hospital discharging time

shuck85 · Apr 21, 2011 5:55AM

I was wondering if the discharge time that they aim for in hospitals is the same everywhere?

Here it is max six hours if birth is normal and I am a bit worried that that is too soon mainly if I want to get some advice on breast feeding and perhaps other little things?

Anybody else a bit worried about those short times? Are those times different in MW led units?

Bizzylizzy7 · Apr 20, 2011 2:48AM

Hi I'm a midwife and just to reassure you, you don't have to leave after 6 hours. A lot of women do want a 6 hour discharge but not many breastfeeders do, especially if it's your first baby. You may get offered a 6 hour discharge but you are given the option to go to the ward. I can obviously only speak for where I work but I can't imagine many places would discharge first time breastfeeders after 6 hours. I have no idea about midwifery led units but I would think they too would be supportive. I certainly have no intention of going home after 6 hours! Ha ha xx

KazzieM · Apr 20, 2011 5:11AM

Hi, remembering my first pregnancy, I was given the choice of go home or stay on the ward. I chose to go home (largely due to a long labour and wanting my own bed) but had no fears about breastfeeding as was armed with at least 5 different telephone numbers from local midwives to nhs direct to local support group network for breastfeeding mums handed over by the midwives with my discharge paperwork. I'm sure you'll be given the help and support you need when the time arrives.

sabbath_cat_and_kitten · Apr 20, 2011 5:18AM

I think a lot of women want to go home soon because your husband/partner can't stay with you on the ward. And the food is better lols!

shuck85 · Apr 20, 2011 6:21AM

thanks for the replies

LOL at the food comment sabbath_cat

Am sure that I will prefer my home to the hospital but was worried about being rushed if I don't feel ready. Thanks for putting my mind at rest though.

xx

piggypops · Apr 20, 2011 9:16AM

i was in for 5 days as i was poorly after my emergency section, my friends all had a min of 24 hours as first time mums, i think if you want a 6 hour discharge you have to push for it and it also depends on the time your baby comes as if its late evening they wont be letting you go home in the early hours, also the BF mums on the ward with me had to be feeding well before discharge x

ZLS23 · Apr 20, 2011 10:33AM

Hi, at our NCT class on Monday, our instructor, who is a private midwife, told us that our hospital is very busy and if we were to have baby early hours, we would be home that evening..... it has been known for people to be out of there after 2 hours!!!

Someone in our class asked if she would get help straight away with breastfeeding, and was told not necessarily....as there could well be only 1 midwife on duty covering the whole ward!!

I think I would like to come home as soon as I can personally....

Zxx

GlitterBug09 · Apr 20, 2011 11:10AM

My midwife told me that I would be offered either 6 hour or 24 hour discharge as a first time mum. I have put on my birth plan that I want to stay in for 24 hours, that way I can always go home earlier if I want. Like you I plan to breastfeed and just want a little help/support when the time comes! xx

MissusG · Apr 21, 2011 5:55AM

Hello.

I wasn't aware of any policies on actual length of stay for my first child birth, but I ended up staying in an extra night which was completely not worth it.

I had MissG in the early hours of a Thursday morning and was very happy to stay in on that Thursday night and go home on the Friday. The MWs kept getting me confused with another lady who had her third baby around the same time as I had MissG and thought I was desperate to get out on the Thursday, so I had to keep reminding them that this was my first baby and then got to stay until the Friday. On Friday, I was set to get discharged, but was still not getting on great with BF and a lovely MW suggested I stay in on the Friday night to get extra support, which I did.

Bad Mistake!

Day shift MWs were great, but then they went home and the night shift MWs were worse than useless. I got NO support even though I said I was only staying in to get help feeding. Then, the following day was Saturday and the weekend shift MWs are worse than worse than useless!! Having such a poor night support wise I was desperate to get discharged asap and get home, but still had to wait until about 5/6pm at night before they got around to discharging me even though I explained that I had been all set to go the previous day!

Anyway, I suppose your actualy length of stay will depend on the time your bubba is born, how busy the ward is and how good the staff on shift are!

But be reassured that to a certain extent, my experience was that they were generally happy to let you do what you want.

xx

hospital discharging time

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