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silly question

i was just wondering how many days are you kept in hospital after birth, i realise it depends on what way the birth goes but just wondering if everything goes ok how long i will have to stay in hospital?:\?

Replies

  • Hi, you have to stay for a minimum of 6 hours. Usually they like you to stay overnight. If you are going to bf then I would stay in until both you and the baby are managing it OK. I thought I would only stay the 6 hours but my lo struggled to feed so I was pleased to stay in overnight and have the help of the midwives. If you have a cesearian you have to stay in for 3-5 days
  • Hi, it all depends on the type of birth you have. Like sarahed said its usaully a min of 6 hours if everything goes ok and if you have forceps or ventouse and they put a catheter in you have to stay in for a minimum of 12 hours. I had an emergency c-sec and was let out after 48 hours.Which they told me is usual now as they dont like keeping people in longer than they need to be.
  • I gave birth at 5pm and was discharged at 2pm the next day. You have to wait until the paediatrician has seen lo and discharged him/her. They won't discharge them if they haven't had wet and dirty nappies.
  • just thought i'd say.... when i had my first i hated the thought of having to stay in hospital and said i'd want to leave as soon as i could. i ended up staying for 3 days!! not coz i had a bad labour (i didn't have any intervention) but i was breast feeding and they wanted me to stay til my milk came in properly. to tell the truth i think i was scared to go home, it's nice having a group of midwives in the next room just in case!! x.
    with my second though i had him at 6pm and left 4pm the next day (coz i had to wait for the consultant all day, grrrr!) if you give birth at night i don't think they'll let you go home til the morning x.
  • hi with my first i was allowed to go after 6 hours but my mother made me stay in over night lol with my second i stayed overnight because they wouldnt let me go as i had a slight temperature. I had my third at home so i never left.
    I think if you have had a straight forward birth you can go after 6 hours as long as they are satisfied you are ok and the baby has seen the peadiatrition and is ok too.
    Personally i hated being in hospital, i find cubicals on wards really cramped and all your stuff is all over the place, you cant do what you want and midwives/docs are popping in interfearing every 2 minutes. Thats just me though i like to just get on with things. Alot of people as you can see from the above posts find they want to stay in hospital for a bit.
  • i had Summer at 7.20am and i was home by 5pm. would have been home earlier if the midwives didn't forget us.
  • hi. with my first i stayed in for 3 days because i felt scared to come home, but when i did i was really glad i did. my second i stayed in for 48 hours as i had pre eclampsia, my 3rd i stayed in for 48 hours again due to high blood pressure again, my 4th i stayed in for 1 day and my 5th who is nearly 16 weeks i stayed in for 1 day again. it all depends on how you feel and baby, and what sort of birth you have. good luck.xx
  • you can go home when ever you like. It upsets me when i hear people saying "I had to wait..." or "I was allowed to go...", you dont have to get permission to go home. Why even go to a hospital in the first place. Homebirth is a much more efficient way of giving birth and so much safer, etc....

    Richard
    :x
  • Richard, The reasons for you staying in hospital after the birth (whether that be a short or long time), is for the doctors and midwives to be happy with how mother and baby are getting on. And I think (and this is just what I think) that most mothers to new babies are happy to wait until the necessary approvals have been given, and put some faith in them to protect and look after them and their new babies, as they have medical expertise after all. As for having a home birth, they are certainly preferable for some women, but they are not suitable for all women for any number of reasons!
  • Hey Richard, thats a tad narrow minded.
    I am all for home births, i had one 13 weeks ago and thought it was fabulous but its not for everyone. When i had my first she was distressed due to lack of oxygen so i needed to be in hospital and when i had my second he was back to back and needed a full spinal (like you have when having a section, not a normal epidural) because i was in more pain than i have ever experienced. Both these times i am glad i was in hospital! Like wise when i had my third i was glad i had him at home but then the birth and pregnancy were straightforward.
    I know you can leave hospital when ever you want, its not a prison but personally i like to wait at the very least for a peadiatrition to check my baby and tell me hes ok before i even think about leaving.
  • hey richard

    oh you have me sooooo madddddddd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    1st off home births arent for everyone thats why they have HOSPITALS i ended up with full spinal block and emergency c section as my son was back to back and getting in distress so heartrate was dropping fast he got so distressed that he opened his bowels inside off me which can be extremely dangerous to mother and especially baby i was kept in YES I SAID KEPT IN for 5 days as you cant just get up and leave with secton when you feel like it.I am due 2nd baby in 9 wks and agian im having section on advice of consultant due to past birth and you CANT have a bloody section at home.

