How long until u can go home after a c-section

With my first c-section the hospital that I went too insist that u stay there for 7 days for your first c-section and 5 days for anyones after that. I felt I was ready to go home after about 3 days so started to get a bit cranky. I went in on the Monday and they released me (or should I say I threatened to discharge myself) on the Saturday morning. I just felt that there was no reason for me to be in there anymore. I felt fine and was in no pain. My daughter was actually discharged on the Wednesday afternoon but stayed in there with me. Apparently this is the norm for this hospital.

I was just looking at another thread and the girls on there were saying that they were discharged after c-section later that day and a couple of days later. My question is did u discharge your self? Was it public or private?

I would never have left if my daughter wasnt discharged but there was absolutely nothing wrong with the both of us so why do they make u stay there for ever.

Another annoying thing my OB does is he books in all his c-sections for Mondays so u dont get discharged til Saturday when there is only one doctor on doing pretty much the entire hospital. So u wait pretty much the whole of Saturday to be discharged. Id rather have the c-section on Thursday/Friday so people come and see u on the weekend and u have a better chance of leaving during the week(wow that sounded real posh didnt choseing what day I will be having my baby. Sorry about that but if u can pick why not I say). Also our hospital will only do discharges before 10am on Saturday cos they only have office staff on before 11am. We didnt get seen til 11.15am so I just told them thats it im going Ive had enough.

My hospital had an early release program - 24 hours for vaginal birth & three days for caesarean. I had my c/s at 1.27am on Sunday & we left the hospital at around 1.00pm on Wednesday. The proviso is that both you & bub are checked over before you leave & that a midwife comes to visit you in your home every day for the next week. From what one of the domiciliary midwives told me, you aren't *technically* released from the hospital until their last visit to you, so if something happens at home & they believe you should go back, you have no choice really.

The paed that checked Zander on our last day in hospital was hesitant to send us home as they allow only at 10% weight loss from birth weight & he had lost around 15% but they let us go anyway. I had been having dramas with some of the staff, so I would have walked out myself anyway ;)

As for choosing the day, you can wait until you go into labour first & then at the first signs race into the hospital & they will do it then.... Give bub a chance to pick which day to be born & also doesn't allow the OB to dictate whats happening.

I went home after 5 days. THere is no policy (as far as I'm aware) at my hospital. I know that I could have gone sooner, but they were more than happy for me to stay that long.

I would be very surprised if you were able to go home the same day as your C/S. I know there is no way I could! But I can understand that when you have another child that you really want to get home ASAP. Have you talked to anyone at the hospital about their policy?

I left on day 6 with my first. Could have left earlier but son was in special care and basically they ran out of beds and I had no chice but leave and leave my son there..

2nd time round I left on day 4. Same thing could have left earlier but son was also in special care..

This time I will ask to leave on day 2 as I know I would rest better at home.. All as long as baby is well..

It's entirely up to you. I left the same day as my surgery :) Much safer recovering at home away from the nasty germs in the hospital.

I had my c/s at 3pm Monday afternoon and I left hospital on Saturday morning.
They were happy for me to go earlier but I wanted to stay as long as possible - mainly because we have a huge flight of stairs inside our house and I had a two year old at home that constantly wanted to be picked up. So I basically just stayed there and enjoyed my new bub for as long as I could.
There's no way I could have left the day after mine, no way!

I dont think I could leave the day after either. I would definately need the 3 day I reckon but the hospital that Im going to are insisting that I stay at least 5 days. Im pretty sure whats going to happen is at about thursday when the pead shows up Ill stay "Is she ready to go" and when he says yes Ill say "Then we are off" and discharge myself. It was so rediculous last time. I was bored out of my mind when I could have been home starting a new life with my family.

Thanks for everyones feed back too.

When I was in hospital after Claires birth, I was talking to a lady who had a c/s on friday and she went home on monday morning. A midwife then wnet to visit her in her home.

Wow Janet - I stand corrected! That's pretty amazing. I don't think I could have done that.

I forgot about the home MW visits. I am not sure if they do that privately but in the public system here they do..

I personally didn't get anything out of them and only had them come once..

I don't know what the hospital likes to enforce, it was what I wanted. I signed an AMA (Against Medical Advice) and just walked out. I'm an adult and they have no legal capacity or right to dictate anything to anyone about anything. The most they can really do is "recommend" and legally it's up to us after that. Of course it rarely works out that way since most of us think they're in charge but they're no more in charge of us than any other service provider we access. Jus coz the plumber says I have to have a toilet in my living room because it's his policy, doesn't mean I have to listen ;) SWIM?

I stayed in 2 nights after my c/s so I had it on Thursday evening at 6pm and I left Saturday morning. I asked the midwives on Saturday how long I had to stay in for and they said I was doing well so I could go whenever I wanted, and I said how about now? LOL

oh ok so its called a AMA. Sweet. I know what to ask for now when they tell me i cant go home yet. Fantastic.

