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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

How long in hospital after birth?

25 replies

carleyemma91 · 09/04/2020 21:47

I'm 30+6 with my first baby and I'm trying to prepare myself for the inevitable labour. I think it's at the forefront of my mind with COVID-19 making big changes to labour for expecting parents and the real possibility that my husband will have to go home alone following the delivery of our baby girl. I was wondering if anyone could give me an idea of how long you're typically in hospital after labour, of course this will be dependent on the labour/pain relief etc but I really just have no idea.

I don't have my next midwife appointment until next week, which is just a telephone call, and would rather have an idea sooner rather than later. I've looked on google/hospital trusts websites and can't really find an answer. Any help would be really appreciated just to help put my mind at ease and manage my expectations really.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 09/04/2020 21:52

Admitted Saturday night at 39+1 weeks. Firstborn delivered 3am Monday morning by emcs for failure to progress.
Discharged on the Thursday afternoon cross eyed with exhaustion if I'm honest. Maternity wards are noisy places. It might be quite bearable with no visitors coming and going though.
It's hard to predict. Plan for the worst and hopefully you'll be pleasantly surprised. Bring chocolate!

ShirleyPhallus · 09/04/2020 21:52

I had an EMCS a few weeks ago and was discharged 24 hours later

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 09/04/2020 21:54

She's almost 10. I'm over it but still regret having no snacks, hospital food is grim.
DH only allowed in for visiting hours which weren't that long. It's a useful time to snuggle down and learn to breastfeed/do skin to skin and just adjust mentally to the shock and reality of being responsible for keeping another human alive. If you are a couple of days alone I think it won't be as bad as you fear.

FilthyforFirth · 09/04/2020 21:54

Planned c section due to breach DS. Went in on Thurs discharged Sat afternoon.

MrsB2019x · 09/04/2020 21:56

It depends really, I used to work in a maternity ward and some were allowed to go home after a few hours if they had minimal pain relief (gas and air etc), baby is feeding well and obstetrically the Mum is okay. Epidural and C-sections generally were around 24-48 hours as you need time to mobilise again

Megan2018 · 09/04/2020 21:57

I had to do 24hrs as I had GD and baby required routine blood sugar monitoring. I then opted to transfer to a birthing centre for 3 days for top notch BF support and postnatal care near my home (we are fortunate to have this in my county-most don’t).

In the current climate though I’d get home asap, I was well enough to technically leave within hours, so if I was doing it now without GD I’d not have stayed overnight. They’ll want you out as soon as it is clinically safe. Unfortunately this may not give you such a good experience as you’d have otherwise.

Mumsnet is full of how awful the hospital stay is but I enjoyed it!

user1464279374 · 09/04/2020 21:58

I gave birth last week so my husband did have to leave. Gave birth 4:30am and left the hospital at 6pm (would have been nearer 4pm but I had to be taken out of the hospital to meet my husband outside!)

Angelik · 09/04/2020 21:59

In and out in same day with both. Totally depends on your labour and how you feel after. I agree with pp labour wards with baby are awful. Surrounded by noise and people when you just want to rest. Even when I had a room to self with first (A quiet night on birth front) I was still super eager to get home. Hospital doesn't mean full on attention care/being looked after. You stay there for a medical reason. If you have none to home and be looked after there by your partner - that's their job in first couple of weeks.

Goostacean · 09/04/2020 21:59

EMCS - 23hs, couldn’t get out of there fast enough. VBAC... about the same, and also couldn’t wait to leave! Had to be really really pushy to get discharged, especially the second time, but couldn’t bear to stay in. The postnatal ward is exhausting.

Original poster

carleyemma91 · 09/04/2020 22:02

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your replies already. I think in my head if I expect to be in a few days then anything less is a bonus. I'm a bit of a wuss so I expect I'll probably end off going with an epidural but I'm hoping to manage with pethidine.

I'm not massively worried about being alone with my precious little bundle, more feeling sorry for my hubby if he gets banished. More snuggles for me though, so every cloud I guess :)

OP posts:

BeingLonely · 09/04/2020 22:03

Both my labours I stayed one night only. Definitely one night with your first unless longer is needed for any medical reasons.

REdReDRE · 09/04/2020 22:03

12 hours after delivery with baby 1. I had an epidural but could have gone 4 hours earlier, was waiting for anti d. They were keen for me to stay overnight as it was my first but I was keen to get home. No epidural with the second but two days in hospital as I haemoraghed.

