How long do you stay in now after a problem-free birth?

[scarlotti]

Does anyone know how long you can stay after a natural problem free birth? I know the minimum is 6 hours but what is the maximum?

I thought it was min 6 hours but until you feel ready to leave and baby is feeding?

With DS I was in for 19 hours.
With DD I was in for 8 hours.

Both times I was advised to stay in another night but I didnt as I really wanted to be at home. I think with your first baby the hospital are likely to let you stay in a bit longer than with subsequent births. It depends also on whether the ward is very busy, in which case you cant just stay in if the beds are needed. If you breastfeed I think you can stay in a bit longer. Sorry not sure on exact amount of time. A couple of days?

dd2 was a natural problem free delivery she was born at 5.30pm and we went home at 2pm the next afternoon.

there isn't a max I don't think - it's not like an entitlement.

Do you want to stay longer then?

I think if there was some particular reason why you didn't want to go home they would take that into account.

There isn't a min 6 hours round here - ds popped out at 8.05am and we were home in good time for lunch.

Ds was born at 11.26am and i was home by 2.30pm so no minimum here either.

I wonder what would happen if you refused to go after they'd discharged you? I doubt they're going to heft a bleeding woman and tiny baby out onto the streets !!

Lol at the refusing to leave!

I just think I might like a bit of time to get used to having a baby again, before having to go home and deal with a hubby and 2 kids. At hospital you have space to get to grips with feeding etc. without having to look at the mess/dishes to be done etc.

DD fed really well and I'd been in for 3 days, ds didn't take to it well and we had problems for weeks before I gave up and went on to bottles. Maybe that's the underlying worry I have ....

I'm sure if you explain that to the MWs and say that you are concerned to establish feeding before you are discharged, they will be sympathetic (well, they should be!)

BUT having said that, I was in for 2 1/2 days with DS1 and had a very rocky start with bfing, DS2 I had a homebirth (so MWs only stayed an hour or two) and he fed like a train right from the start.

I always felt it was because I was able to establish feeding quietly at home and wasn't on a hot sweaty ward being screamed at by other people's babies

DS2 arrived at 3am and I was out by lunchtime. would have gone earlier but they needed to check baby. Hospital was grubby and it was 2 days before Christmas.