That's interesting to know. It is true in a sense, that you just accept what you are told to do. I know I often do anyway (but I am learning otherwise ;))

I think 6 days, or 5 nights where I'm going

Minimum 4 days and I went public, the day of the birth was counted as day zero, so 4 days after that. Doubt I could have left earlier as I had an emergency c-section after a long labour, but I was definitely itching to get home on the morning of day 4. A Public ward with high turnover is not much fun, even though I did miss the meal deliveries once I got home.

I did hospital in the home too and left early. I think after my second night. I had a gutful, the midwives were awful, and one accused me of allowing my daughter to choke after they had given me strong medication to knock me out and I had specifically told them to keep an eye on her because of what the drug did to me. And when I tried to complain they couldn't "find" the midwife who had gone mental at me. I still get choked up thinking about it. You can specify you want to do hospital in the home and they have to allow it.

*hugs*
Cailin

I was in for 7 days after i had Kimberley but she was in special care.
After Alex i was home within 4 days and the same with Eleanor.

I think they say 3-7days now depending on how you do. I know they like you out of bed as soon as possible.

At this stage I'm thinking it will be lovely to have a week in hospital with my new bub, meals served, and plenty of rest time...and apparently they use "do not disturb" door signs and screen your phone calls if you want. Bliss. However I will miss hubby and my kids very much and will hang out for their visits!

I think each hospital has its own policy. It will depend on whether the wound gets infected, too, and what sort of post-operative care you need. I was in for 5 nights with my daughter, then 7 nights with my son (I was actually discharged after 1 night and re-admitted to a different hospital for a maximum allowed stay which was a further 6 nights, due to his major health challenges).

After Samantha I was in for ten days(medical reasons)
Jareth until the stitches came out.
Xander the next day.
My first 2 were at Manly hospital where you're surrounded by bush and ocean, all the rooms open to outside and the staff are just wonderful, so I was quite happy to stay. Xander was born at Dubbo which is fully enclosed, climate controlled and the staff aren't the most caring so I signed myself out and just went into Wellington hospital when it was time to have the staples removed.

I went home on day 6. I really wanted to go home on Day 5 and asked ob about going home and he just said that it's best to stay for 5 days. I didnt push it. I have heard something about the first 5 days being when most of the complications of c-sections come out. After day 5 infection etc is rare. Dont know though. The midwives continued to take my temp each day unti I left. I had the one long stitch done (which I recommend if having a c-section) and that came out on day 5.

I certainly dont like that the idea of being encouragd to leave on the DAY of surgery, as has been mentioned!!!!
I trust the qualified medical staff members advice to stay for at least 3 days.

I went home after 3 nights.
I wanted to be in my own bed where I could be comfy and get a good night's sleep cuddled up next to my baby.
I had midwives visiting me at home but they only made a few visits because DH was a fabulous nurse (bless him) and we were coping ok once we got over the first BF hurdles.

My hospital had a 5 day average but you could leave earlier if your Ob signed you out. My Ob has a strict 5 day minimum rule. I was furious at the way I was treated by hospital staff and wanted to go home on day 3. DH convinced me to stay because he knew I really needed to be there. Next time I'll be going to a different hospital, different Ob, and organising help for at home so I can get out as quick as possible! But I also missed the "meals on wheels"!

I left on day 5 (the day of surgery was counted as day 1), which was the hospital policy following c/s. They did offer an early discharge program, where you could go home 48-72 hrs after your c/s and have a few midwife visits from the Blue Nurses. Before Jambin was born, we were planning to take advantage of the early discharge program, whether he was vaginally delivered or c/s, but as it turns out I wasn't nearly well enough to leave that early and it didn't enter my mind at the time.

I ended up having complications after my c/s (an internal stitch tore through my abdominal muscle and rested on the nerve to my right leg) so I couldn't walk or place any weight on my right leg and was in extreme pain and taking morphine. They recommended that I stay an extra 2 days (i.e. 7 days total), but when I told them I was desperate to go home they agreed to discharge me on day 5 with a supply of pain relief medications, a wheelchair, and a shower/toilet frame.

My hospital policy was 7 days or as long as you needed, but I ended up staying in for 8.

I don't know what the policy is at John Hunter where I delivered but I happily stayed until they kicked me out on day 8.

My baby was in NICU and I'm not from newcastle so I think they let me stay a bit longer than usual, and as long as they did not need the bed. (I had my own room and they let DP stay with me too!!)

I stayed a full week at the John Hunter, mostly because, like August, I had a baby in NICU and I had a private room. They told me I could stay longer as a "boarder" if I wanted, but we live in town so I didn't need to. It was my 2nd c/sec and I felt good enough to go home after 3 days. I'm sure I could have discharged at that point, or gone home AMA if I had wanted to. I didn't because:
1) The easy NICU access was important
2) everyone else in the family was sick
3) I had an 20 month old who wanted to be picked up
After my first caesarean, first baby, I was discharged at 3 days--delivered Thursday pm, home on Sunday morning. This was not long enough. After my second c/sec, I could tell the next day that I felt much better than after the first one--ironic that I needed to stay for other reasons!
It should be based on your own comfort level--physical and psychological--and you don't always know in advance how you will feel. I think it's important to be flexible, both ways.

