for those who have had babies before

how long did you spend in the hospital/birth centre.

A lady was saying that mothers should spend more time in hospital after baby is born like 2 weeks..Im not sure I could handle two weeks in hospital/birth centre.

I mean sure it would be nice having your meals cooked for you and basically been waited on hand and foot but there is nothing like your own bed and comfort of your own home.

Where I am having baby average stay is about 48 hours and when I go home I will have my midwife visit me plus the support from my husband.

#1 Stayed one day. Had emergency c-sect but the nurses were crappy and men and being young I wanted to go home where mum looked after me.

#2 Stayed in the night she was born (she was born at 9.45pm) but went home as soon as I could the next day.

#3 same as #2 except he was born at 10.01pm.

For my last 2 births I just wanted to get home and be with my other kids.

With Maya I stayed 3 nights and that was plenty, plus had the support of my mum and my midwife when I got home.

With the gremlins I stayed 4 nights, and I should have been able to stay much longer. I was fretting for Maya something chronic but when I went home on day 5 I wasn't able to feed, had no support at home (as in I drove myself home from Birthcare ) as my parents were in Europe and Willie had no leave left after using it all while I was on bedrest. It was an absolute disaster, I had sick babies that were very high needs and I didn't cope at all. My midwife was great, but she could only do so much and I had a nanny but she was only there a few hours a day. I needed intensive support and just someone to take over so that I could rest and recover from a disastrous pregnancy. I ended up having pretty major bonding issues with the babies, as well as pretty serious anxiety issues. I'm pretty sure that had I had more support in those first few weeks I wouldn't have had nearly as much angst as I did.

So in short, I think 48 hours - 3 days is fine for someone who has had a normal pregnancy and birth and with no underlying issues, but there needs to be better support systems for those who have had difficult pregnancies and/or births and who have a shortage of support in the community. Had the gremlins been born prematurely we would have had plenty of support but because they were born good weights at term we were treated as any other mum and baby.

We were in for 10 days and I could hardly wait to get home - I was fine & recovered really quickly after the vb but because Gina was born a month early, she had to spend time under the lights and wasn't gaining weight so we had to stay. I was never given the option to leave her there and I would not have taken it anyway - I wanted to be with my baby! Looking back, I'm kind-of glad we stayed as I had her routine under control by the time we got home and could manage really well.
I don't think you'll have the option of staying for 2 weeks in hospital/birth centre under 'normal' circumstances unless you pay dearly for it at a birth centre - I could be wrong here but pretty sure you get 'booted out' as soon as they think you're ok esp from hospital as they always need the beds

I stayed 3 nights at Birthcare after Ella was born. I had breastfeeding issues and wanted as much help as possible to get it sorted before I was on my own doing it.
When I had Benjy I stayed overnight as he was born at 10.50pm, and left early the next morning. I wanted to be home with DH and Ella-Bee.

I stayed 5 nights at North Shore hospital and went home when I was good and ready. I was lucky and had a room to myself, and didn't share a toilet/shower either. The midwives I had were awesome and so helpful though I was pretty self sufficiant as well once I was mobile.

Also I liked the food - I think there is something wrong with me!

I was there for 2 hours after the birth, thers was no reason to stay, bubba was fine and my bed was far nicer, the mw came and saw me that evening at home to check on feeding etc, so going to do this next time if I am lucky enough

#1 I was in hospital forever it seemed like. I was in for a week and a half before I had him and then 3 days after I had him. Went home and then back in for a night as he needed to go under the lights.

#2 I had him at 7.08pm and we stayed that night and the following night as I wasn't coming back to the hospital to get his hips checked and I wanted to get feeding properly established.

The main thing that would make you stay is if you have stitches etc (so much easier for those first few days to get all the help you can get, and make sure that feeding is established.

with haleigh she was forceps delivery so i had to stay over night (i had no feeling from epi for 12hrs) tehn i was supose to be transfered to the maternity home in mot but haleigh ended up on the uv bed so ended up staying in nelson for 4days

with james i was able to leave that day once his blood sugar levels came back good. but i stayed the night jsut in case he got jaundice like haleigh did.

#1 i had an emergency c/s at 4am on wednesday went home friday morning as i begged my midwife to discharge me.

#2 she was born 8.30pm and i was home by lunchtime the next day, wanted to go home earlier but wasnt allow cuz of having an epidural.

#3 didnt even leave the house, had a homebirth.

Edited by fadeless