How long did you stay in hospital after delivery?

[Zivic-Bubac]

Here they let you go after 24-48 hours if everything is OK with mom and the baby.
If there's a problem ( most of the time it's baby's jaundice) you and baby stay for 4-5 days.

I'm not sure when it comes to C-section, but I think they keep mom and the baby for 7 days.

The thing is , it feels too soon for me, being released after 24-48 hours. I'm total mess after delivery and all I want to do is to be left alone for few days ( which works for that 1 day while I'm in).

I'm also pretty much useless for the first week or so, I have a feeling someone took out all the strength from my body ( and I even know who :wink:) and I need more time to recover.

How soon are you your old self? Maybe I'm cranky Idk. My mom says when she was having babies ( during 70's) they were keeping moms and babies for 7 days just in case and C-sections for 14 days.

And q for brave home birthing moms: how soon are you on your feet and feel capable to take care of your family?

[ELP]

I'm usually home within 24hrs spend thev1st week going from hyper happy to tearful with a few bouts of uncontrollable shaking in between. I usually feel human again after about a month when people stop gorping at me and stopping me in the street then I can just enjoy things at my own pacec again. Ive no help at home so chores and cooking are pretty much strsight away but I'm quite happy with a bit of mess and a take-out or 6 lol:bigsmile:

[nuthinbutpink]

We get 48 hours with a vaginal brith and 4 days for a C section here. That's what insurance generally is required to pay for.

I had PPD after DS and he WAS my DG! It was hard and he was very difficult. It took months and hiring some help to help me get past the sadness and exhaustion.

For DD3, she was an angel baby and we all jumped right back in to our daily lives. It wasn't hard.

So, hormones can be very powerful. I should have asked for help and gotten a prescription early on after DS. I just didn't realize what was happening and all I could think was what was wrong with me because I got my DG and I'm down in the dumps!

I hope you get into a routine soon. A little organization always makes me feel better.

[Zivic-Bubac]

I usually feel human again after about a month ::rofl: you are so right, I don't even feel like a human now :rofl: I'm nursing, milk- leaking machine with HUGE hormonal disbalance lol!

This baby had a really bad timing, since she was born on Sept 1st ( Saturday) and girls were starting school on Monday, Sept.3rd, the same day I was out of the hospital. Do I need to say more? lol!

ELP huni, I truly admire you, how you manage to take care of a newborn and 8 other kids. :bowdown: I'm overwhelmed with 3 :(

[Zivic-Bubac]

So, hormones can be very powerful.
Tell me about it....lol! I can't wait to get into routine. This baby is cooperative so far ( maybe it's too early for the conclusions) she bf and sleeps most of the time. DD1 was my horror baby :rolleyes:

[mummypink]

Here in Norway they like you to stay in at least 3 days, infact with both my boys I was ready to leave by day 3 (I needed normal food and my own bed again lol!) and I felt like I had to really persuade them to let me go home! That was despite two normal and simple births. They say it is because they feel it is important you have time to rest and get to know your new baby before you go home and get bombarded with visitors and everyday jobs etc.
I have to say I think it is really nice, I would prefer that to being expected to leave a few hours after giving birth. x

[dloui128]

We get 2 days for vaginal birth and 4 days for c-sections. It usually takes me a month to get back to my old self, I was so exhausted with DD1 I don't remember much and DD2 I would just sit on the couch and cry all day, after a month it seemed like things started to get a little better, my hormones weren't so crazy and I started to get the kids on a routine and it helped my sanity

[Zivic-Bubac]

They say it is because they feel it is important you have time to rest and get to know your new baby before you go home and get bombarded with visitors and everyday jobs etc.
I Completely makes sense to me :agree:

[ELP]

:rofl: you are so right, I don't even feel like a human now :rofl: I'm nursing, milk- leaking machine with HUGE hormonal disbalance lol!

This baby had a really bad timing, since she was born on Sept 1st ( Saturday) and girls were starting school on Monday, Sept.3rd, the same day I was out of the hospital. Do I need to say more? lol!


ELP huni, I truly admire you, how you manage to take care of a newborn and 8 other kids. :bowdown: I'm overwhelmed with 3 :(

Oh don't lol!!! My dc5 was born Sep 3rd, I took the older 2 to school fine, then near picking up time about 2.30pm I had a lttle nap. I woke up late with a massive sugar/hormone crash, went into the kitchen crammed all the kids red starburst sweets into my mouth some still with bits of paper on, threw the little ones in the pushchair, got to the narrow school gate as all the other mums were coming the other way and all started to coo into the pushchair so blocking me even further, I then proceeded to start shaking even more and burst into f'ing tears:rofl: how embarassing!!!!! To make it worse this one mother and gran decided I wasnt coping and started trying to push my pushchair for me daily as if I was an invalid:bigsmile:

