Hospital discharge after 24 or 48 hours?

[etwahl]

On my admittance forms, there is a section where I can check off one of the following choices:

leave after 24 hours if no complications
request to stay 48 hours

Which should I choose? Would it be better for me to be at home sooner or to stay an extra day in the hospital?

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[jojo2324]

STAY STAY STAY! That is my opinion. There is so much that you won't know until you encounter it. LEAN on those nurses for help and support. And you can sleep sleep sleep. I know others labored at home and were never in a hospital, but I don't think I could've swung that. JMHO.

[Rachels]

I agree. I loved getting home in only 6 hours and curling up in my own bed with my baby, but I had DH and my mom both here with me. If I were on my own, I'd want to lay into that backup and stay the 48 hours! You are in charge, though, remember. You're not signing your life away by checking a box. If they're not helping you, or you're not resting, or you just feel ready, you can change your mind and go home.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[mamahill]

Agree with Joanne and Rachel - stay the full 48 if you can. We had latch issues that the LC really helped with. And like Rachel said, you can always leave early if you desire. But I say STAY!!

[mama2be]

Tammy I would too...look at it as "reserving a room at the INN"...I suspect you can always change from 48 to 24...but if they are full or "reserved" it might be harder for you to change from 24 to 48...

I joke with my friends since I am coming home so quick (if all goes as planned) that I'll be pressing the TV remote...."NURSE"...."OH NURSE"....:)

[nigele]

STAY for the full 48 hours! Even though I wanted to get home with Thomas ASAP, I found it really helpful to have the lactation consultants and nurses on hand for any questions and problems that came up.

[etwahl]

Thanks everyone. That was my inclination as well. I just wanted everyone's ideas on this. I'll be marking down 48 hours :)

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[egoldber]

I really recommend staying. Since I ended up with a Csection, I was actually "entitled" to 96 hours (4 days), but I left after 3. I really should have stayed, since we were still having breastfeeding problems, but my day nurse was very upsetting to me, so I wanted to leave. I retrospect, I should have told her to kiss off and found another LC to help me.

HTH,

[spu]

Yes, STAY!

I had a c, and I'm so glad I was able to stay beyond the normal time for a vag. delivery (4 days instead of 2). It's like getting free training, help, information, etc. In addition - they can keep a closer eye on your baby and weight gain. Alot of times, latch problems (or anything else) might not show up for a couple of days later.

Brace yourself though. it won't be very restful. They will keep coming in to do your vitals and monitor the baby. Drs will come by, interns, residents, etc... I welcomed everyone (except for the pushcart lady trying to sell stuff that I didn't want anyways). I asked the nurse to put up a "do not disturb" sign on my door so only drs. would come in.

susan

twin girls 7.20.02
charlotte & else

[Zansu]

Check off the 48 hours box, but don't completely discard the idea of getting out as soon as you can.

I was fully prepared to check myself and DS out AMA (against medical advice) after 24 hours. I didn't have to, for which the hospital should be grateful b/c it would have been a h*ll of an argument; we stayed about 30 hours after he was born.

I had a number of issues, but the last straw was being woken up at 4:30AM and being ordered to nurse. I was asleep, DS was asleep and DH was asleep. Yet the nurse barged in, turned on the light, and issued her order. The reason: she wanted to make sure DS's chart showed that he had eaten before she went off shift. She was not concerned about DS; she just wanted to make sure all of her paperwork was completed.

Also, hospitals are nasty germy places, and the less time spent in them means less exposure to all sorts of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

JMTCW
Suzanne

[jojo2324]

I will say that I *was* dying to get out of the hospital after the first day. The showers were horribly small, and the maternity ward was full up. Everybody had to bunk. And since the woman next to me had delivered her baby a day earlier, she got to use the bigger half of the room. This was the most annoying part, as all my friends and family came to visit and were just squooshed into one corner and the end of my bed. But perhaps that was good because then they couldn't stay as long...Actually, the most annoying part was that I could hear her eating her food, with her mouth open, and sucking on her fingers while she ate. (Through the curtain with both of our TVs on!) That was definitely NOT my cup of tea.

