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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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Ninjakittysmellz · 08/12/2019 22:42

Ds was my first and his labour that went wrong - I need episiotomy and forceps as he was in distress about an hour after arriving at hospital and with no pain relief. He needed the crash team, and it was incredibly distressing to the point where I had PTSD. They discharged me after 5 hours knowing I was a single parent and was going back to a house that I lived in on my own.

I rang my midwife from the carpark as I was in total shock - I genuinely couldn’t get my head around fact I’d had a baby full stop (my labour was only 3 hours!) She was amazing. She drove to collect me, took me to the maternity hospital at our local hospital, and I was admitted and stayed 5 days with the absolute knowledge I could have stayed longer. I think I was in shock for the first 2 days - but their help in looking after me so I could look after DS was something I will never forget

GrumpyHoonMain · 08/12/2019 22:42

You can request to stay at most NHS post-natal wards (if you chose a hospital birth) for at least 24-48 hours if you are breastfeeding. Many will even let you stay until your baby’s breastfeeding is examined / established. I stayed in a week due to baby and I were high risk and had complications during delivery, but there were plenty of low risk women who used the hospital too staying to take advantage of the breastfeeding support.

Sunshinegirl82 · 08/12/2019 22:43

DS1 - waters broke Friday admitted that afternoon, DS delivered by emcs on Saturday morning. We both had some sort of infection so stayed in for 8 days for IV antibiotics. 24 hours after discharge readmitted as my blood pressure sky rocketed. Stayed in a further 2 or 3 nights so finally got home for good on about day 12.

DS2 - ELCS this time. Delivered at 11am, discharged lunchtime the following day. Readmitted on day 3 due to weight loss and jaundice (DS needed light therapy). Home for good on day 6ish.

I breastfeed both but it did take concerted effort due to them both being a bit poorly and having quite severe tongue ties (particularly DS2).

Neither situation was ideal and it was very hard at the time but we got there and we are all fit and well now!

Rodent01 · 08/12/2019 22:43

Dd1, born 10pm, home lunchtime next day, spend most of that day trying to get discharged.

Dd2, would have been out in 2 hours had the midwife not said “I really can’t sign your discharge papers under 2 hours from birth, can you just sit here a bit longer”...,

Northernlurker · 08/12/2019 22:45

If you're going to send the bloke home to get stuff then make sure you leave it clearly labelled or in a specific place you can describe. Even the best of men is unglued by seeing their partner go through childbirth and many is the woman who is presented with black lacy thongs, jeans and a boob tube when you sent him home to get 'my black pants, comfy trousers and something I can feed in'

GoodCheer · 08/12/2019 22:47

5 days after emergency section with DC1.

48 hours exactly after elective section with DC2.

Clevs · 08/12/2019 22:49

48 hours for me following emergency c-section and extra obs on baby due to Group B Step.

neonglow · 08/12/2019 22:52

If you don’t feel it’s necessary then you don’t HAVE to stay if they’re wanting you to. I felt a bit dizzy/faint after my second straightforward birth (but I knew that was due to getting up too quickly to shower/lack of sleep from labouring through night) and they wanted me to go to the postnatal ward and stay longer to keep an eye. I knew I just needed my own house and bed so declined.

Obviously in some cases it will be necessary (and in other cases it will be because of the baby rather than you) but do remember that it’s not a prison and if you’re not happy then you don’t have to agree to stay.

luckymagnoliatree · 08/12/2019 22:56

DS1 was induced and a complicated labour as he got stuck, ended up being ventouse. Stayed in 5 nights in total as he wouldn't feed and lost so much birth weight.

DS2 also ended up getting stuck (I seem to be unlucky)! He was back to back so had to be manually turned in theatre & forceps. Stayed in for 24hrs after his arrival. He had to be monitored due to being born just over 24hrs after my waters broke.

20viona · 08/12/2019 22:59

I gave birth at 11.50pm so I stayed that night and the one after as my baby was 3 weeks early and I had a retained placenta. My husband was allowed to stay the whole time.

Drbrowns · 08/12/2019 23:07

I’ve had three sections. One emergency and two planned. 1st two I was kept in 4 days, last one I was kept in 7 as they picked up a heart issue with me on the Morning of discharge, and wanted to run tests to see what was causing it before I was allowed home. I honestly thought I’d never get out of it. Definitely better to over pack, or at least leave a bag of extra pjs, underware and toiletries at home so it’s easy for your partner to get instead of trying to explain what you need and where to find it.

TorysSuckRevokeArticle50 · 08/12/2019 23:10

I had Gestational Diabetes so had to stay until DD had 3 sugar checks.

