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Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.

Pregnancy

How long did you stay in hospital?

48 replies

sweetkitty · 05/05/2004 21:41

Following Springchickens thread on hospital bags I was wondering how long people stayed in hospital, I know for a C-section you stay days but I thought you could go home after a normal vaginal delivery after 6 hours. I hate hospitals and am only having the baby in one cos DP is scared and I live in a small flat with hardly any space right now. Will I be allowed to leave after 6 hours with a first baby?

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Hulababy · 05/05/2004 21:44

I had an induction, then a cs. I went in on the Wednesdya for induction and then had DD by cs on Friday night - so 2 days before. I then came home on the Monday lunch time - so 2.5 days after.

At my hospital you could go home 8 hours after a normal delivery, proving all was well with mum and baby.

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chrissey14 · 05/05/2004 21:45

yes i think u can go hm within 24hrs after a normal delivery i had a c-section was in for 5 days a nightmare was ready 2 go hm after 2days .

a small flat is not classed as safe for a home delivery were a house has more room and acess to.

hosp should be ok

tc

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Linnet · 05/05/2004 21:56

I stayed in for 5 days with my first baby. Didn't want to leave until I knew what I was doing.

This time I plan on leaving within 24 hours assuming all goes well obviously we'll have to see how things turn out at the time.

I asked my midwife what was the earliest time I could leave and she said 6 hours providing that everything went ok and you have to have someone at home with you if you leave that soon. But I think that would be to soon for me and plan to aim for 24 hours at the most.

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Branster · 05/05/2004 21:58

i stayed in hospital for 3 days after birth (difficult delivery) and loved it as i had help on tap and had no idea what to do with a baby. didn't actually want to go back home as i didn't know how we'd cope.

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Lisa78 · 05/05/2004 22:00

6 hours seems to be the minimum, sweet kitty
Loathe hospitals myself and with my second, planned to be in about 10 minutes! But by the time you are delivered, cleaned up and taken up to the ward, filled in your paperwork, got harassed by bounty bag woman and had a wee, 6 hours have gone and you feel that the effort of going home is so very very hard! I stayed in 12 hours with DS2 and tbh, should have stayed at least 24
Don't corner yourself by talking yourself into 6 hours - besides, it may be nicer than you think. If you plan to breastfeed, you should probably be in longer, so you can have help on tap, as it were
Lots of luck

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kalex · 05/05/2004 22:04

DD, 6 born in Perth Royal, scotland, Best experience ever! Stayed 6 days, we both had infection, made fab friend in next bed, we still meet although 400 mile apart now. All meals cooked and brought to me!! Nobody ever one that before, although not private room, there were only 2 of us in the room.

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toddlerbob · 05/05/2004 22:38

Here in NZ it's 2 hours after delivery of placenta for a vaginal birth! I stayed in for 3 days for a vaginal, but I had my own room and they didn't chuck me out and it was a birthing unit not a hospital and they did all the washing and provided nappies - why would anyone go home? I know someone who went home after 3 hours and went to the supermarket on her way home.

The other thing a lot of people in NZ do is have their baby in a hospital and then transfer to a birthing unit, this is done within hours for a vaginal and I think within 24 hours for a CS. I see no real difference between this and transfering home, except that I did find it really useful to be somewhere I could ask silly questions around the clock - but then you have discovered mumsnet so that one is covered!

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lydialemon · 05/05/2004 22:41

DS1 - Born 6.30pm and I went home 5.30pm the next day. I hated it though, didn't get up to the ward until late so no food. DH got kicked out (after visiting hours!) and no one would watch DS so I couldn't even have a shower. The ward was noisy so I was awake all night, so consquently.....

DS2 - Born 4.10pm and with the help of MW I was at home eating M&Ms and watching a video by 8.30pm.

DD - born 9.55am went home at 8pm because it takes so damn long to print those discharge papers (4 hours!!!!!!)

I really do not like hospitals though. I know that if everything is OK and its NOT your first, you can be discharged 4 hours after giving birth.

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maisystar · 05/05/2004 22:47

i would advise going with an open mind-just see how it goes. i intended to come home asap but actually ende up staying in nearly 2 wks! ds was in scbu cos of infection but the infection wasnt discovered till he was 24 hrs old so if i had another child think i would stay in at least 24 hrs.
it was believe it or not really nice being in hosp for so long meals brought to you, no housework etc although hard to readjust to the outside world again-ds was born in nov and temp in scbu was 27 degrees+ !

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Lesley76 · 05/05/2004 23:06

I had a baby at midnight last night and left the hospital at 5pm tonight.Assisted vaginal delivery, first baby. like you i hate hospitals!

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popsycal · 05/05/2004 23:08

congratualtions leslie!!
do post your birth story!!!