When I had my kids (both C's) I had to wait till the stiches were ready to come out which was 5 days. I had my first at the Royal North Shore private in Sydney emergency C and had a running stitch then with my dd I had her in Darwin at the Darwin Private and had staples. Both times I was there for 5 days 6 nights. I remember asking if I could go home early with my second but the dr wanted me to walk the stairs at the hospital before letting me go (we had stairs at home).

WEll I am like the one night stayer! With my first c-section they kept hinting that they were running out of beds and that I could have the house midwives come visit daily for a week and so I left the next day. OMG it was sooooooooooo painful trying to walk down all the way through the coradoors to the taxi, I thought my tummy was going to fall out. And they never even offered me a wheel chair damn them!

Second c-section which was five months and they did the same again, I had him at 12.oopm and they kicked me out the very next morning at 11.00am but thank god the pain was no where near as bad as the first time around. Again no offer of a wheel chair thugh. They are pigs at that hospital, more like a backyard shack.


I would suggest to stay for at least 3 days sweetie of not more, its major surgery and the body needs time to heal.

OMG! I couldn't imagine walking all the way down the hall and to the car after just 1 night and they didn't even give you a wheel chair, that's appaling! you poor thing I'm stunned what kind of hospital is this?

Tiff its a hospital on the central coast need I say more! The midwives all sat behind the counter watching me barley able to take a step, and not one of them offered a wheel chair to me. I will never forget that pain, it was excrusitating. And my legs were massive from swelling omg I was so imbarrest, and to try and swing my legs to get into the taxi wholy cow I culd have busted all the staples in my tummy, not to mention when I had a home visit two days later, I stood up to go lay on my bed for the midwife to look at my healing and I got a massive pool of blood pour out of me, it was like I was weeing and could not stop it. She just said oh dear!

wow I worked as a nurse in the U.S. and you could never be discharged without being taken down in a wheel chair !! Yikes !

heather

Ohhh my goodness that's just so dangerous! you could have ruptured or had a blood clot that's just not on!

i left after i had a c-section the next day so 24 hours, it was basically because i was really unstable mentally and i didn't have one empathetic nurse, i was crying hysterically and the charge nurse (old bag) came in and said if you want to go we can't stop you, so i left i was told to wait in the day room with my baby while my DH went to get car seat sobbing while everyone walking past was staring at me. they were cleaning my room for the next patient. it was at mitcham private hospital and i hated it. i was much better at home with my family around me looking after me and i could have pain relief when i needed it.
remembering this is surprisingly hard, i think i just don't think about it as it was such a horrible time. i think i was in shock after having 2 natural vaginal births with no intervention at all and then to end up with a c-section was such a big surprise.
beckles

Beckles I'm sorry to hear you had such a difficult time, and not one nice person to just come in and talk with you. Childbirth be it c/section or natural is a tramatic experience and the overwhelming emotions afterwards must be scary to deal with. I've heard from alot of women that it was difficult to have a c/section when they had hoped and expected a natural birth. It can stay with a women for a long time -- the disappointment. The system seems to support the mother before and during --- but it seems like the "after" is when women need the most support.

I'm trying to prepare myself mentally for the whole process, and listening to other people's experiences really helps. I'm definately bringing my own pain meds to make sure I take what I want when I want it. In Canada I remember that they would give you a "pain pack" for you to take meds when you want it and if they weren't working you could ask for something stronger.

Heather

Heather when you say your taking your own meds do you mean over the counter pain relief like panadol and nurofen? I never thought about doing this before, I was offered the same "over the counter" meds with both my C's I could have either panadol or panadine fort (that stuff is awful!) for the hard stuff I reluctantly had a suppository with my first but ohhh it was the best, it worked so effectivly and I didn't feel drowsy at all. I had a drip set up with a self administured button when it got bad you just press that was for the first night since both times I had evening deliveries.

Yeah I'm taking Panadol OTC, ibuprofen, and something like a low dose Panadol fort (it is Acetaminophen with a low dose of codeine I think 4mg ?!?) oh and a stool softener( docusate sodium), some ant-acids (Rennie), and prenatal vitamins. A little pleasure pack of meds.
Just take any codeine with food or it can tear up your stomach and the pain from that can be enough. Have some crackers or snack bar by your bed if you take codeine at night and not with food. Oh and it can make you constipated so stool softener and prune juice is a plus.

My girlfriend said the nurse told her to alternate between the Panadol (Acetaminophen) and the Ibuprofen and she said that helped ALOT ! I used to take Ibuprofen for period cramps and it worked a dream !

Ok, if you're bringing your own meds you need to tell your doctors - especially ibuprofen (nurofen, etc) as these can wreak havoc post-sugically given certain blood conditions!