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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

First baby - how long did you stay in hospital?

87 replies

Paradisefound · 19/02/2013 15:12

How long did you stay in hospital after giving birth to your first child?
Currently 32 weeks and would love to know other peoples experiences.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bbface · 19/02/2013 17:24

3 nights, and I did not want to leave. A private hospital in London. My DH said it was like a five star hotel! I received so much care and attention, and my Dh stayed all day, and we would have a delicious dinner in the room every dinner whilst watching Tv. I allowed wonderful peaceful bonding with my baby, that I will treasure for ever.

This time, private not an option. Due in 8 days. Worried about my experience, but generally speaking I am pretty forthright when I need help and assistance, so I am hoping that confidence will see me through I.e, get decent support

ShowOfHands · 19/02/2013 17:25

12hrs post emcs.

fishandlilacs · 19/02/2013 17:28

Induction at 40+ 16, 26 hour labour, failed forceps, emcs and 6 days in.

racheld33 · 19/02/2013 17:28

Normal birth, breastfeeding well, so was in only in 12 hours.
Didn't have time to open my overnight bag!

gerbilsarefun · 19/02/2013 17:38

2 days with dd1, born on a wednesday and we went home on the friday. I was quite happy staying there. With dd2 I thought I would stay the same and have a rest, but when it came down to it I was home 7 hours after the birth eating a massive take-away burger.

RugBugs · 19/02/2013 17:43

Two nights.
Apparently it could have been one but I didn't make it known early enough in the day that I wanted to go home thought that would have been a given. Not a single paediatrician was willing to do the newborn paperwork for me that day. I stropped the next day and it still took until 3pm to get all the bloody paperwork done.
The nurse asked me why I didn't just self-discharge the day before as the community mws can do all the checks

redandyellowandpinkandgreen · 19/02/2013 18:59

Gave birth at 10am on the Tuesday, left at 6pm on the Wednesday. I could have stayed longer, it was my insistence that I left which with hindsight was silly. I was struggling with bf and had a forceps delivery, I should have tried to look less like Superwoman (full face of make up immediately etc) and just taken the time to rest.

Creamtea1 · 19/02/2013 19:06

Ds1 born at 2am and went home at 5pm next afternoon. Even though was forceps birth, tear, epidural etc.
Ds2 born 1am and went home 3pm next afternoon - even though was induced due to pre-eclampsia!
They really want you in and out ASAP

milkyjo · 19/02/2013 19:18

Ds born at 18:30 was ready to go at midday the next day but short staffed on pn ward so paperwork delayed discharge for 3 hours! Having a home birth hopefully this time!

hugoagogo · 19/02/2013 19:28

4 days being induced + 3 days post emc with ds

Went into labour naturally with dd another emc, but with tearing and adhesions. Stayed in 5 days, I had to beg to go home still catheterised.

I really expected each time to be out in 24hrs, I think mws give the impression that most Mums are out in a day.It builds up people's expectations unrealistically.

Flisspaps · 19/02/2013 19:36

From Thursday to Sunday.

Went in for induction on the Thursday, finally started the process on Friday, DD was born on the Saturday and I escaped on the Sunday afternoon, although I think they'd have rather I stayed (had some complications)

Was sick of the place and didn't want to be there in the first place.

Chunderella · 19/02/2013 20:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LikeCandy · 19/02/2013 20:37

I am due in April, but the hospital policy is that after a normal birth you can be discharged after 6hrs if bottle feeding, but if breast feeding they keep you in for 24hrs+ to ensure you are established.
I really don't want to stay in hospital overnight and really want to get home ASAP, but I also intend to breast feed. Hoping to discuss it with my midwife at the 36w appointment about having home visits instead (all being well)
.

lottiegarbanzo · 19/02/2013 20:44

Do you know OP, my first thought on reading this earlier (from 'active' not going into the topic) was 'what on earth has kept her in hospital for 32 weeks? Is she going to tell us? and why would she want to hear about everyone else going home sooner?'

Hmm, sometimes baby-induced lack of sleep does make my brain go wonky!