No matter how many kids you have, the 1st few weeks are strange to say the least!!!! xxx

[Mum23boys]

With 2 boys already I was up and about on the school run the day after my homebirth - my family are not close by so it meant i HAD to get up and do everything. Im hoping to plan the next baby so its the school holidays so i dont need to do school runs etc but then thinking about it i might be better off getting someone to take them each day for me so i can be alone ith the new one from 9-3 ..... decisions decisions.
I think everyone will be different. If you think u will struggle tell the hospital - if they have space they will let you stay - they wont send home a mum who doesnt feel ready and confident. If they do send you home can someone not look after the other children so u can take a few days bed rest ?

[Rosie85]

We get 2 days for vaginal and 4 for c-section, however after i went home last time I could barely function for 2 weeks because of my episiotomy, it was AWFUL. I hate the first few weeks, because like they said you don't feel human and don't have a routine.

It must have been hard having a baby and getting the other girls ready for school, how stressful. Glad you pulled through, things will get better soon as the weeks pass!

[The Anchor]

Would you believe, 2 1/2 days after my c-section and one day after my VBAC. Nobody could believe they released me so soon after the C, and after the VBAC I was just like "okay, get me outta here"!

[Zivic-Bubac]

Would you believe, 2 1/2 days after my c-sectionOMG that's crazy!!!! Or better said irresponsible, what they were thinking?

[Zivic-Bubac]

I could barely function for 2 weeks because of my episiotomy, it was AWFUL. I hate the first few weeks, because like they said you don't feel human and don't have a routine. Oh I forgot the episiotomy :rolleyes: It makes things even more complicated.

[Zivic-Bubac]

. If you think u will struggle tell the hospital - if they have space they will let you stay - they wont send home a mum who doesnt feel ready and confident.I did that first time, with DD1, asked them for 2 more days bcos I felt uncapable of going home and facing my newborn all alone LOL!

My DH took 5 days off the job, so he is huge help, I took a nap few times while he was home, felt great :)

Btw, I was planning this baby a) to be a boy b) to be born spring or summer for the same reasons, but it took me forever to conceive and obviously nothing went according to my perfect plan lol

[zanacal]

I was planning to come home after Eliza had had a feed and I had had a bath but she passed meconium so I stayed 6 hours - she was born at 6.20 am and I left straight after lunch BUT it was 2 weeks before I felt even vaguely human. It was the same after my third baby but not the first two. I just felt like I had terrible flu and had been kicked in the guts by a horse or run over by a truck or something! DH took 2 weeks off work and did most things. It was AT LEAST a month before I felt much better. I had headaches every day and was very dizzy and also quite down in the dumps. I was stressed a lot and not enjoying my family - to be honest, I just wanted to be in a room on my own with the baby and nobody else. I have only just, after 3 months, stopped feeling dizzy all the time! Give yourself time honey, not everybody bounces right back!

[zanacal]

Oh and I have noticed ladies having c-sections coming home very early here lately, often the next day!

[Zivic-Bubac]

I was planning to come home after Eliza had had a feed and I had had a bath but she passed meconium so I stayed 6 hours - she was born at 6.20 am and I left straight after lunch BUT it was 2 weeks before I felt even vaguely human. It was the same after my third baby but not the first two. I have only just, after 3 months, stopped feeling dizzy all the time! Give yourself time honey, not everybody bounces right back! 6 hours????? Are they insane???? No wonder you were felling dizzy, with 3 kids + newborn to take care.

I was all like oh poor me :drama: they are letting me go after 36 hour, how I'm going to survive :drama: lol!
But after 6 hours.....You are one tough mama :agree:

[n710]

ZB-
I just had my 4th in the spring and it was much easier with the adjustment than when I brought home the 3rd. So you might find it not so bad.

Same as other pp 24-48 hrs with vag. 4 days with c-section

[Cinss]

I had DD at 3am, stayed there 1 night and left the next afternoon. Vaginal birth with episiotomy. Next time i will want to leave asap.

[TTC5]

I was in for a week. I lost too much blood and baby needed light therapy.

[Mochagirl]

Ok - I'm going to go against the grain here and say I was Sooooo happy I got to go home a mere 2 hours after ds3 was born. It was a VBAC in the hospital with quite a substantial episiotomy. It was completely my choice - if I had wanted they would have let me stay 24 hours or so. But after the c-section with my twins I had to stay for almost a whole week and I hated every second of it, so I was desperate to get out of there the second time around.

That being said, it would not have been possible if my mother had not been able to travel here to help care for my other kids while I recovered.

With this baby I plan to come home ASAP as well. My Mom arrives tomorrow, and she'll stay a week it so to do school pick-ups and drop-offs, cook meals and do laundry.

