So many US/UK Differences...

[berryblue290]

I thought maybe it would be a fun thing for us US/UK ladies to help understand each other better by posting what differences in pregnancy...

I keep seeing on here prams??? What is a pram?
Also it seems UK ladies get discharged from the hospital so quickly after birth , like hours later, where most in the US stay 2 days.

Anyways, we can post our questions or just what we call certain baby things in our respective countries!

 

[BrandiCanucks]

I'm sure a pram is a stroller, and you can be released from the hospital whenever you want. I'm in Canada and I know a few hospitals around here release you within 2-3 hours of birth, if you wish, and if there are no complications with you or baby. Usually, you'll stay only 2 days if you've had a c-section.

I stayed 2 days with my daughter and planned on only a few hours with my son, but stayed a week because he ended up in the NICU. I only plan on staying a few hours this time around

 

[welshmummy2be]

dummies = soothers/pacifier
pram/buggy = push chair

and in the uk if baby and mum is healthy you can leave the hospital 6hours after birth x

 

[aalstevenson]

wow six hours... I am in the US and our hospital makes you stay 2 days for a natural birth and 3 days for a c-section..

 

[berryblue290]

wow six hours... I am in the US and our hospital makes you stay 2 days for a natural birth and 3 days for a c-section..

Yes same here at the hospital I'm at, i think it may even be 4 for a c-section

 

[luvmyangel]

I asked my hospital and for a natural birth I only have to stay 24 hrs!!

 

[Jenniflower]

I'm in Scotland and they generally suggest you stay 2 days for a normal birth, 4 days for a section. But my favourite thing here is that you have the right to leave whenever you want.

I'm an American living in the UK so I can totally appreciate how weird it is to hear all the different words.

In the UK they give you Gas and Air (laughing gas + oxygen) for helping out during labour where as in the US they don't. Complete crap if you ask me.

 

[Yazz_n_bump]

Here you can be discharged at 3-4 hours, but if you have your baby in the middle of the night say 12am, they like to keep you in till morning.

 

[meg79]

I'm hopefully having a homebirth, so hopefully won't go near a hospital, let alone having to stay.
Here, the hospital will let you go as long as everything is good and well with baby and mum, you can leave when you feel ready, usually within a couple of hours!

 

[lynzlogan]

pram is usually a lie flat buggy/stroller whereas most of us uk peeps call a toddler stroller a buggy. Where i live we're usually kept in for 24hrs after a natural birth although i stayed in 2days last time as leo wouldn't keep feeds down.

 

[BrandiCanucks]

I'm in Scotland and they generally suggest you stay 2 days for a normal birth, 4 days for a section. But my favourite thing here is that you have the right to leave whenever you want.

I'm an American living in the UK so I can totally appreciate how weird it is to hear all the different words.

In the UK they give you Gas and Air (laughing gas + oxygen) for helping out during labour where as in the US they don't. Complete crap if you ask me.

They have it here in Canada. I tried it with my son and HATED it. I got rid of it after about 45 seconds because of how nauseous it made me feel.

 

[berryblue290]

i think the uk calls them cots and we have cribs.

 

[Kimboowee]

Here you can request a quick discharge - 6 hours. But they will otherwise keep you in 24 hours.

I hate hospitals and requested a 6 hour discharge as soon as I was admitted - shame it was 6 days!

 

[3011busyyear]

wow six hours... I am in the US and our hospital makes you stay 2 days for a natural birth and 3 days for a c-section..

The wonders of the nhs, they don't get any more money for keeping you in so you're out the door as soon as you can be...which I suppose is no bad thing if you what to get home with your baby.

 

[PeanutBean]

I gave birth at 11.40am last time and didn't get out for 24hours the main reason being that the nature of the delivery meant my son needed checking by a paediatrician who didn't arrive until midnight.

I'm determined that only a very real emergency will even get me through the doors this time.

The main difference is that in the UK we are mostly mw led which generally means much less medical intervention. In the US you are paying for medical care therefore that's what you get. I'm glad to be in the UK!

Yes we say cot and not crib. We don't say bassinet either. I'm not actually sure what one is!

I'm sure these have already been said:
Daiper/nappy
Pacifier/dummy
Onesie/sleepsuit

 

[kayla2010]

i think the uk calls them cots and we have cribs.

yeah we have cots and cribs, a cot is the big cotbed that the baby will go in either from birth but most parents put babies in the cot from about 4months+

cribs to us are a little smaller than a cot, most have a little canopy on them and wooden framed like a cot not like a moses basket. x

 

[kayla2010]

I gave birth at 11.40am last time and didn't get out for 24hours the main reason being that the nature of the delivery meant my son needed checking by a paediatrician who didn't arrive until midnight.

I'm determined that only a very real emergency will even get me through the doors this time.

The main difference is that in the UK we are mostly mw led which generally means much less medical intervention. In the US you are paying for medical care therefore that's what you get. I'm glad to be in the UK!

Yes we say cot and not crib. We don't say bassinet either. I'm not actually sure what one is!

I'm sure these have already been said:
Daiper/nappy
Pacifier/dummy
Onesie/sleepsuit

im pretty sure a bassinet is a moses basket x

 

[PeanutBean]

All the pictures I see of bassinets seem to look much more complicated than a Moses basket! Lol

 

[bonjo808]

Great thread....I'm in the US so I was totally lost about the Gas/air thing...now I get it.

 

[Chantibug]

in the us you can leave anytime after giving birth, you just have to ask to sign an AMA discharge form (Against Medical Advice)... However, due to the pku test babies get at 24hrs , the baby generally has to stay that entire time, so mom's usually do to. Also, with insurance you're "entitled" to 48hrs after a vaginal birth, so most dont even think to question it. (I work in a hospital )

Another difference I've observed is internal exams in late pregnancy... Because of our medical intervention and OB-led care (mostly, not saying everyone has an OB..) internal exams to determin cervix and dialation generally start at 36 weeks here.