2nd Birth Hospital Stay

free food you don't have to cook lol

A friend just had the same problem she didn't want to stay long but hubby wanted her to stay as long as she could she stayed 2 days but came home cos they were going to put her in a room with someone else.

If hubby and your ds can cope for a while it might be nice for them to have a bit if special time at home doing boys things so you get well rested.

I had addison at 5.30ish and stayed that night and the next then came home lunch time. It was nice to be there and have a bit of peace and quiet but nights were pretty horrible cos i had to look after addison myself and i was lonely and during the day was ok but i hardly got to see kobe cos he would get sooo bored at the hospital and only last there for about 10 minutes without getting restless. was really nice not to have to worry about housework etc... though and of course getting meals cooked for you is great.

I stayed the same amount of days..as when i had Paris.. 2 nights i think. I hated knowing that paris was missing me, especially when she came to visit me and hair was done crooked and she was looking a little disheveled. lol. but i knew mike was looking after her, my sister was staying with us, plus she went off to daycare each day so she was occupied, leaving Mike time to come visit during lunch hours without her.. so it was just me mike and Ayja and he could bond with Ayja without feeling guilty or torn between her and paris.

I knew also that once i was home, it was me, baby and toddler. I would have to put up with all the toddler stuff (which, hello, is bad enough anyway on a bad day let alone adding in leaky boobs, sore bits and sleep deprivation!), AS WELL AS getting over having #2, getting to know #2. Not to mention, I had Ayja at a very unreasonable hour early in the morning, had had no sleep the night before and boy i needed some rest (turns out i didn't get it cos Ayja was a cluster feeder at night)

I would totally reccomend you staying, yeah it's boring but you'll get a bit of time to bond with #2.. if you think about it, the second child never really will ever know what it's like to be just him and you and Nigel... I loved having that time to get to know Ayja.


Edited by mum2paris

I had Briona at 11.15am, got cleaned up, slept for a bit in delivery suite, then went home by 2pm. The ward was full so I would have been room-shar ing, and I figured I'd get better rest at home. Also, I had laboured for a whole day and I was quite anxious to get back to Hannah (19mos). She was at a friend's place and we picked her up just after tea. She got a quick cuddle then bed.

Unfortunately Hannah picked up a bug that day and vomitted all through the night, with Briona feeding 2 hourly. It was horrible! We all got sleep deprived and sick for about two weeks So I decided I had been too quick and too confident so...

With Krystiana (born 9.50am) I told everyone I would stay at least 24 hours. She cluster-fed for the first night so I stayed another. I'm glad I did. The other girls were fine and it helped me learn Krysti's routine etc. Also I was kinda hard on myself to rest rest rest because once I got home I knew it would be all go with 3 girls and DH back to work the next day.

Due to my "milk" problems with Jacob, I have asked it to be put in my file that I stay 3 days minimum or I can go earlier *if* my milk ocmes in and feeding is ok. The lactation consultant and my mw said that they tend to see second and consequent mums as "experts", so they like them to go after 48 hours at the most. They also said that they will only skim read your file, and see that i b/f for 10 months and had a "normal" birth with jacob,a nd probably wouldn't see that there was alot of damage and no milk and drug therapy, so they have put a "flag" on my file about it. makes me feel better, as I was nervous I would get the push before we knew what was happening with my milk,a nd I know that being home with a full on toddler won't help that at all!! DH, ont he other hand only wants me to stay one night... ( )

can relate with you on that one Annie - Wheni had my second.. whoa.. they didn't come check on me, they didn't check my tummy or anything ( they felt it once.. just after ihad Ayja).. doesn't matter i'd bled heaps with Paris, and had gotten home day 3 and gone into shock in the middle of the night from heavy blood loss.

I went out and went to the breastfeeding talks etc.. if i hadn't, no-one would have come and helped me. they all thought since this was number 2 i knew everything.

I think the only thing that saved me from going through the same thing again was cos i was too damn stubborn and a heck of al ot more confident. If i needed something i darn well asked for it and got it!

Im with jacobsmama, i had BFding problems and i stubbornly left the very next morning at 8am (had him at 4pm previous day) so im stating that i want to stay until i have things sussed!

If you think you'll have trouble with BF then go with staying in hospital until it is sorted. Reason being that you have mw's on call there at any time of day or night, you can get them to help or ask questions or anything. They're lovely at PN

I hate hospitals but I did stay the night after Alex was born only because I had her at 10.50pm so I thought it was a bit late and pretty cold to be going outside with a new baby. But I probably would have been happier at home as they put me in a room with two others which is annoying as all the babies wake at different times.
I was out of there first thing in the morning as I had to rush into Auckland Hospital to introduce her to her Granddad who was termanilly ill so didn't want to waste any time.
This time around I will try and leave asap.

Becks i would recommend going to the breastfeeding talks that are held at 10 am every morning.. you only need to go once, but talking to the lactation consultant there and letting her know any probs you had last time will give her a heads up and she'll usually come and check back on you and help you out at least once before you go home plus you sometimes pick up a few things that maybe you didn't know or you can have up your sleeve... there is one, annette, that i found really helpful... if for any reason bubs ends up in neonates.. margaret our lactation consultant is wonderful.