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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

Whats the average hospital stay after birth?

91 replies

Niki93 · 08/12/2019 21:22

How long are you expected to stay in hospital after birth? I know this can differ for all women, but the reason i ask is because ive been looking at hospital bag threads and it seems like everyone prepares for a lengthy stay....i know its better to over pack than under pack for the unknown. But in general, how long do they keep you in for?

Ive seen one post for someone who stayed in 5 days because baby had lost weight. Is that common? To stay in untill baby gains?

Just wanting some experiences and advice on what to expect? In different out comes for example. Again, i know it will depend on how the birth went/complications and breast feeding etc. I had the impression they pretty much have you leave within the next day if all goes well (im not sure why) i could be wrong.

Thanks x

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RhymingRabbit3 · 08/12/2019 22:08

Tbh you will want to take changes of clothes, pyjamas and shower gel even if you're only staying one night. The chances of getting something gross on your clothes is pretty high

ParkheadParadise · 08/12/2019 22:09

With Dd1 I stayed in 5days. That was 27yrs ago.
With Dd2 I got home after 6hrs. I gave birth as soon as I arrived at hospital. 4yrs ago.

wineandcheeseplease · 08/12/2019 22:11

6 hours from birth to home for me. They offered me to stay if I wanted but I had no inclination to stay! Was glad to get home

yukka · 08/12/2019 22:13

I had high risk pregnancy but an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. Gave birth at 3:41am and was ready to go home by 8am, that includes a first breastfeed, shower etc. I had to stay till 10am as I needed an injection 6 hours after birth but that was for a specific condition I have. If you are both well then the best place for you is at home.

But as you know, it's not that predictable. All I can recommend is hypnobirthing - simply as you learn how to breath properly which will help in whatever situation you end up in.

AlwaysThereForEveryoneElse · 08/12/2019 22:15

I went home same day with dd. About 8 hours later

My old neighbour had an emergency section at midnight. Was home 4pm that day.

CazM2012 · 08/12/2019 22:15

I just wanted to say, I was only in for just under 24 hours with my 3rd and he went through 7 changes of sleepsuits & vests and 3 blankets (I had to buy the 3rd one at the hospital shop!) so even though we weren’t in long he was sick a lot from birth so I needed the extra stuff for him alone

Ribeebie · 08/12/2019 22:16

I went home 4 hours after DS was born. Normal delivery with second degree tear, basically had stitches, tea and toast, a bath, fed him and then they let me leave. Take a small bag in and if you end up staying send DH to the car for a 'longer stay bag' with spare clothes etc.

AlwaysThereForEveryoneElse · 08/12/2019 22:16

And. I'm. Packing minimal for myself. But I live about a 5 min from the hospital.

ThunderboltandLightning · 08/12/2019 22:16

4 days with no.1, about 8 hour with no.2.
No.1 was a forceps delivery and I couldn't walk for about 2 days afterwards. No.2, it was only 8 hours because of the time of night and time taken to get the paediatric discharge done the next morning.

porridgeface · 08/12/2019 22:19

Baby born 2pm and was home by 10pm. Induced, second degree tear and breastfed. I took my little bag in and had another in the boot incase they kept me in.

Nat6999 · 08/12/2019 22:22

I came home 4 days after my emcs, had 2 nights in high dependency & then 2 on postnatal ward. I think I would probably have been in longer because there had been no mention of me going home when I told them I was going home, I didn't ask, I told them I was going. I had been in 6 nights in total, I was terrified & desperate to get home because I had an horrific time, 2 nights being very sick with HELLP syndrome & was terrified that I was going to die, I was begging for them to get my mum & my husband but they refused during the first night when my organs were shutting down.

Dyra · 08/12/2019 22:22

2 nights. Pretty much bang on 48 hours after birth. Had to be monitored due to pre-eclampsia

Original poster

Niki93 · 08/12/2019 22:26

@yukka i do actually want to try hypnobirthing actually. Im going to ask my midwife how and where i can access the classes. Im planning on going to a midwifery led birthing unit (only low risk pregnancy allowed, no consultants, less pain relief options) and have heard a few say hypnobirthing is good. Il definitely try it if i can x

OP posts:

elliejjtiny · 08/12/2019 22:27

dc1 was a homebirth
dc2 and dc3 home after 3 hours
dc4 I went home after 3 nights and he was in for 4 weeks
dc5 we both stayed for 8 days.

Original poster

Niki93 · 08/12/2019 22:28

@Nat6999 my god that sounds traumatic. Im not aware of what that condition is but it sounds terrifying to have felt that scared. Sorry you went through that. I can see why you’d have wanted home xx

OP posts:

firstimemamma · 08/12/2019 22:29

We stayed for 1 night. Couldn't wait to get home personally!

MarleneandBoycie · 08/12/2019 22:30

Usually later same day or after 24 hours. I couldn’t go home straightaway after my first as planned, because they wanted to see if he was feeding ok. It had not even occurred to me to feed him!

itcoldoutside · 08/12/2019 22:32

24 hours then 12 hours

Wigeon · 08/12/2019 22:33

DD1 - stayed 6 hours after birth, home by the evening.

DD2 - went home 4 hours after the birth - she was meant to be a home birth and only wasn’t due to lack of midwives, so I just wanted to get back home asap!

Both born around lunchtime, so it was possible to go home the same day with a normal birth and no complications. Thinking of other people I know, I’d say quite a few stayed 1 night (especially if the birth was afternoon/evening), very few stayed longer than that.

IaIa3 · 08/12/2019 22:35

1 night for all of mine, even the one with meconiun in waters. Some people are put within 6 hours but I think that's usually second or more babies. Babies can drop 10% of their birthweight so probably other factors involved in the lengthy stay. Mine were never weighed before we were discharged, they were the following day by the community midwife. I'd say prepare for 1 night.

An0nym0us2011 · 08/12/2019 22:35

With my first baby I was in over night. We where there just under 24hours. Second baby I had baby at 3am and left the hospital at 7am

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 08/12/2019 22:38

Dc1- emcs & NICU stay. They wouldn't discharge me without dc1 so we stayed 3 nights until he was ready to leave. I would have been fine physically to leave after 1 night but they were afraid (correctly) that due to my mental state I wouldn't have back from dc1.

Dc2 - emcs. We stayed 1 night.

Celebelly · 08/12/2019 22:38

I had a C-section at 5am on Saturday and was discharged Sunday teatime. However we were readmitted on Monday because DD was jaundiced and too sleepy to feed, and we were in three further nights while she was under phototherapy.

poshredrose · 08/12/2019 22:39

My last dc was born at 11pm, they wanted me to leave at 4am as they have a 5 hour minimum rule.

Dandelion1993 · 08/12/2019 22:40

Depend son the birth really.

With dd1 it was a natural birth and home in under 24 hrs.

Dd2 was an emergency section and was there for 3 days.

You also have to wait for the doctors to see you and that can take a while.

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