However, we had to return to the hospital a day after we came home to put Gannon under light therapy for jaundice. Strange but true, I was so happy to be back at the hospital. We had had one night at home, both of us wide awake. I got in an absolutely decadent shower. But questions arose that didn't at the hospital the first time, so I was able to ask them and get answers. And the floor had pretty much cleared out, so I had the nurses' attention, and they were in much better humor. But I know most people don't get to return to the hospital, but it really was a much nicer experience the second time around.

[sntm]

also, I wonder if your insurance pays for the extra day? i think it is a state-to-state thing -- some have passed laws requiring coverage of greater than 24 hrs but not all, I think.

my personal preference -- i hate being in the hospital (as a patient, that is.) if you have someone to take care of you, sometimes it's nicer to be in your own bed, with good food, and away from anoyances.

shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03

[egoldber]

It is actually a federal mandate (thank you Bill Clinton), that now requires insurance companies to pay for a hospital stay of up to 48 hours after a normal, vaginal delivery and 96 hours for a Cesarean delivery. This was the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996. Although, it occurs to me that since Evan is military, the act may not apply if you are delivering under military health insurance. I don't know, but often federal employees and military personnel are excluded from some of the protections offered by federal law. You may want to check on that.

You can read more here: http://cms.hhs.gov/hipaa/hipaa1/content/nmhpa.asp

Here is an excerpt:

"The Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act of 1996 (NMHPA) affects the amount of time you and your newborn child are covered for a hospital stay following childbirth. The law applies both to persons enrolled in group health plans and to persons who have individual health care coverage. In general, plans and health insurance issuers that are subject to NMHPA may NOT restrict benefits for a hospital stay in connection with childbirth to less than 48 hours following a vaginal delivery or 96 hours following a delivery by cesarean section."

HTH,

[KathyO]

I'll add my vote to the "stay" crowd - and who knows, you might get a cool roomie! Mine was a gas - we laughed so much I nearly popped my stitches!

Something I did want to add is - do NOT HESITATE A MINUTE to pass your baby over to the nursery for a while if you think it will help you grab a few hours of sleep. IGNORE any fishy looks they give you that somehow imply that you must be an awful parent (actually, only one did that.) This is your last best chance for a while to bank up some zzz, if the place is quiet enough, and odds are good that the baby will mostly sleep a lot of that first 24 hours or so anyway. I felt horribly guilty for wanting the sleep, but later I wished I'd gone after more of it.

If you're more inclined to spend the hours staring at the baby (don't we all) go for it, but if you want the sleep, grab it with both hands and don't feel guilty.

Cheers!

KathyO

[bnme]

I second the passing the baby to the nursery. My hospital took the babies at 11, unless you requested otherwise, and brought them back for feedings --for bf or bottle feeding Moms. I do wonder how long they let them cry or whether or not they gave them pacifiers before bringing them out though. I don't think I could've managed with the baby in my room the whole night, especially the first night, since I had a C. It was difficult getting in and out of bed and getting DS in and out of bassinette. They brought them right to you in bed and then took them away and changed them too.

Get as much rest as possible since it isn't that easy in the hospital to begin with!

[jojo2324]

Very true...I had some nice visions of us rooming in together, but nope! They would take the babies at 8pm and then bring them to us for feedings. The second night I asked to room in and by about 1:30am I rang the buzzer and told them to take him back...I was jumping out of bed every 12 seconds at his every whimper or sigh. I wasn't gonna get any rest that way.

Did any of you find that your hospitals used sugar water with the babies? Just an unofficial poll. Mine did not.

