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Childbirth

Are you sent home too quickly after childbirth these days?

52 replies

canella · 11/01/2010 19:07

I had all my DC (3 of them) in the UK and the longest i was in after the birth was 48 hours and that was with my first. I was quite happy with dc 2 and 3 to go home the next morning and get on with things at home - never felt like i needed longer to recuperate in hospital since i felt a bit sore down below but otherwise well.

I've now moved to Germany and a good friend had a baby in the early hours of sunday morning. It's her 4th baby and was a natural delivery following induction and she's not expected home till Wednesday at the earliest. I went to see her yesterday and she was in bed and the staff encourage the mums to stay in bed as much as possible and to do as little as possible.

But this is not a "slag off the NHS thread"! I got in the car on the way home and was muttering to myself "She's not ill - she's done a natural thing - no need to lie in bed for 4 days - why doesnt she get up and get home!"

But then started wondering - is this the right attitude - should women be allowed to recuperate for longer in hospital especially when they've got other children and at home there's no chance of rest?

just wondered what others thought?

OP posts:

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coffeeaddict · 13/01/2010 20:38

I went home 2 days later with first, next day with second. But I'm gobsmacked at all these people cooking supper. Why?

The advice given to me was 'Don't take your dressing gown off for the first ten days'. I followed this to the letter, just lounged around bfeeding and certainly didn't cook for anyone. I saw myself not as slattern but doing my new baby and my healing body a favour. You only do this amazing thing a few times, cut yourself some slack!

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LynetteScavo · 13/01/2010 20:45

I think women should be allowed to rest, and spend time bonding with her baby, but I think that can be done at home, if she has support. Visitors are not support, they are just nosey people, who add more strain. I had to pick up DS from school when DD was 2 days old, dragging a 2 year old with me. People commented that I was "doing well", but nobody else was going to collect him, so I didn't exactly have much choice!