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gingernut · 05/05/2004 23:08

Agree with maisystar - see how it goes. I had a difficult delivery and afterwards ds went to scbu for just over 24 hours, so there was no question of leaving immediately. I asked if we could leave the following day, and they basically said I could but ds couldn't because they wanted to wait for the results of all the tests they had done on him. In the end we stayed for about 3.5 days after he was born. I was desperate to get out though - food was inadequate, I hated being separated from dh after visiting times were over etc. Next time I hope to be out much quicker, but it'll depend on the circumstances.

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popsycal · 05/05/2004 23:11

I was in 3 weeks all round! A week before giving birth and 2 weeks after as ds was in SCBU and I wasn't allowed to leave as my blood pressure was still sky high.

If all had been 'normal' I would have wanted to stay in for afew days to establish breastfeeding and at least know what i was doing....

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chrissey14 · 05/05/2004 23:13

hi popsycal

hope both u and little 1 are now progressing well tc

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Soapbox · 05/05/2004 23:17

Both babies were born around midnight and with both of them I left hospital the following afternoon. Both were long labours with 2nd then 3rd degree tears, but I was happiest going home. Only thing that stopped me going earlier was the palaver we had to go through to get an anti-D injection!

I had no aftercare at all. Better to be at home with DH to do lots of running around for me

With my 2nd baby - the hospital actually provided me with a schedule of how long you could stay under various scenarios (part of standard hospital visit info) they said max of 24 hours for a vaginal birth - so they clearly did not want me hanging around anyway!

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popsycal · 05/05/2004 23:20

chirssey - thanks for your response
little one is now a rather large 21 months

and my BP is still high

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HiddenSpirit · 06/05/2004 01:03

Sweetkitty, is this your first baby?

With DS1 I stayed in 4 days, which was the norm at that hospital for your first baby. I have to say that although not a big lover of hospitals, I was glad, as although I had experience with babies (looking after nephews when they were small) I had no idea what looking after my own little bundle 24/7 would take.

With DS2 I wanted to be out in 6 hours, as I obviously had to leave DS1, but it wasn't to be. DS2 decided to arrive 3 weeks early and had to be resucitated (I didn't know this at the time though). He also couldn't get warm at first and had jaundice, so we were in 2 days in the end. Although I wanted the best for DS2, I nearly bawled my eyes out when midwife said we had to stay in.

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KateandtheGirls · 06/05/2004 01:13

In case you're interested, in the US (because it is all decided by insurance companies) you are allowed to stay 48 hours after a vaginal delivery. That doesn't mean literallly 48 hours, but you stay in for 2 nights then go home the next morning. For example, my daughter was born at 10:2opm on Wednesday and we went home on Friday morning. I don't know if there's a minimum after which you are allowed to leave. I guess they can't stop you leaving if you really want to. To be honest I've never heard it mentioned. All the talk here is about being able to stay in as long as possible.

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nikcola · 06/05/2004 01:26

i was induced at 11pm on wed night then i went home on friday morning i hate hospitals

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Ghosty · 06/05/2004 03:28

Ooooh toddlerbob .... BIG difference between going from hospital to Birthcare and hospital to home ....
I had DD by CS at 3pm Tuesday and then on Wednesday DH took us to Birthcare (birthing unit) ... had 3 nights of pure lovely luxury ... lovely meals (glass of wine with dinner), private bathroom, telly, midwives round the clock to take the baby off for a couple of hours so you can have some kip, phone so you can talk to your mates - Heaven ... would still be there now if I could (DD is 3 months old now )

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toddlerbob · 06/05/2004 03:41

That certainly sounds very different to my home too Ghosty. We didn't get wine, a TV, you looked after your own baby all the time, had to walk down the corridor to use the shared bathroom, made your own breakfast in the shared kitchen, very small single bed. I'm not complaining because I loved it there and there are places more like birthcare here if you want, I just think that looking back if I'd had to tranfer from the big hospital and do the first car trip etc. I would have been more comfortable at home with my own things.

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sweetkitty · 06/05/2004 12:59

Thanks for all your replies, yes it is my first baby.

Lesley - well done can't believe you are up to posting as well, Congratulations can't wait to hear your birth story!

I'm in Central London and would rather be home with DP fussing round me than in a large filthy hospital. But I'll keep an open mind cos you never know whats going to happen. I asked midwife about birthing unti and she looked at me as if I was mad and said I will be having it in hospital!!

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Northerner · 06/05/2004 13:03

Ds was born at 9.15pm Friday night, I went home Sunday morning. I needed demonstartions on bathing, nappies etc before I went home - I was clueless!

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secur · 06/05/2004 13:07

Message withdrawn

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Mum2Ela · 06/05/2004 13:15

With DD as soon as I had her I asked if I would be able to go home that day. The mw said 'oh no dear, shes premature. You'll have to stay'. That panicked me a bit, ok she was 4 weeks early but was a good weight (6lb 8oz). Went home the next day.

I think generally they like to make sure baby is feeding ok and that the doctore has seen baby etc.

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