Checking newborn out of hospital AMA

[mamawannabee]

We are currently planning on a birth center birth, but found out today that we will still have to transfer to the hospital for a 48 hour stay. This is not something I am willing to do, and our decision will come down to home birth or checking out against medical advice. My question would be, to US ladies specifically, are you allowed to check a newborn out AMA? I am afraid they will try to hold the baby even if they do let me check myself out that way. I will ask the birth center but my next appointment isn't for a week and a half. I should add that we would have a visiting nurse come the first and second day, and would be seeing the pediatrician a week later. I have contacted a home birth midwife and she is more than happy to work with us, however that would not be covered by insurance, and I would rather avoid the extra bill if possible.

 

[tripletsOMG]

it is my understanding ur newborn only has to stay 24hrs in the hospital. however in the birth center here u and baby are disharged within a few hours following birth. Seems strange to transfer to hospital bc of procedure. thank god im choosing a hb after 3 hospital births i honestly dont want to fight protocals ugh! good luck hun def bring to ur mw at ur next appointment.

 

[mechanica]

Can I ask why they want to keep you in?

 

[mamawannabee]

Can I ask why they want to keep you in?

The baby has one kidney that doesn't work, so they want to make sure the baby pee's. But if I had one ounce of doubt in me, I would take LO back to the hospital if that didn't happen. We already have all the follow up care set up, all they were going to do was put LO on antibiotics for a month, then we would go in for the tests on the kidney. I would be willing to stay if there was a better reason for LO's health obviously, but just to wait and see about a wet diaper seems unnecessary. The doctor agreed and said most babies will be absolutely fine, but on the chance that yours is the one that isn't, they keep you. It just makes me so angry that they do all this to prevent getting sued rather than taking each case as it comes.

 

[amjon]

We are currently planning on a birth center birth, but found out today that we will still have to transfer to the hospital for a 48 hour stay. This is not something I am willing to do, and our decision will come down to home birth or checking out against medical advice. My question would be, to US ladies specifically, are you allowed to check a newborn out AMA? I am afraid they will try to hold the baby even if they do let me check myself out that way. I will ask the birth center but my next appointment isn't for a week and a half. I should add that we would have a visiting nurse come the first and second day, and would be seeing the pediatrician a week later. I have contacted a home birth midwife and she is more than happy to work with us, however that would not be covered by insurance, and I would rather avoid the extra bill if possible.

What state are you in? I'm in Florida and going to a birth center. You have to take the newborn to a pediatrician within 48hours, but do not have to go to the hospital at all.

 

[Leahmasie]

We're in the US. We left the hospital less than 24hrs after birth. They really wanted us to stay longer but we just said no, and it wasn't really an issue. A pediatrician came to see our baby before we left. And he had already peed, probably within 12hrs, so would expect you'll know right away if you should be worried.

 

[lynnikins]

both my boys peed on DH during their first nappy changes lol

 

[readyformore]

I would really check into your particular medical/insurance policy and hospital policy.

Where I work as an ob nurse, we've had patients that left AMA and their insurance refused to pay for anything because they left AMA.
You could be stuck with a really large bill that you don't want. The charge for one overnight stay in our hospital is about $1500 out of pocket.

Good luck.

 

[Jtiki]

Hugs. Can't really help, since every state is different. I think in TX a newborn can leave AMA after 2 hours. But that doesn't mean it would actually happen.

 

[rory83coyotes]

I am a nurse but do not work in l&d but from all that I have asked if you try to leave ama with your baby, at least my hospital, calls the security, followed by CPS. and since they have those foot monitors if you try to leave or cut it off it causes the alarms to sound and the doors to lock. There is also the non paying insurance thing. My daughters bill was well over $200,000 due to complications so I wouldn't want to do that. Maybe you could talk to your pedi beforehand and get a shorter plan? they are the ones that dc the baby

 

[mamawannabee]

I talked to the mw at my appointment this week, and she says I will not have to transfer to the hospital so long as there are no complications at birth, so this is thankfully no longer an issue! And if we are transferred due to a problem, I would obviously stay as it is for an important medical reason. Thank you for all your answers, I am very thankful that this is no longer going to be a problem!