AmandaPayne · 19/02/2013 20:49

LikeCandy - Assuming you are in the UK, they have no right at all to insist that you stay 'to establish breastfeeding'. In fact, they can't insist you stay in at all short of sectioning you.

My personal advice (not in any way trained in breastfeeding) is to check out the support that is available locally outside hospital. If I had been counting on my post natal ward to help me establish breastfeeding and had had any problems, I would have been totally stuffed. The locum on post natal grabbed at my boobs and stuffed. And most of the time I was utterly ignored. I was much better off being at home as the midwives who visited at home, and the local NCT , would have been far better support.

If the support in hospital is good and you feel it will be helpful then that's one thing. But if it's not and you don't want to be in there (barring medical necessity) then it is just spoiling your first days with your new baby.

RVPisnomore · 19/02/2013 20:51

6 days, major bleed after CS requiring blood transfusion.

Bakingtins · 19/02/2013 20:56

About 30 hours, and I was desperate to get out of there.

TerraNotSoFirma · 19/02/2013 20:58

DC1=6 hours, DC2=18 hours, only that long because I'd had quite severe bleeding after his birth.

HorraceTheOtter · 19/02/2013 20:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

vamosbebe · 19/02/2013 21:08

In Tuesday night to be induced Wednesday, completely unnecessary as I started having contractions immediately. DS hauled out with forceps at 9am, huge episiotomy and blood loss, I left 4pm Saturday.
There are only two beds to each room here in Spain (try explaining what a 'ward' is to my friends is hilarious, they're horrified!) and as it turned out, no one took the bed next to me so DH and I were alone with DS almost 4 days and it was lovely.

lottiegarbanzo · 19/02/2013 21:09

On the BFing thing (following from my first post and others), I did have great support at home with midwives, including feeding specialists, visiting daily for three days, one would have come on the fourth too - Sunday - but I felt we just needed to continue what we were doing rather than needing more advice at that point. At the five day check we were sent back to hospital.

I suppose I think if we'd stayed in hospital long enough for the feeding problems to be apparent, my baby might not have been allowed to lose 17% of her weight in five days (I could only get milk into her by hand-expressing and spoon-feeding). Thinking about it though, what would they have done differently there?

There might not have been any more one-to-one BF support available there and I'd have been far less relaxed and happy. Those early days at home were quite blissful in many ways. I might had had access to hospital breast pumps earlier, which would have made a difference and reduced the weight loss but, we'd probably have arrived at the same long-term solution, exclusive expressing, following a bit of short-term mixed feeding to get her weight up. Probably being back at home so fast was the better option, despite the feeding problems.

JollyRedGiant · 19/02/2013 21:11

Out in 24 hours on the Friday. Far too quick. Should have stayed longer and ensured BF was properly established. Back in hospital on Tuesday for a few days because of how much weight DS had lost. I will not be in a hurry to leave hospital next time.

CailinDana · 19/02/2013 21:13

DS born at 3:30am, I went home at about 5pm. I hate hospitals and couldn't wait to get out of there. In terms of "help" there was absolutely none - I didn't see anyone apart from the paediatrician who spent a minute checking DS over and the obnoxious Bounty pain in the arse. TBH I didn't need any help anyway - have been surrounded by babies all my life (60 cousins all younger than I) and DS fed pretty much straight away so I was just dying to get home to normality, a nice bed and some telly :) I'm having a homebirth this time round, all going well.

weegiemum · 19/02/2013 21:16

My oldest is just 13, so bear that in mind.

I was in hospital 3 nights with her. I had a really hard (37 hour) back to back labour with her, I was at high risk of pnd (which I was diagnosed with when she was 3 weeks), and it really made a difference. The midwife in my hospital who was very pro bf was on all 3 nights and I really put it down to her that I bf dd1 for 13 months, ds fir 15 and dd2 for 2 years!

I know staying in can be very crap, but for me it was a godsend!

plinkyplonks · 19/02/2013 21:20

wow surprised at some of the responses!!!

My sister allowed to go home with her lil one after 3-4 hours!!

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