New Mamas, How Long Did You Stay in the Hospital?

If you have a vaginal birth with no or minimal issues (like excessive tearing or blood loss) you can expect to be out of the hospital the next day.

If you have a c-section, 3 to 4 days in the norm. And it's no vacation. (At least mine was not, not by a long shot.)

Likely, you'll do fine, and will be release the day following the birth.

Its so funny to me that people want to be in the hospital. As soon as my kids were out I was asking when I could go, lol. The beds are terrible and if you manage to get to sleep someone is coming in for some retarded test every 5 seconds to wake you up. I stayed only as long as they made me, 24 hrs after the birth I think. I did not let people visit the house for a few days though, so I could rest.

I guess it depends on the hospital but here they ask you to stay (but you don't have to) 48hrs because that is how old the baby has to be before they can do the blood test for genetic diseases.

until they kicked me out! ;)

24-48 hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is pretty average. Only longer if there were complications such as bleeding, csection, etc. You can leave when you want if you feel well, some women just rest better at home if they have good support. Only you will know that. With other kids at home it is like a break! You should probably check with your insurance bc if they offer 3 days and you want it, then you should take it! :)

The minimum the one hospital likes to allow is 24 hours. However, I was there from Tuesday night til Friday AM. I could have gone home Thursday but they allowed me Friday because DD wasn't born til Weds and that's when they counted my days.

C-section is longer.

I was there less than 24 hours after both of mine.
I know you asked for "new" mommas, but hey, you never forget that day :)
Depending on what time you deliver probably determines part of how long you are there.
Both of mine were born around noon, and I was out by noon the next day.

I was in for 24 hrs with my 2nd (Vbac) and for 3 days with my first (C-sec).

It's usually 24 hours at minimum. It depends on what your insurance covers and if there are any complications etc.
Of course I wanted to go home as fast as I could, hated the hospital! I left before 24 hours was up, it was about 6 or 7 hours I think.
My other 2 were born at a birth center. They have you stay 6 hours then you can go home. I liked that so much better. But even that was the longest 6 hours ever! I just wanted to go home ;)

My first I came in at 2:30 am on Christmas eve (had the baby at 10:30 am), stayed that whole day, Christmas day, and left the next morning... I don't think my doctor came in to sign me out on Christmas day... so without a release I had to stay another night... or I would have go home then.

My second, I came in at 1:30 pm, and then had her at 6:00 approx... stayed that night most of the next day, and then left after dinner. Our hospital gives new moms and dads a complimentary fancy dinner after they deliver so the only reason I stayed the second day at all was so my husband and I could eat the dinner.

I hate hanging out in the hospital. In my perfect world I would have the baby, eat a sandwich and some fries, take a nap, and go home. That is because after a little while the nurses kick you out of the plush, cozy, lovely delivery room into a crappy, flourescent lit, cramped "normal" hospital room to recover. In my perfect world... I would never see that room!

I also think that they will probably shoe you out the door sooner with your second baby. You don't have the excuse that "I don't know what I am doing!?" For me all they needed to do was make sure that BF was going ok and that my stitches were healing and then the nurses started "reminding me" that I was "free to go" as soon as I was done with my special dinner. So, just a heads up... they might remind you that you can leave soon too....

Good luck and congrats!
-M.

For vaginal deliveries, insurance usually covers up to 48 hours after you give birth (during the day) or beginning the morning after you give birth (if it's the middle of the night). With my first, I was admitted on a Wednesday afternoon, gave birth early Thursday morning and went home before noon on Saturday. With my 2nd I was admitted on a Wednesday at noon, delivered that evening and went home early Friday. With my 3rd I was anxious to get home so I was admitted in the morning on a Thursday, delivered an hour later and went home Friday afternoon. With my last, I had a scheduled induction on a Tuesday morning, delivered at noon and was out by noon on Wednesday and shopping at Target for Halloween costumes that night.

I found that I was more comfortable convalescing (or not LOL) in my own home and with the last ones, would have left the same day if they would have released the baby that day too.

Congrats - hope you have a great delivery!

I think they have to let you stay for 48 hours. if you want to stay. The baby is required to stay for 24 hours as they need a blood sample from the baby after they are 24 hours old.

For my first I left when she was 30 hours old.. for my second I left when he was 36 hours old. -- I would have left sooner.. but he was 24 hours at 10 pm.. and it would have been a hassle for someone to watch the older baby at home and for hubby to come get me.. seeme to make sense for me to stay one more night in the hosptial.. I could nt wait to get out of there..

It seems that the general rule nowadays for a "normal" delivery is 48 hours from the time you give birth. Sometimes that is shaved down if it was the middle of the night and mom and baby are looking/feeling good you will probably leave in the evening before your actual 48 hours is up. It's a pretty short time, I'm afraid!

I had c-sections and I could not wait to hang out in the hospital, I loved it! ;) But my friend despises the hospital and gave birth in a birthing center and she and baby came home 3 hours after delivery, no joke. So you at least have 2 days! ;)

24 hours or less for both. In and out.