[Rachels]

On the other hand, I wasn't separated from my baby for a moment, and that first night we all slept beautifully. She snuggled next to me and we had a terrific night, and I don't have to wonder whether she had any distress. So, if you want to, just know it IS possible to have your baby with you and to rest.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[egoldber]

Sarah roomed in with us 100% even though I had a C-section. DH stayed with me in the hospital (or else it wouldn't have worked) and it was fine.

But I will say that with a second baby, I would have FAR fewer qualms about sending the little dear to the nursery so I could get a little shut eye.

Sarah slept great the first night, but the second and third were ROUGH!

HTH,

[suribear]

You'll know when you get there.

I had a c/s and was dying to leave that horrible place! I was in tears every night b/c the night staff was awful and rude. I wanted full rooming in, but they didn't allow support people to stay so I had to call the nurses for everything. The final straw was when one of them asked me to change dd's diaper at night. If they don't allow support people, they sure as heck better be there for you after major abdominal surgery! We also had problems with them giving dd supplements and pacifiers, against our wishes, then criticizing my nursing abilities (I was determined nevertheless). Plus my mom got chewed out for coming half an hour early to HELP me take a shower. so many things...

Anyway, they thought I was a nutcase, but guess what? We were SO much happier after we got home and I was surrounded by people who care.

If you have a positive experience, you'll probably want to stay. In which case, go for it!

Kris

[spu]

Regarding having the baby sleep in the nursery... I remember not wanting the babies out of my sight - so I had them room in with me. I was afraid that they would stop breating... so when they were rooming in with me, I didn't sleep at all - I just watched them breathe the whole time. When I finally gave in and let them go to the nursery, I saw that EVERYONE had their babies there! Even though they were only in there for 2 hours at a stretch, it was worth it in the very beginning to get some sleep.

susan

twin girls 7.20.02
charlotte & else

[etwahl]

I think I have that fear too (more after I go home), which is why we were considering the under the mattress Angelcare monitor. I wonder if that would help calm fears once I have the baby sleeping in the crib.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[mamahill]

Our first night was fine, but the second?! Yuck. But my hospital doesn't have a nursery - the babies are in the room all the time (but I also had my own room). DH spent the first night with me in the room and helped, but went home to get some sleep the second night so he could be more helpful when I came home. That second night was awful and I ended up having Ainsleigh sleep on my chest since that was the only thing that would calm her. And then came the heel pricks...

Do most hospitals out there still have nurserys? Most of them around here only have NICUs or Intermediate Care Units that could be deemed nurseries. Just curious...

[KathyO]

Mine did (have a nursery, that is). The nurses had a TV on low, and the quiet mumble of it seemed to soothe the babies. I spent a lot of time in there because my roomie's baby was in an incubator in NICU (born early) and she was in rough shape from an emergency c-section, so I felt guilty about bustling around doing all the noisy baby-care stuff when she (a) really needed the sleep, and (b) wasn't able to do them with her baby too. So when she needed to sleep, DD and I would wander off to the nursery and hang out with the nurses. I never saw any indication that they let babies cry who wanted to feed, or that they fed babies formula who weren't supposed to have it (it was very clearly marked for each).

Cheers,

KathyO

P.S. - for the record, roomie and her baby both now fine and in galloping good health!

[JMarie]

I actually know this one! Since I am unable to BF, I've had some nice long discussions with the nursery coordinator at our hospital - I must just say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the nurses and staff at my hospital! I was in L&D all last night with contractions (they stopped on their own, thank goodness, but they were NOT fun!) and they treated me like a queen. Anyhow, back to your question. Since I will not be BFing, Aidan's first bottle will be sterile water, his second will be sugar water, and then they'll start him on formula. The reason I was given had something to do with making sure his digestive system works okay. They test his first few diapers or something like that. They also said that they work with formula companies on a six-month rotation, but if I want a particular one, just to let them know and they can get it. However, I don't know if they use the sugar water with BF'd babies or not - I got the impression it was just the formula-fed ones though.

JMarie
EDD 2/23/03
Aidan Christopher