Uk Mums- how long were you in hospital after having your first baby

[MindUtopia]

I had a home birth, but you can leave after 6 hours, assuming you're otherwise healthy and you can get your baby check done (or convince them you'll take baby to your GP or come back to the hospital for it, if needed).

If it's your partner staying over that's an issue, in some places you can often get away with having a partner spend the night if you do it discreetly or pay for a private room. I know our hospital has a really nice private room (double bed, nice fluffy duvet, mini fridge for drinks and your own food, nice furniture) which is only about 125 quid a night. Partners are welcome to spend the night with you there. Personally, I think that is SO worth it if you can afford it. Usually it's reserved for elective c-sections because those mums need to have a longer stay, but if it's free, you can book yourself in on the day.

But you might be able to have your partner stay with you anyway if you have to stay in longer than you'd like. I had to go into hospital several days after my birth (totally unrelated to birth itself, but my daughter had a lot of feeding issues and we needed some extra care to get her eating better). My husband didn't spend every night, but he did stay for a few of them. We had a private room (not like the private kind you have to pay for, just a non-shared room), which had two big comfy chairs and two beds (normal one and a birthing bed). He just wouldn't leave at 10pm when partner visiting hours ended. The midwives would just check in and ask if he was staying. We'd say yes. And they would just smile and shut the door. We tried not to have him out wandering the halls at night and making it obvious he was there, but no one ever asked him to leave or was bothered he was staying. Honestly, most maternity wards are short-staffed enough that I think they probably are glad dads are around to help with things during the overnights, which frees them up to spend more time with birthing women, since most babies are born at night. It definitely made a huge difference having him there.

 

[xx~Lor~xx]

22 hours. at a midwife centre. I delivered my daughter at 3.35pm and was home by 1pm the following day. My second I was home within 24 hours - I would of left the same day but he was born on meconium in the water so he needed to be observed for 12 hours - didn't want to take him home at midnight in January! With my third we left the same day, but not till nearly midnight as she was observed for 12 hours (meconium and water birth) and then it took time to do the paperwork.

 

[Loobylola]

Depends on your delivery. I had a normal delivery but I couldn't pee after so I had was in from Sunday to Thursday with a catheter. In the hospital I was in if you deliver (uncomplicated) after 12pm you stay in that night until you're discharged the next day. The FOB could visit from 8am till 7pm. Best to find out the visiting times so youre prepared. Good luck

 

[EstelSeren]

I had my daughter at 9:30 am and was out by 12:30 pm the following day! I could have left after 6 hours but chose to stay in so I could get help with feeding if I needed it and so that at least 1 of us could have a good night's sleep before baby came home and the shared sleepless nights began! My husband was welcome to stay, despite visiting hours for dads being 9 am to 9 pm, though I expect that was largely due to the fact that the ward was completely empty apart from us so he wouldn't have been disturbing anyone! It's kind of selfish but I liked having that time just me and my newborn! It was so lovely and peaceful!

Hopefully, I'll be able to get a 6 hour discharge this time though! I can't imagine leaving my toddler for longer than absolutely necessary!

Beca :wave:

 

[TwinTV]

I was in a week after having my twin boys but I ended up having an emergency section and also one of my boys was underweight so we had to wait in until he gained enough Have to say whilst I hated not going home I learnt so much being in hospital, especially as I was a first time mum.

 

[Mummy Bean]

Just over 24hrs because he had merconium in waters. Also i had an epidural so would have had to stay for 12hrs until i could prove i could walk/pee.

 

[fashionqueen]

Both of my two friends who had babies in past 8 months had to stay in for 5 days to establish breast feeding. One could have been in there even longer but got fed up and left. She was in a very quiet birthing centre though.

 

[Laurenmomma]

I had dd at 5.40pm but they were really busy so didnt move onto ward until about 11pm so would have been discharged first thing in the morning however as im rhesus negative I had to wait for babies blood test to come back and wait for the injection which took longer than I had hoped!

Was still only in for about 24 hours x

 

[Rebaby]

My local hospital does offer same day discharge but even though I had a natural birth I ended up staying in for 5 days following the birth first time round as my waters had been broken for over 18hrs before my son was born and his blood results showed the possibility of an infection so he was started on antibiotics. His blood cultures came back clear after 48hrs though so antibiotics were stopped and we were discharged. I hated having to stay in and got quite teary about it a few times.

I had my second baby at home so it was a completely different experience.

 

[Beaney192]

Little man was born at 3.40 am. Was discharged at 3pm the same day.with my 2nd I gave birth at 4.55 am and was out by 4pm the same day. Xx

 

[ChiiBaby]

I was out after 12 hours of having my #1 and i did have her at 1:49am

 

[PearDrops20]

Isaac was born at 3:20pm and we were out by half 7

 

[Bevziibubble]

I stayed in for two days as I needed a blood transfusion

 

[Clarabell543]

I had an emcs just before midnight.. stayed the following night and was home the following afternoon

 

[Miniamo]

Baby born 3.30pm and out by 2pm the next day. Had epidural so had to wait for catheter out etc but think It wouldn't have made much difference to discharge time. LO was quite small and had to wait for be body temp to stabilise a bit before they let me go home too.

 

[liz1985]

My hospital policy is as long as no complications and if you've seen a doctor you only have to stay 6 hours. So if you had a straight forward birth and gave birth early enough in the dsy to see a doctor you wouldnt have to stay in. I was in for night as I had meconium in my waters so lo was under observation plus I tore really bad so had to stay in for that as well. Check your hospital policy because at mine partners can stay 24/7 but I know they are all different.

 

[Cariad_x]

I was in nearly 5 days but LO had severe jaundice and was under double phototherapy. Plus we were both on IV antibiotics due to me developing an infection during labour.

 

[Storm1jet2]

2 nights - I had meconium stained waters and my heart rate went whacky - I REALLY want out in 6 hours this time - I HATED the ward in the hospital and didn't get any sleep at all.......... *sigh*

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

It does depend when you have your baby.. if you deliver late at night, you will have to spend the night etc until a doctor sees you in the morning, I had a quick 5 hour labour but still had to stay in, because I got up to the ward at 9pm :/ and omg it took soooo long to get out the next day, you start to feel like a right pest "can i go now" "have u filled in the forms" someone keeps coming by to tell you that you can go as soon as your papers are done and it takes HOURS lol

the worst part is being alone, because i had lo so late it was literally a case of... okay bugger off now family :/ which was horrible and I just sat there alone in the dark with my newborn :/ in a room with 4 other women. The girl in the bed next to me was a nightmare, typical chav she kept mouthing off and she was stuck there waiting for the hospital social worker to release her :/ eeeekk

 

[Bex84]

I had LO at 6.18 am and then went home next morning, I do know some people in a different area who went home 6hrs after birth.