48 hrs for a vaginal delivery with no complications, and up to 72 hrs for a c-section, I think. Mine was vaginal, full term, no complications except for a looonnnnggg gruelling labor. I got admitted on Saturday noon, delivered minutes before midnight, and they asked me to clear by Monday morning.
Anyways, I had my mom with me for a month, so, I had no issues. :)

Call and check with your insurance company for either case, and have it double-triple checked. And call the hospital where you're planning to deliver, and ask them as well. So, you'll have an idea and no surprises in the last minute!
May you have an easy-breezy delivery! :)

48 hours as a patient, but an extra two nights since our son was still there. It was a small town, so they let us have an empty room so our son could still room in with me, he needed iv fluids twice a day.

I stayed three days because I ripped I hated those three days. Hated getting up every other hour for an Iron pill then woken up at 2 am to walk around. Was very happy to get home with my DD.

My baby was delivered via C-section on Tuesday morning, and I went home on Friday afternoon. I stayed the maximum amount of time offered by my insurance, even though the hospital was telling me that I could leave sooner. I wanted all the assistance that came with it, including scheduled meals that I enjoyed and an on-call lactation consultant.

I stayed the required 24 hour period and that was it. Had they let me go home after my son passed all the requirements for release I would've run out the door. Note: I was not full term(35 weeks)and there were no complications aside from gestational diabetes which of course caused no further issues after delivery for myself or my son.

First one I was in a little less then 48 hours, Second child I was out after 22 hours (had to sign myself out) Third I was out after about 36 hours...

4 overnights with my first. Two overnights with my second. They were both c-sections, though. I could have stayed 4 days with the second, but I was ready to go home.

2 days for my son. My sister stayed 3 days, but she did not deliver until almost midnight.

Two days and one day, vaginal deliveries after 23 hours of labor for each child. Believe me, I was so upset over the one day. It was the weekend and I couldn't call the insurance company to ask if I could stay longer.

Find out in advance what your insurance covers. That's important to know, in case you end up delivering during the weekend.

At least "drive through deliveries" (6 hours after delivering) were slammed out - insurance companies tried to do that some years back. THAT was not allowed because a politician's granddaughter was sent home with a catheter before she could pee. Thank goodness for that!

Dawn

I had a csect on Wednesday afternoon and was home by 10am Saturday. They said I could stay till Sun ins would pay for one more day but I was doing so well and wanted to get the hell out of there that I was out the door.

It depends on your doctor and your insurance.
If it's a normal delivery with no complications they usually want you out of there within 24 hours.
But VERIFY this ahead of time so you know what to plan for!

My wife was in for two days with each of ours but one and then it was three days and that was because they tied her tubes when she had our 8th.

Good luck to you and yours.

36 years ago, I was two days for my first, one day for my second, one day for my third (or maybe 36 hours). At that time NYC Police Officers medical
coverage did not include maternity, so we were paying cash for our kids.
My fourth I think I stayed three days because we have coverage for her and
I had a 3yo, 2yo, and a 1yo at home. I just wanted to rest before heading
home.

Standard is two nights for a vaginal delivery & 3-4 nights for a c-section. Insurance generally covers two nights, but depending on what time of day you deliver, it may seem like only one. If you deliver at 12:05 a.m. on Monday, you would go home on Wednesday morning/early afternoon. However, if you deliver at 11:55 p.m. on Monday, you still go home on Wednesday morning/early afternoon.

Our insurance paid for a maximum of 48 hours both times. I had a nasty episiotomy the first time, but they kicked me to the curb 40 hours after delivery. The second time my delivery was very easy and I was out of there in 20 hours (they said I could have stayed until the following morning, but the darned bed was so uncomfortable that I checked myself out of the hospital and went home to sleep! lol).

I had a c-section, hemorrhaged, & nearly died so my insurance covered 6 days, but only after my mom called & complained. The hospital wanted me out at 4 days.

I wish you an easy, uncomplicated delivery & a healthy baby!

Way back when, the typical stay was much longer..... 3 of my kids were born on Thursday, and I came home on Sunday. (!982, 1984, 1986)

The last one was born on Tuesday, and I think I came home on Thursday... they had shortened the typical stay by 1 day.... (1991)

However, I had to take our son back twice for blood tests to see that his bilirubin was going down.... (DD #3 had jaundice problems and had to stay two extra days because of that....)

With my first I was in for 4 days after 28 hours of labor and an "emergency" c-section (apparently it took 28 hours to realize my boy's head was too big for me). It was in a private room in the fanciest hospital in my town, and after all the labor and surgery it was bliss! My second one (not at the fancy hospital) was horrid. They had a new system, pushed by the insurance companies of course, that it was 24 hours max. I was induced and had a normal delivery, then after being given 2 regular strength tylenol I slept on a concrete slab overnight, and was rushed out the door right before that 24 hour mark.

In most hospitals, it's customary to stay 24 hours at least because they check/do newborn screenings at 24 hour mark.

I had a C-Section, so I was 72 hours