How quickly were you released from hospital after birth?

[Sn0wflake]

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!

SF

ds1 em cs due to pre elampsia 2 weeks ,dd1 born mon out fri,vb.ds2 em cs due to induction not working born 12,02 out in 2 days

DS he was born at 2:50am on Saturday, I left on Monday afternoon. Managed to have a blood transfusion and feel really awful in-between. Had been in hospital since the Monday before he was born, so was glad to leave.

DD born at 1:26pm on Tuesday, left on Wednesday afternoon. Could have left on Tuesday but was happy to stay in for the night.

I had 3 c-sections - first two they kept me in for 5 days. Third one - had dd3 fri morning home sunday lunch time.

DS1 - had him at 6.35pm. Was kept in the delivery suite until 1am because I'd lost a fair amount of blood and they wanted to keep an eye on me. Sent me to postnatal ward at 1am - hadn't eaten for 48hrs, was covered from waist to feet in blood (DH said I looked like I'd been in a car accident) DH was sent home (didn't drive, took him 2 hours) MW was supremely unhelpful, wasn't anything to eat, and couldn't wash. Was so stressed out and homesick that I didn't sleep. Got told off in the morning for holding DS too much

Because I'd told DH not to rush the night before, he didn't get to the ward until 12ish so I couldn't shower until then (I was told couldn't take DS into bathroom and couldn't leave him with anyone) Worst night ever. MW's on the ward were horrible, dismissive and rude (delivery ones were angels) Didn't get to leave until that evening.

DS2 - was induced. 4 hour labour, had him at 4.10pm. With the help of a rather scrummy MW I was home eating pizza by 8.30pm. He had his official doctor check the next day (hospital only had 1 paediatrician that weekend out of 3 due to holidays/sickness, was no way I'd have got home that weekend if I'd waited) Didn't go near the ward.

DD - Had her at 9.50am, left around 7pm but only after 5 hours of nagging to get discharge papers, which I hated doing, but there was no chance I was staying over night. Once again, ward staff sucked. Antenatal and labour care fantastic, postnatal care was awful.

I was like you sn0wflake and really really didn't want to stay in hospital after DD1 was born. I particularly hated the idea of being separated from DH after such a huge, shared experience. My birth plan was to keep it as simple as possible so that I could get home asap rather than anything else.

I thought about a homebirth, but was lucky that in the end I decided not to as she was undiagnosed breech and by the time they realised it was a mammouth hurry to get her out by CS.

She was born at 2am on Sunday and we were home by lunchtime on Tuesday. I was utterly miserably in hospital and it was as bad as I feared - lonely, unfriendly, frightening etc. However, I realised pretty quickly once I was home that I really should have still been there. I struggled badly with bf and ended up with horrendous post-op problems that meant that I had to have a CS with DD2.

DD2 was born at 9pm on Friday and we were home by lunchtime on Sunday. That time it was the right length of stay and the whole experience was fine. I was more confident as a mother, with bf and with what was going on.

Don't rush home, even if that's what your gut says. They won't keep you any longer than they want to so there's probably a reason why they want to keep you if they suggest you stay. Good luck!

#1: horrendous stillbirth with lots of interventions - they couldn't get me out fast enough & hence caused a lot of grief for community midwife who had to chase about for catheters & stuff.

#2, not in too great a hurry to get out due to first experience. ds born around midnight, stayed until the day after the day after.

#3, stayed 2 nights as dd was a bit prem.

Hi everybody,

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with me. It's really good to know how it is for other people. Some of your experiences sound really hard and some sound OK.

I would have opted for a home birth but was talked out of it because I have a bicornate uterus - having said that I never understood the reasoning because as I understood it if I got to full term and was not breech (and I am OK on both counts) there was really not much reason for me not to have straight forward birth.

Having said that I can go to the midwife led unit at the hospital and they have a pool etc....and you never know how the pain may hit you I suppose.

I am interested in getting out quickly but will see how it goes.

One thing I am surprised about reading all the responses is the things that the midwives have said sometimes. I can understand not being able to be attentive on a busy understaffed ward but being rude with a new mother seems really terrible to me.

Thanks again for all the info....can't sleep tonight and it is really nice to get all the responses.

Maybe somebody else can tell me why my mother stresses me out so much when she visits and yet I love her dearly.....no probably no answer to that one. I am seriously wondering if I have made a mistake in asking her to be the 2nd birth partner. Hmmm.

Hope you are all dreaming peacefully!

SF

@ IGIVE IN !!