Staying in Hospital/Birth Centre After the Birth

After the birth you will be tired and busy getting to know your new baby. Most women who have had a normal birth stay in the hospital or birth centre for 48 hours. If you have had a caesarean section, the usual hospital stay is 3-5 days. There may be an option to have your postnatal stay in a primary unit if you have given birth at hospital. Some women choose to go straight home after birth, this is called a planned early discharge. Talk to your midwife about your postnatal stay and make sure your family know what your plan is.

After the birth you may be tired and busy getting to know your new baby. Many women who have had a normal birth stay in a primary birthing unit if they do not wish to go straight home. If you have had a caesarean section, the usual hospital stay is 3-5 days with the first 24 hours being at Middlemore.

Some women choose to go straight home after a normal birth, this is called a planned early discharge. Talk to your midwife about your postnatal stay and make sure your family know what your plan is. There are a few things which can mean an early discharge is not the safest choice and your midwife will discuss these with you.

There is no time limit on how long you are able to stay at a birthing unit. It is individualised to ensure you and baby go home when you have gained some confidence in caring for him/her. It is very important that you are able to feed your baby when you are home.

Franklin Midwives will visit you daily during your stay in the primary birthing unit and will try to do the same if you are in Middlemore. We work closely with the midwifery and nursing employed staff.