I went home the day after I had my first two, but with my third I was home the same day, it was about 6 hours after she was born, but only because her temperature was about half a degree lower than it should have been, so the nurses made me sit with her all bundled up until her temperature rose. If everything goes well I like to get out of the hospital asap, don't like them much, but I guess it depend on the person, I have friend who have stayed 5 days, so they get to rest more, because they have nurses to help them.

hi there, i had a friend that got to leave the same day after having her daughter in the morning she was allowed to go that afternoon, we are in south australia. also i'm due in august and my midwife has said that if i have an uncomplicated birth i'm free to go within 24 hours. i would speak with your dr/ midwife about it.

The lady in the bed next to me while i was in having my second bub only stayed a few hours.  I think it was her 4th bub and even though the midwives wanted her to stay in for at least 12 hours she wanted to go home so she signed a form and she was off :)

I think she had to have an obstatrician to check her over and a pead to check the bub over before she left.

BTW I am in Australia :)

Hello, I had an uncomplicated birth and went home the next day.  My son was born about 10pm, I was in the ward by midnight and slept until 4am when I heard other people's babies crying. I was eager to go home ASAP, however when I got up for a shower I was still very light headed - and was for weeks.  I convinced them to let me go home by that afternoon, after the doctors and midwives ahd all had the chance to se me and talk to me and run blood tests etc.  However I was still weak at home and I don't know how I would have managed if I didn't have my Mum there to help me in the middle of the night and day when I was too weak to stand at the change table without fainting (husband's arent always reliable).  I think it would have been great to stay in hospital a couple of days but ONLY if I had a private room (as I was in shared room with 3 other women and two of them were BIG ladies who snored and everyone else's babies were so loud crying all the time- despite someone tellling me newborns arent like this in the first few days) But I would have also wanted my husband to be allowed to stay with me as I would miss him.  Oh and its not fun hvaing visitors coming around to your house expecting you to wait on them, which they dont expect when ur in hospital!  Privacy was better at home though and at least the little oportunity I did get to sleep I could sleep in peace without a whole heap of doctors, and photographers and mneu people coming in and out oh and other peoples visitors- it ws just non-stop in the hospital 

hi dannii

depends on you when i had my last baby josie i had to stay in for few days but i shared a room with a new mum and she only wanted to stay for a few hrs but she ended up staying longer than me as she had a break down so depends on you

belxxx

I would reccomend you stay for a couple of days as will the midwives but the minimum you can stay for is 6 hours old. My boy was 20 hrs and I wish I had stayed a couple of more days. I know I will be with this one.

i left the hospital within 24 hours of giving birth to my second baby. with the first tho i stayed for a few days and it was the best place for me, its their job to help.

hey i had no problems with my first and was in 4 12 hours and i had  problems with my placenta with my second but was out 5 hours later as it was my choice if you and bub are fine and ur comfortable and they are happy with how ur going you can leave when ur ready

Even if you have a complicated free birth it is worth staying in hospital until breastfeeding is established. That way you have access to lactation consultants.

If you are determined however to leave early get the names and numbers of lactation consultants and breastfeeding counsellors in your area. That way you can get the help you need.

I'm in Australia and with my first, I stayed in for 3 days to learn to care for my baby, not that I got any help.  My second, I was allowed to go home after 4 hours, providing me and bubs were ok.  My third, because she was born at night, I had to stay in until the doctor could discharge me in the morning.  My fourth, I went home the same day.

It all depends on how your pregnancy, labour and delivery have been as well as if there have been any post delivery complications for you or the baby.  Also, if you have a c- section, then you are obviously going to have to stay in for a few days.

Funny though, the 2 were I went home the same day were meconium deliveries (where the baby had pooed before birth), but because there was no fetal distress and they were fine during the four hours after, I was still allowed to go home.

If this is your first, then it is advised that you stay in for at least 2 days to get used to having a baby around.

I was out the door an hour after I had my last 2 babies. I would have left sooner but they needed to do a few checks, needles and fill out discharge paper.

Hi there,

If it is an uncomplicated birth, you can usually go home fairly quickly! As it is your first bub, I would plan on a couple of days....it just gives you time to get a handle on things and having expert advice and assistance close at hand is wonderful! Also, if you have a long labour, you may find you are quite happy to have a rest for the first couple of days! Also, your milk can take a couple of days to "come in." Even if as you said, you don't want to breastfeed, you may want support with this! My advice....take it as it comes! If you want to go home the next day and all is well with you and bubs, do it! If you and or the doc decides you and bub need to stay acouple of days, that's fine too! My advice...Don't make too may plans as childbirth has a funny way of sending the best laid plans into disarray!!! Very little that was on my plan really went to plan! a. Labour as long as possible before going to hospital ( check...13 hours of contractions after waters broke HAD to go in and have things speeded up!) b: no drugs except  gas if possible - fine ....(think I will tick all drugs next time LOL! I wish! Am allergic to pethedine and morhine...darn shame!) ) c. breastfeeding - check  d. natural birth - nix , emergency c-section  e. home within two days- nix ...8 days later. f. Healthy bub -check .....which is ultimately the whole reason we make plans!

