What did you do when you came home from hospital?

[HanBang]

I am being discharged tomorrow after a tricky birth and a week long stay in hospital for me and DS. I couldn’t wait to get home but now feeling like it will be an anti climax.

I don’t feel that lovely feeling you’re supposed to feel going home to begin our family as a 3. I know it’s a combination of being stuck in hospital feeling lonely - obvious restrictions on visitors and general baby blues - but I just feel meh about it. Whereas previously I would have been talking about cracking open the champers!

Can I ask what you did when you finally came home if you had a stay in hospital for more than one night? Or anything else special you did? Obviously I would have loved to be someone who got out promptly and had the best cheese toastie of their life but I feel I’m past that stage after a week of hospital food!

Help - I need a pick me up!

Also congratulations @HanBang - it all starts here

@PlugUgly1980. Snap you beat me too it, that’s exactly what we thought! DH put the car seat on the sofa and said, what do we do when he wakes up!

MIL arrived about 5 mins after I did with a huge Caffè Nero latte and a big slice of chocolate fudge cake then she held DD while I ate my cake and drank my coffee.

I had GD so wasn't allowed cake during pregnancy or chocolate and was on decaf so caffeine and cake really hit the spot.

We put the car seat on the floor of the lounge and say on the sofa staring at fast asleep DS like "what the fuck?!".
Then put some washing on and DH sorted out DS and ordered a Chinese while I had a nice bath and put fresh pjs on.

I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. Traumatic birth and was struggling with feeding. I think I put her down to sleep and started writing thank you notes for the presents that had arrived while we were in hospital!

I definitely had a manic peak of energy in the first two weeks, can safely say that has disappeared now we’re 11 weeks in

After the first, worried a lot about what I should be doing. Sat around anxiously waiting for the baby to wake up and need something. After the third, bath and to bed with a takeaway and box set. The baby and I barely left the bedroom for a week or so. Sleeping, reading, eating and of course feeding the baby. Bliss. Enjoy and congratulations 🙂

I’m jealous of everyone who had a bath though, after my episiotomy I was too scared to submerge myself

I'm getting emotional reading these!

Cooked a meal for my DH's boss and his wife who were invited to dinner! To be fair my DH begged me to sit down and relax but after a week of being in hospital (EMCS & DS had quite a serious health issues) I craved doing something 'normal' and just wanted to potter round in my kitchen.. it was a very easy meal .

I remember putting all DH’s takeaway containers and bottles into the bin.

Called round at my parents with both my children on the way home, stayed there an hour or so and then just went home and chilled. Didn’t do anything special at all. Watched my husband nap on the other sofa after my second child, he was very tired apparently as he’d been up all night and didn’t get to go home and sleep like he did with our first (I went home a few hours after labouring all night, gave birth 8am). Bless him, tired 🤣.

What were you anticipating you’d do? I can’t say I really felt like doing anything apart from laying on the sofa.

On both occasions I had a Bannana milkshake on the way home from McDonald's as I'd been avoiding them whilst pregnant due to the Listeria warning. I had EMCs with both of them, two different hospitals, first one I was in for 3 days and the post natal care was appalling and I didn't eat whilst I was in there, aside from the snacks my husband bought in, so a large cup of tea and a huge stack of toast courtesy of my mum who came to stay. Second time I was I for a week, in a private room because I had an contagious infection (was quite greatful for that!) In a hospital that's renowned for its excellent food and the post natal care was amazing, I had a student midwife with me nearly all the time! Huge vat of tea and then snuggled into bed with my baby and my little boy who hadn't liked seeing me in hospital.

Mainly though, a real sense of relief and comfort knowing I had all the people I loved most in the world around me.

Stared at the baby. Cried. Stared at the unused home birthing pool still half inflated on the sitting room floor. Shook a bit. All went to bed. Slept a tiny bit while DP held the baby. Got up, hobbled to the bathroom and did the first post-birth poo, 36 hours after the birth, while whimpering and keening and deeply regretting the gung-ho power move of a few hours earlier of taking the movicol, lactilose AND suppository all at once. Then sat up all night holding DD who only wanted to sleep on me.

Things improved eventually

Both DD's were born early and fairly suddenly. I was in hospital for about a week with both. DH did his best, especially after DD2 because he had been looking after DD1 who was 5, but I came home and tidied the house. Then I raced to build the new pushchair so I could be on time to pick DD1 up from school. After that I mostly sat on the sofa and breastfed.

I was in for 11 days after having my first and I remember just wanting to race out the door. When I got home I got a nice bath, fresh pyjamas on and an early night (obviously I was disturbed every few hours...). I was discharged in the evening so it didn’t leave much to do but I went on a long walk the next day to test out the new pram, and after a stretch in hospital it was very much needed!

I did the school run with the baby in a sling as she seemed too small for the pram. She was about 8 hours old. We then went for a milkshake on the way home and watched big DDs baby videos together and I told her all about when she was born

Slept!!

Baby fell asleep in his car seat on the way out of hospital and when we got home, I didn't know what to do with him so just popped him in his Moses basket while me, DH and DM had a take away. Later in the evening though I was in absolute agony because of engorged boobs and I was looking on mumsnet for advice. 3am was a absolute nightmare as I had an unsettled baby that didn't sleep until 6am, that was a shock to the system.

I was in hospital for 3 nights . When I got home I immediately nursed my son , then we ( my husband and I) had fun watching our 3 cats meet and sniff our DS. Then we cracked open the champagne but I could only manage 2 sips because it made me feel a bit ill. We ordered Indian take away which I barely ate because I had to nurse again . I cried a lot over nothing . I had major baby blues for the first two weeks . No depression, just regular baby blues where I cried over everything . I nursed again . Then I went to bed to not sleep because I couldn’t stop staring at my son. I was petrified he would stop breathing 🤦‍♀️. I was very happy to be home though as I was sick of the hospital.

I made a risotto.

Hot shower, takeaway and went to bed! DH was a bit wary of being left with DS but I'd had an EMCS and 5 days in a 6-bed Ward.

I was exhausted

Honestly can't remember with my first, but with my second, I was home within 4 hours and we ordered a curry and I had a glass of bubbly 🤣🤣🤣

Walk through door, put baby down, unload dishwasher.
Oh, no! That was with baby number three.

Got into bed. Cried. Stared at baby. Cried. Fed baby. Took painkillers. Failed to hold in farts, but everyone too polite to mention it.

Next few days: fed baby, napped, sat on cushions, took baths, sat on cushions whilst people visited and DH made tea. Cried. Took painkillers. Fed baby. Cried. Bloody hormones. Stared at wonderful new baby.