I had her at 6.30pm, left at 8.30am the next day. I was a pain though, really hated being in the hospital, far far far too hot and noisy so no sleep. I was asking politely, every half hour from 5am until one of the nurses finally said said, yes Ok you can leave. I was out the door and in a taxi within 5 minutes 😁

JenniferM1989 · 08/12/2019 23:24

I had an emergency c section with my DS. He was born at 3:30pm on the Thursday and I got to go home around the same time on the Saturday so two days. I had however already been in (and out) for 3 days prior to him being born being induced

Sleepyquest · 08/12/2019 23:28

I was in 5 days. Felt like 5 weeks. I didn't have enough stuff and every day my husband brought me more stuff

Boymummy3 · 08/12/2019 23:32

Ds1 - born at 2.08am left hospital at around 7:30pm same day. They wanted to watch me feed him first a few times to make sure I was ok doing it before they discharged me.
Ds2 - born 10:30pm left hospital around 12:30 dinner time following day probally would of been earlier but had to wait for checks to be done etc first

Lunafortheloveogod · 08/12/2019 23:47

24hours.. but I didn’t go onto the ward until after 11pm anyway. Gave birth just before 5pm. Forceps, stitches, epidural.. i had to be mobile and passing urine/possibly pooing (midwife asked) before I left. Ds had 3 sugar checks and saw a paediatrician before we went. I was welcome to stay longer but really I wanted my own bed and I have a bloody dream of a child who rarely made a peep so I woke up for other people’s babies more than my own lol.

I did have half the house packed, I used a fair bit of it too. And I packed two home outfits for me, one incase it was warmer/csection (maxi dress n cardi) and one normal outfit (leggings and a T-shirt). I’m over packing again this time but it’s so I know I have more than I actually need so I’m not sitting in labour counting socks n pants

Nat6999 · 09/12/2019 00:21

The day I decided I was going home, I forced myself to get up & dressed before visiting time, I rang my mum to bring the car seat in & dumped everything in my bag, the paediatrician had been & discharged ds, but nobody had mentioned anything about me going home. I was shattered from little or no sleep or food for 6 days & was desperate for my own bed, a nurse came round mid afternoon with pain relief, I just told her I was going home, 5 minutes later a doctor came to try & change my mind, i again told her I was going home no matter what she said, we had to wait for medication but I was home within a couple of hours. I had my first solid meal in nearly a week, bacon, fried bread, mushrooms & tomatoes, no meal has ever tasted as good in my life.

lisag1969 · 09/12/2019 00:22

I only had to stay 6 hours after and was let home.

ColaFreezePop · 09/12/2019 00:35

36 hours though DD was born in the night. We were pissed off because we were kept in an extra day because DD decided to sleep after she was born. No one had told us that we had to wake her up to feed her at exactly 3 hours. Also there was absolutely no breastfeeding support and I was stuck on a ward with some ladies who had difficult labours. My DP had to sleep on the floor as his chair was broken and by bed was broken so neither reclined making breast feeding hard.

A friend of mine who had an instrumental birth was out after 6 hours even though her LO had not fed. This was because it was her second child.

june2007 · 09/12/2019 00:42

I think it was around 48 hours for first and less then 24 hours for second in the hospital I was based at but as mine were bothe prem and in scbu I ,m not too sure. I stayed 2 nihts with both then came back and did rooming in before taking them home.

Torchlightt · 09/12/2019 00:53

I asked to stay 3 days and they agreed.

Angharad07 · 09/12/2019 00:53

I stayed for 3 nights after my emergency c-section. I thought I’d over packed but I underestimated how messy newborns are and my partner has to get more stuff on the 2nd night! I had packed 14 nappies and 7 baby grows and vests- he was sick a lot.

Just a warning, staying on the maternity ward was a living nightmare for me. Babies were going off like alarms all night and I didn’t get any sleep at all until I went home and could nap during the day. Next time I’m going to have an arranged c-section and try to leave ASAP.

IceBearRocks · 09/12/2019 01:04

My first 12 years ago they made me stay overnight even though he was born at 9am.
Second 10 years ago...I begged to go home 12 hours after as he couldn't feed and wanted time at home to establish BF. ( We went back in the following days and stayed for about 3 weeks..... then on and off for the past 10 fucking years...hes a pain in the arse ! )
Third ....Birthed at 6:10 and home by 8am..... 20 minute drive too..... popped, shower, feed, home .......
I never want to have another child...would want to stay in longer

Court1994 · 11/12/2019 21:31

When I had my daughter, I stayed for one night. I had her in the afternoon and I got to go home the next morning.

nataliemum25 · 11/12/2019 21:32

I was home within 6 hours after the birth with my last pregnancy, hoping the same with this one

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