    so until YOU go through it personally which you WONT AND CANT as you are a MAN then keep gob shut and opions on mothers to be to your self and you will never know what we go through first hand
  • Hi ya,

    when my waters broke there was meconium present so joshua had to stay in hospital for 48hrs after he was born. I also had a 3rd degree tear so needed to go to theatre. After 48hrs i then had to start bf! we came home 5 days afterwards, i always said i wanted to come home straight away but cos of the delivery i had im pleased we stayed in...maybe not for 5 days tho! try not to worry easier said than done i know xxx
  • I arrived at the hospital at 12.30am, had my daughter at 5.30am & was walking out of the hospital doors at 11.45am. I'm hoping my next one, due at the end of november, will be the same. What I would say though is that if you are planning on going home as early as that is to make sure you have plenty of help when you do get home. My mum stayed with us for the first few days & done all the night feeds so we could get caught up on some sleep

    Hilary x
  • Hi, its very different out here in Norway you are encouraged to stay in hospital as long as you want (up to 7 days) and have your own room that your oh can have a bed in also. They take time to make sure you are fully rested and know how to look after the baby before you go home and the hard work really starts! In addition to that prior to giving birth as soon as your contractions start you are welcomed into hospital where you are offered a warm bath or massage and made to feel relaxed for the birth. I think its because the population is so much lower that they are able to take this time over you and make you feel so well looked after but I wish the same treatment was given in the UK.

    Richard - its not actually strictly true to say you can leave a UK hospital after giving birth whenever you like as they need to be happy that the baby is ok etc and that you have the necessary equipment to take the baby home in. I think in an ideal world a home birth would be everyones first choice if they knew the birth was going to go smoothly but its not possible for everyone. UK hospitals are an absolute mess and to be honest I am really glad I have moved abroad and do not have to give birth in one as I think the type of treatment I would receive would be my biggest concern. Despite giving birth being a natural thing it is still very scary, particularly for first timers, and when you get very little support from your midwife or GP it makes you even more concerned. Whatever the reason standards are dropping in UK hospitals and it should be addressed before it gets any worse.

    Liz xx
  • Richard - do you come from planet arse???

    How would you feel if you were having a baby at home, it got into distress and the worst happened? How is that safer and more efficient? Funnily enough all of us ladies dream of a complication free, efficient birth...this is real life here on planet earth and babies aren't dropped by a stork or found behind the mulberry bush in the garden.

    I've had pre-eclampsia twice and therefore induced twice...which believe it or not means being hospitalised...for 6 weeks with my first baby, due to the concerns about me fitting etc. How would I have been safer at home, having a fit and dying?

    This time I live over 40 mins from the hospital and despite wanting a home birth, it is just not practical or sensible. I have to put the safety of my baby and myself before my desire to give birth in pool, in my lounge by candle light.

    You are playing with fire coming on here and trying to dictate to women who are hormonal. I pity your poor partner and hope for her sake she is able to make a considered choice, (based upon her medical needs) where she gives birth.
  • Hi,

    I arrived at hospital at 8 am on Christmas morning and my son was born at 09.47. I was asked straight away if i wanted to go home that day - i was on such a high that i said yes straight away, but i really wish i'd stayed in at least 1 night just to have some one to one bonding with my son.

    Ju x
  • ha ha ha poor richard, dont mess with lots of pregnant, and hormonal women!!!!! image

    [Modified by: lauraf on September 26, 2007 06:55 AM]
  • Thank goodness all men dont think like Richard.

    I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that all women hope to have an uncomplicated labour & if they were guarateed that their baby would arrive safely at home they would opt for a home birth but unfortunately noone can guarantee that & while homebirth may be option for some women it is not an option for everyone. At the end of the day all anyone wants is for their baby to arrive safely by whatever means.I would love a homebirth, dont get me wrong, but until anyone can guarantee that everything will be ok I dont think I'll be taking the chance & my husband has the wit not to let me.

    All I can say is thank goodness my husband isnt as narrow minded as you Richard.

    Hilary x
  • I had to stay in for 2 nights with my first which was horrible, I had a ventouse so they were waiting to see if I needed a tranfusion or something, the food was terrible and I just spent the hole time sitting on the bed holding baby. This time I've been told I will have have baby in midwife led unit and hoping things will happen quicker and I'll be more relaxed and I've put that I want a 6 hour discharge on my birth plan, although I do realise if I give birth late afternoon or evening I'll have to stay in!
  • With my last one, I had him at 7.21pm and was home at 9.30pm. The reason being I wanted a home birth but had to pop into the local maternity unit because 12 hours after my waters broke not a lot was happening and they wanted me in to monitor me, just as I was about to go home it all started and 1.5 hours later, I had my little boy. The only reason we stayed for 2 hours, is that because we were only popping in and not planning on having the birth there I didn't have anything with me, so poor old hubbie had to go home twice, once to get the car seat and second to get the camera. Half an hour after getting home, hubbie and I were toasting no 3 in bed with a small bottle of beer, then we both fell asleep a few minutes later.
    With my first two I stayed in for two nights, but wish I hadn't as you can't sleep in hospital, too hot and beds too uncomfortable.
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