My advice....make a loose plan that includes any details you feel really strongly about....but just go with your feelings as things progress!

i know every one is saying 4 hours which is correct but i would check with the hospital as it is your first child and some times they want to be sure you know what you are doing and alot of people think because your young you cant mind your child(not saying that you cant mind your baby)

so it probably better off asking the nurse----you have a few weeks anyway lol

larissaxx

For the US it's 48 hours, though that really depends on when you have the baby (day or night) and how healthy they are (jaundice or not).  I say if you are feeling fine and the doc for the baby says it's ok for them to go, then you can go home as early as you really want.  They keep you for a few days to make sure that you are recovering fine, no abnormal bleeding and that the baby is not getting jaundice really bad.  But again that's here for the US.  My SIL went home 2 days later (1 1/2 days later as she had the baby in the middle of the night).  I would check with your doctor or the hospital to see what there policies are for that...Good luck!

With my son I stayed in for about 4 days. With my daughter, I knew I was being induced early in the day. I had every intention of being home by dinner time that I even got some meat out of the freezer to cook that night! As the labour stalled by mid afternoon, I didnt deliver until dinner time but I was out of there by 9am the next morning. I had 3rd degree tears but apart from a sore butt, I felt fantastic. I think that if your delivery goes smoothly and your dr says it is fine to go home then you should do what you want. You know your body best and if you are going to have the support you say you are going to have then why not go home!

Hours?? Are you kidding me seriously??????????????? I just think that is insane.. What if someone had an infection even if they had an uncomplicated birth??? What would they do then, go straight to emergency and wait hours before even seeing a doctor?? ha.. (at least here in Canad the emergency is insane!!)

Anyways.. Here in Canada, you stay up to 3 days.. You are even able to stay later but I didn't want to. That's when they discharged me from the hospital was after 3 days!!

I think if you wanted to know, ask the hospital where you are planning on giving birth (ring up the maternity ward) and they should be able to provide you with an answer.. Or at least I would hope they would!

In Aust it is 4hrs. I was home 4hrs later with my 2nd and 3rd baby.

I'm pretty sure it is only 4 hours. But if the hospital isn't happy with the way the mum is coping they wont let you go home. Make sure you speak to the midwives and let them know that you don't want to stay in before you go into labour and they might just put you into the birthing clinic.

Also if you have had drugs during the labour i think they keep you for longer. Just ask the midwives. I was stuck in for 5 days with both my kids due to emergancy c-section with the first and a planned one with the second.

My friend was home 4 hours after the birth, so it is possible.  I think it depends on you and how you feel don't pressure yourself to get home or to stay longer than you want.  With my first i went home two days after and in hindsight i should have stayed in hospital longer.

Once you are at home you may feel the need to do more than you should even though you have help, just play it by ear and see how you go.

I know you may not want to stay but it may be better. They can keep an eye on you to make sure you are okay and that the baby is feeding fine. I will say tha tbreast feeding is not as esy a sit looks. ALL thenurses helped me and 2 lactation consultants and we still were not able to get Jedd to altch well enough. We were discharged only becuase we would bottle feed. He was loosing wieght.

I would want to stay just to be on the safe side of things. KWIM.......I knwo it's you rdecision but that's what I would do.

Good luck.

i was im for a few days with both my kids and personally i feel this is the best ( but it is what u feel like) i did leave day/night 2 with Charlie as i suffer from PND and there was a lady there who had a emergancy c section and wasnt coping. she was crying the whole time. I tryed to talk to her but she wouldnt talk to me so i asked to go home in fear her crying all the time i would get my PND back. they said yes and i went home.

but personally i think u should sstay in if u are intending to breastfeed till ur milk comes in. 

Hi, i wrote this question, dnt know why its anon cos i didnt make it anon??

Its just my bf and i  who live together but my mum is taking 2weeks off (she also did this for mys isters) just so that i can call her anytime if i need something..Also Im not breastfeeding.

I just wanted to know this because i really dont like hospitals and if me n bub are fine id rather recover at home.

I'm in NSW and I left the day after the birth of my 2nd daughter.  No need to stay if you have a good support network at home and you're happy to go.

Yea as long as it was an easy birth and if you have home support you can be out with in about 5-6 hrs after.Thye usually send a midwife around to check in on you for the 1st few days.I myself liked the bit of a break away from the other kids for a day or so.

                                                         Cham

hi my sister inlaw came home the day after and she was at tweed, NSW so it depends on you and bub im sure. good luck.

I think if it is your first child they will keep you in for a few days to make sure that you are ok, baby is ok and breastfeeding ok.

But the day i was in labour, a woman came in, she was in there for about 2 hours, had the baby, had an hour recovery and went home.

So it is possible to go home if you have an uncomplicated birth. But i would say if it is your first, it will be at least 2 days.