Delbelleber · 09/04/2020 22:04

I'm having a planned section and told I'll be out in 24hours.

Tiddlytubbies · 09/04/2020 22:10

Admitted 1am Saturday 6cms dialated didn't give birth until 2pm, was discharged 5pm on the Sunday. He was born at 36 weeks, looking back they probably let me out quite quick but I was thankful to leave!

GalileoGalileo · 09/04/2020 22:17

I spent 6 days in hospital after a homebirth transfer - baby needed to go to NICU and I needed surgical repair of a tear. I actually didn't find my stay too bad (once baby was ok), had lots of breastfeeding support and guidance on how to look after baby. Prepare for anything really as you don't know how your labour will be. Pack an extra bag for you and baby in case you have a prolonged stay.

20viona · 09/04/2020 22:19

Daughter born at the 11.50pm sunday evening and got discharged tuesday 11am. I had a retained placenta so I'd been to theatre.

Wewearpinkonwednesdays · 09/04/2020 22:21

With my first I delivered at 1am and they let me out around 4pm the same day.
With my second I delivered at 8am and again got home around 4pm the same day.
I think I was just kept in for a sleep the first time and had to wait for the baby to have his checks in the morning.

snowone · 09/04/2020 22:24

6 hours after birth for both DDs. Both vaginal birth, 1st degree tear with 1st, 2nd degree with 2nd.

tumpymummy · 09/04/2020 22:30

Hopefully you will only be in a short while but it is also worth taking extra stuff with you just in case you end up staying longer. Both times I have been in hospital a week. First time because DS was jaundiced and second time because DD was very small and wouldn't feed properly.

kittykat7210 · 09/04/2020 23:15

Admitted Saturday night at basically midnight had baby very early hours of Sunday morning, had to beg and plead to be discharged Tuesday evening! I could walk within a few hours of birth but they just wouldn’t let me leave. I honestly don’t think I could have coped without husband there during the day (he could come 9am-9pm). No sleep apart from when husband was there to look after baby whilst I used noise cancelling headphones thanks to what I can only assume was a very colicky/hungry baby next to me, couple that in with the midwives waking me up every 2 hours if I’d managed to drift off to feed my daughter unnecessarily and I can honestly say it was the worst experience of my life. Food was fine, everything else was rubbish. Praying I don’t have to stay again this time, I want out with my husband, straight from delivery room.

MichelleOR84 · 10/04/2020 10:42

Baby was born at 2:37am. I lost too much blood and spent the first night in the high dependency unit . They moved me to my own room the following morning and I had to stay the next night too .

I was struggling breastfeeding and decided to stay an extra night on my own terms . My hospital has so much breastfeeding support. After my third night I felt more confident nursing and was discharged.

So three nights in total but the first night baby was born at 2:37am so I’m not sure if that counts . And my third night was my choice .

This was a year ago. With COVID—19 I don’t know if I would have stayed that third night . I think I was just scared to go home and nurse alone . At the same time the extra support was great and hugely benefited me .

Peanut91 · 10/04/2020 10:54

I went in at about 7.30pm on the Sunday as I had heavy bleeding (waters had already gone in the morning and was contracting) and was admitted. Had baby at 2.45pm on the Monday and came home on the Wednesday afternoon. Would have been sooner but baby's blood sugars dropped in first 12 hours so they wanted to monitor him for longer. I had him at 36+4

Poppyfr33 · 10/04/2020 11:08

Going back a few years (1980s), spent 7 days in hospital with the support to establish breastfeeding. The baby was taken to nursery at night and you were woken to feed it in the nursery, noise on the ward then kept to a minimum. I started PND whilst in hospital and the support was invaluable and continued when I went home. 2nd time around 6 years later, in hospital for 3 nights, they kept the babies on the ward and nobody slept well, the support was minimal to the point where we were assisting 1st time mums with breastfeeding and general advice. Which sound best?

MsSquiz · 10/04/2020 14:39

Arrived at hospital 1pm on the Tuesday (already 4cm dilated), DD arrived 2am Wednesday and we stayed in until 3pm on the Thursday.
We could've gone home on the Wednesday afternoon but my blood pressure was sky high so they were monitoring that and DD needed to have her hearing test before we left

Maincat · 10/04/2020 16:33

I was induced on a Wednesday, baby born Friday morning, I was home Saturday evening. I had to stay in for 24hrs as I had a blood pressure spike during the labour so I needed to be monitored. I would have been out earlier on the Saturday but the actual discharge process isn't very speedy! X

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