After the birth of your baby

If you have had an uncomplicated hospital birth, you can expect to stay in hospital at least 4 to 6 hours, though many people choose to stay overnight. If you have had a caesarean birth, you will stay in hospital at least one night and will probably go home the next day. There is no specific time frame and you should stay until you and your baby are well and any observations are complete.

If you delivered your baby at home or in our maternity centre, the midwives will stay with you for at least two hours to make sure you are well. If there are any problems for you or your baby, you may need to be admitted or need to stay longer in hospital.

Birth partners are welcome at any time and can stay overnight if you arrange this with the staff on the ward. Please be aware there are no food and shower facilities for partners, though they can use the hospital canteen or local shops. More about hospital facilities, including canteen opening hours, vending machines, Wi-Fi and more can be found here.

If you go to the postnatal ward after you have had your baby, you may choose to have visitors:

• Brothers and sisters of the baby are welcome to visit with the birth partner.
• Other adult visitors are welcome 12.00-19.00 with a maximum 3 at a time.

A midwife will contact you the day after you have left hospital. This may be in person (at home or in a postnatal clinic) or by telephone. If you have not heard from a midwife by 3pm the following day, please contact us. At your first appointment, the midwife will discuss a plan of visits based on your individual needs.

Care in the community is provided by midwives and maternity support workers (MSW). They will weigh your baby regularly and review any feeding plans.

Before you are discharged from maternity care we will make sure your baby has had the following tests:

• Before day 3: Newborn infant physical examination (NIPE) NIPE is your baby’s first medical examination to check that they are healthy. It is done by a specially trained midwife or paediatrician within 72 hours of your baby being born.
• On day 5: NBBS (newborn blood spot) test, also known as the ‘heel prick’ test. During this test, the midwife or MSW will ask for your consent to collect spots of blood for testing onto a card from your baby’s heel.
• Before discharge: Your baby will also have a newborn hearing screening test (NBHS).

You can find out more about infant feeding and developing a close and loving relationship with your baby here.

Community midwives are told about your baby’s birth and your discharge home from the postnatal ward. You will be made routine appointments to see them but if you have any queries or concerns, or if you feel you would like to be seen before your next booked appointment, please use the contact details at the bottom of this section to get in touch.

Call an ambulance immediately on 999 if you experience any of the following:

 ✓ Sudden, excessive blood loss (such as soaking through a maternity pad in less than an hour) or passing large blood clots.

✓ Signs of an infection – high temperature, shivering, stomach pain, smelly vaginal discharge, red and/or hot or oozing C-section wound and/or you suddenly feel very unwell, or you are experiencing diarrhoea and vomiting.

✓ Severe headaches causing problems with vision, nausea (feeling sick) or vomiting (being sick) within 72 hours of giving birth.

✓ Pain, swelling or redness in your lower leg (calf muscle) and/or pain in your chest, or if you are feeling short of breath.

✓ Feeling extremely low in mood or anxious or behaving differently.

✓ Feeling as if you want to hurt yourself or others, or if you are experiencing confused or disturbed thoughts.

Or if you notice the following about your baby:

✓ Breathing faster than normal or breathing noisily, coughing or feels hot

✓ Change in the colour of their lips (pale/blue)

✓ Skin is pale or blue

✓ Floppy and unresponsive

✓ Excessive shaky or jerky movements

✓ Rash that does not fade when pressed with a drinking glass

✓ Vomits green fluid

✓ Blood in stools (poo)

✓ Bulging or very sunken fontanelle (soft spot on the head)

✓ Their temperature is below 36°C or above 38°C.

For non-urgent advice, take a look on the Healthier Together app. If you are still unsure, please contact as below.

Following the birth of your baby, we advise that you start doing pelvic floor exercises. Our physiotherapy team have compiled a booklet called ‘How to do your pelvic floor exercises’ to help you. Alternatively, please ask your midwife or health visitor for more information.

You can find out more about postnatal recovery following a vaginal birth here: Perineal Healing | POGP (thepogp.co.uk) and after a caesarean birth here: Recovery from C-Section | POGP (thepogp.co.uk).