[Inky]

with my older two they make you stay I think 24-72 hours? But my youngest I had in a freestanding birth center (in other words, a REAL birth center, versus them trying to give a fancy name to the L&D of a hospital) and I got to leave as soon as I felt like it, probably withing like 2 hours or so.

[*ruby*]

I stayed around 48 hours both times and couldn't wait to get out of there. Next time if i have a hospital birth i'll come home within a few hours. I would rather be comfortable and be able to relax in my own home, hopefully i'll be able to get family to help out with the other kids, house work etc so I can just relax and worry about the baby.

[zanacal]

6 hours????? Are they insane???? No wonder you were felling dizzy, with 3 kids + newborn to take care.

I was all like oh poor me :drama: they are letting me go after 36 hour, how I'm going to survive :drama: lol!
But after 6 hours.....You are one tough mama :agree:

The dizziness came weeks after the birth not straight away! 6 hours was my own choice and I could have stayed if I wanted but I didn't want to. I had no drugs, no stitches etc. and a DH to take care of the other kids and the house. I was buzzing the day I had her! I should add that in England the community midwife visits you at home for around 2 weeks after giving birth so it's not like you're discharged and forgotten about!

[Mum23boys]

My friend had a baby by c section yesterday morning in the uk in surrey and has just been sent home !!! shocking if u ask me after such major suregery

[*ruby*]

Wow 1 day after a c/s is crazy! Here it's 4 nights

[Rainbow baby]

I had to stay in 24 hours because Strep b, otherwise I would have left after 6 hours. I hate hospitals I think the average is 2-3 days for a first time v delivery and 5 days for a C. Maybe 3 days if it is your first baby.Providing everything runs smoothly with mummy and baby!

[CherryBlossom]

My first son was a c section and I stayed 5 nights. It was horrid and I hate it so damn much!!!

Second son. I had him at 830pm
And was discharged midday the next day. I really wanted to come home to my 20 month old! I had never been away from him that long before.

Next baby I want to stay in there atleast two nights if I can. I want to see a lactation nurse and make sure bf is all going ok.

[carolina2666]

I left after barely 24 hours, no complications and had a very short labour.

[lisvna]

Here in The Netherlands most woman deliver at home. I didn't want to deliver at home because it scares me and you can't get any pain relieves. So I delivered in the hospital. If you have a vaginal birth then you can go home after a few hours. If you have a c section you go home after 2 or 3 days. At home you get from the insurance 7 days 8 hours a day help with the baby and the houshold from a lady. So you don't have to do anything. She cooks, clean and take care of the baby if you like or can't.

[Tiggerian]

First time I stayed in hospital for 5 days because of a bad tear and haemorrhaging.

Second time I stayed in hospital for 3 days, for the same reasons as first time, but I had better care second time and recovered faster.

I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed my days in hospital as it gave me time to bond with my baby on my own. Especially second time!

[fish2012]

DS 2 i stayed in for 3 hours and 2 of those were because they had a lot of paperwork to fill in - I only arrived 3 minutes before he was born ;-S

i'd like a home birth next time don't tell dh i might have to pretend it was an accident!

get me outta there asap is my manta!

[auroara78]

I am an oddball as well as loving my time in the hospital, esp. this last time. My 3rd c-section and it was too close from DS2's c-section (no one said anything, they said everything looked fine, but my body felt it so hard.) I loved the time in the hopsital with DD alone, and I enjoyed when my older sons "visited"...

the first few days home I was a wreck. My happy over-elation over having DD passed once I got home and reality set in, and I had a wicked headache for about a week after she was born, where I didn't even much enjoy her, and def. not the boys or anyone else. I just wanted to sleep or be left alone. And it shocked me because I didn't think I'd feel that way since I had just had my DG! But then once I realized it had nothing to do with my love for my kids, it was all hormones, it really helped my recovery, and I just kept telling myself to take it one day at a time, and it was def. better by a month. Now, two months out, I feel a ton better. But everytime I have a baby, the panic of taking care of the baby, the looming dread of sleepless nites, the up and down emotions...I don't remember any of that until I'm back holding a newborn baby again.

[Claire33]

2 days after vag.birth and 3 days after c-section.

[Junie]

For my first I only stayed 2 days and wished I had stayed longer as we ended up having to go back in due to a bad case of jaundice. With my 2nd I stayed the recommended 4 days and was really happy with it- I had tearing so it was great to have the electric bed for nursing, and to have the bathroom only a few steps away. Plus I was able to sleep when the baby slept instead of having to entertain my older son or hear him in the background. For the next one I would also stay 3-4 days, I really enjoyed the hospital time and wouldn't have a problem if we still stayed a week like in the past :D