If I give birth in hospital, when can I go home?
You can go home as soon as you feel able and as long as there are no concerns with either you or your baby. We would usually suggest six hours after the birth if all is well.
What if I need to stay in longer?
We know that home is the best place for both mum and baby but sometimes mum or baby need to stay in longer for additional treatment. If this is the case you will be staying in the postnatal ward and you will be discharged as soon as you and your baby are well enough to go home.
FAQs about NHS Lothian Postnatal Wards
Top tips from mums and parents
1. What is the postnatal ward like?
“I had no idea how busy and hot the postnatal ward could be. There are a lot of mums and babies there! I wish I had known what to bring to make myself more comfortable.”
What to bring to make your stay comfortable:
- A cooling spray
- A hand-held fan
- Lightweight clothing
- Light cotton nightgown
- An eye mask if you need dark to sleep
2. Will I have a single room?
“I was staying in a room with 4 beds so there was not a lot of space for my personal things. I did not know where to put my big suitcase.”
There are only a limited number of single rooms on the postnatal ward and they are allocated in priority to mums and babies who need extra care, so it will depend on the circumstances.
Most mums are in bays which accommodate four beds so space is tight and it is better NOT to bring a big suitcase. We suggest you bring a small foldable bag that can be tucked away when you do not need it.
3. What will be in my bed area?
Each bed space has a bed, a cot for your baby, a bedside cabinet, a small table and a comfy chair.
For safety reasons, it is imperative that you keep your bed space clear to allow easy and quick access for staff in case of an emergency if your baby or yourself needing urgent attention.
For safety reasons also, the curtains around your bed should be kept open at all times unless you are feeding, being examined or changing.
Because space is limited around your bed we ask that you use the cabinet to store your personal items. Also, only keep what you need and ask someone to take home what you no longer need.
We ask that car seats are not brought into the ward until the day you are being discharged.
4. Any tips on what to bring?
Lots of cotton wool and loads of nappies! These are not provided and it is amazing how many nappies a tiny baby can get through.
Your favourite snacks or fruit. You might be hungry between mealtimes, especially if you are breastfeeding.
If you take regular medication, bring it with you. Ask your community midwife for a ‘green bag’ that is used to keep your own medication in when you are in hospital.
Also, bring a pen (or two!). You will need a pen to keep your baby’s feeding diary or to fill in your menu card. It is also a good idea to take a small notebook to write down what the doctors say during their rounds. Once you are back home, it will make it easier to talk to your midwife about your labour and ask her any questions.
5. Who can come in to help me?
For up to date visiting guidance, please refer to the Covid-19 visiting guidance.
“I could have one birth partner throughout the day to support me. My sister was able to come one afternoon when my husband could not be there.”
Your birth partner, or partner, can stay with you even when the ward is closed to visitors.
6. What about Visitors?
For up to date visiting guidance, please refer to the Covid-19 visiting guidance.
Visitors must not sit or lie on the bed.
This is for safety reasons and to protect mum and baby from possible infections. This rule follows the Infection Control and Fire & Safety Regulations of the hospital.
Please respect this policy as it is also ensures that mums and babies get plenty of rest during their stay.
“My parents came to see their first grandson, of course, but we asked everyone else to wait till we got home. To be honest, as much as I enjoyed seeing my family, I was grateful for some peace and quiet to get some rest.”
“After two nights of very little sleep then giving birth I was totally exhausted. It was so busy and my room was full of noisy visitors.”
7. What is the mobile phone policy on the postnatal ward?
Please keep your mobile phone on silent at all times. Phone conversations should not disturb other mums who are trying to rest (for example, late at night) and they should not be used to take pictures of staff or others mums and babies
8. Is there WIFI on the postnatal ward?
Free WiFi is available at the Royal Infirmary and St John’s.
“There is free WiFi on the ward so it was easy to post pictures and even small video clips of our new baby online. That kept all our friends happy until they could come and visit us at home.”
9. What happens during my stay?
“Every day, my midwife checked if I was healing properly and if I was comfortable. She also asked how I was feeling and we talked about my contraception options.”
“My baby had her full newborn check and had her hearing checked. I was given lots of practical advice to look after her and feed her.”
The staff are here to help and support you. They will see you regularly during your stay to check that you and your baby are doing well.
Sometimes, it might look as if staff are so busy that you may hesitate to ask for help. It is true that staff are busy, each midwife looks after 5 to 7 women so it is very different from when you were in labour. However, they are here to help you and you must not hesitate to ask when you need help or have questions.
There are also a number of Clinical Support Staff and Maternity Care Assistants who are here to help you.
10. Will I get help to look after my baby?
The staff are there to support you as you are getting to know your new baby. Do not hesitate to ask for help or advice at feeding times or when bathing and changing your baby.
Please, remember to always change your baby in his/her own cot, NOT on your bed. It is much safer to keep your baby in the cot when changing a nappy as your baby could roll off your bed and fall.
11. What if I have questions about the birth?
“I lost a lot of blood after the birth of my baby. Care on the postnatal ward was very good but I would have liked a conversation about what happened”.
When there have been certain complications at birth there is a system in place to talk to women about what happened. We are in the process of making this available to more women.
Whatever the circumstances, the staff on the postnatal ward are here to support you. They will be pleased to answer any questions you may have about the birth of your baby or anything else that is worrying you.
The Senior Charge Midwife is available Monday to Friday 9:00 to 16:30 to answer your questions or go over your notes. Your midwife can arrange for you to speak with her.
12. What happens when it is time to go home?
“I was packed and ready to go but there were loads of checks and paperwork to do before we left and it was all a bit frustrating. The staff explained that there were some very sick mums and babies on the ward and that they had to be cared for first. In the end it did not take that long and I could see how important it was to do things properly.”
There are quite a lot of things to do before you can go home: paperwork, final checks for mum, final checks for baby and, if needed, medication to be organised.
A lot of work has gone into making going home as easy and quick as possible and most mums can usually leave before 16.00, but sometimes, as for the mum above, circumstances make it very difficult.
There can be up to 16 mums ready to leave on a given day. Every day around half the beds on the ward are cleaned and prepared to welcome new mums and babies.
13. Do I need to use a car seat for my baby?
You will need to bring a car seat if you are driving your baby home.
We ask that car seats are not brought into the ward until the day you are being discharged.
For more information on car seats, see the Good Egg Guide on car safety.
