I'm going to discharge myself after c-section, can I be stopped?

[SingingWren]

I'm having a c-section on Tuesday, I've been informed by a midwife that my partner will have to leave straight after the c-section. I was tested for Covid19 at their request, so why not test birthing partners too, surely if both test negative, there is no risk on the wards?

My c-section is at 9am, once catheter is out and I'm confident baby and I are fine, I plan on discharging us both and going home to be with partner, where I will undoubtedly get more rest, more help and be far more comfortable.

This may be very late at night obviously, so I'm wondering if they can actually stop me? Surely they can't keep me there if I demand to be let home? Has anyone done this?

Sounds irrational, but I've had two friends give birth at the same hospital in the last month. Both had horrific experiences, short staffed, buzzers ignored etc, both really struggled. Any advice appreciated.

Is this your first c section?
It's a major operation. You wont be able to walk. Do you have a wheelchair? What if there are complications.

This is exactly what I did. My son was born on the Tuesday. The care was appalling. I knew I’d get better care at home so discharged myself on the Thursday. I had to sign some paperwork but they didn’t object.

@mathanxiety being unable to walk wasn’t my experience at all. We went up town shopping with the pram on the Friday. Yes I was tender and needed to be careful but I didn’t find it massively debilitating.

Since then I’ve had a hysterectomy. Now that was a different story. My god that was horrific. Couldn’t walk properly for weeks.

just relax and go to sleep until the morning when they can do the checks

Lol, as if getting any sleep in hospital post birth is the reality for many.

They didn't even let me sleep when I was laid up with sepsis after a huge hemmorage.

I don't think I got a consistent two hours per day/night in the two weeks I was in. It doesn't matter how much you need to rest, chances are you won't be able to. Especially if you're on a ward.

I came out traumatised on the verge of a nervous breakdown which I largely attribute to the sheer exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

Mum's and babies are always better off at home, unless something is wrong, obviously.

Things to consider:
-they need to do the baby check which might not happen that day
-it can take hours for your meds and discharge paperwork to be sorted
-they want to make sure you establish feeding and baby is responding well
-csection babies are more likely to have respiratory complications which night take some time to show
-its blumin painful
-it took 9hours for me to be able to do a wee after they took my catheter out
-i was wobbly on my feet for hours afterwards
Don't make a decision like this lightly, be prepared to change your mind and stay, don't go against medical advice, it's for your own safety and that if your baby. If you must do it, give staff plenty of notice to sort everything out.

I left same day but I had a vaginal birth. I think you should see how you feel on the day.

I had an emcs with DS 9 years ago. He was born at 3:30am and I was out of recovery and in the room with him by 10am (would have been sooner but there were no doctors available to sign me out of recovery and into the room.) At 10:30 the doctor did her rounds and told me that the sooner I was up and moving the sooner I would be allowed to go home. 11am went for an, extremely painful, bent over, walk around the ward, much to the surprise of the nurses. Was discharged at 9am the following morning.

I wouldn't recommend discharging yourself, doctors don't keep you in hospital on a whim, it's in their best interest to get you out as soon as you're medically sound, they need to free up beds. If they won't discharge you, there's a good reason for it.