understaffed in the postnatal wards & the women are completely exhausted & needy- plus have newborn tiny babies on their hands, some of the new mums (as I was) with no experience whatsoever, and partners/husbands are not allowed to stay- which I for one thing is appalling- it's all a nightmare really.

Mybox · 03/08/2009 22:15

How awful that she said that Kayzr - must have been difficult for you.

Jas · 03/08/2009 22:24

DD1, easy straightforward birth at 2am, stayed that night and the next, home the following morning.

DD2, crash section, in for four days and really felt ill enough to be in hospital for the first two. (She was my planned home birth)

DS, ventouse, but no major complications at 6.30 pm. I had planned n 6 hr discharge, but due to timing/checks to be done, didn't actually leave until 11 am the next day.
DS stopped breathing shortly after we arrived home, so we spent the rest of the afternoon back on the ward getting him checked out (no further problems, just a blip due to his fast birth)

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