Going home
- Plan for someone to take you home.
- Try and arrange for someone to be home with you to help.
- If you go home by taxi, remember that emergency car safety seats can be arranged by the ward. A small deposit is required.
- Tell the midwife if you are not returning to your normal home address. This is important so that the community midwife can continue your postnatal care.
- If you are not breastfeeding, arrange for someone to set up the sterilising unit at home.
- Discharge is usually after 3pm.
When you go home you will be given a computerised print-out of the birth to give to your midwife. A letter will be sent to your GP.
This is the means by which your GP learns of the birth of your baby and that you are returning home. The letter will take a minimum of three days before it gets to the surgery.
Your baby will need to be examined by a Paediatrician or a Midwife specialised in Examination of the Newborn within 72 hours of delivery. If you wish to go home and come back to our clinics this can be arranged for you.
We will also telephone the community midwife to inform her of your discharge.
If she has not visited by 5pm the day after going home please telephone 01737 768511 ext 6316/1653 or direct line 01737 231653.
When you leave, contraceptive advice is available, together with guidance on infant care and sleeping positions for baby, and feeding information.
Car safety
We strongly recommend that you use an approved car restraint or a car seat to take your baby home.
This is now a legal requirement.
Always use these when your baby travels in a car.
The first journey home is as important as any other journey.
WARNING
Inflatable airbags are fitted to the seats of many cars.
These are designed to fill with air automatically in the event of a crash and create a protective cushion for travellers.
However, airbags are considered dangerous for babies and small children.
Babies and young children must always travel in an appropriate car seat. Never use a rear-facing baby seat in the front of a car where an airbag is fitted (unless it is switched off).
If using a front-facing seat, position the car seat as far back as possible. If the car has airbags in the rear, check the car manual or contact the manufacturer to see if it has been tested with a car seat fitted and get a copy of the research results before fitting the seat.
Six-week postnatal check-up
This is normally done by your GP. If you are asked to attend the hospital an appointment will be made for you, and details given to you before you leave the hospital.
Do keep this important appointment, or at least let us know if you are not able to attend. Please inform us if you need to rearrange the date.
The purpose of this test is to check you are well after childbirth, and to give you a chance to discuss anything you want about the pregnancy, birth and future pregnancies. It also provides an opportunity to ask about family planning.
Debriefing Service
Having a baby is an exciting time for most parents. A lot of thought goes into preparing for the baby's arrival and much of that preparation time goes into considering the type of birth you would like, each delivery is unique.
At East Surrey Hospital we deliver over 4000 babies each year and the team of midwives and Obstetricians caring for you strive to make your birthing experience as positive as possible.
However, not all deliveries go to plan and this can mean some women / couples are uncertain about what happened and why.
For those women / couples it is often helpful to talk through the events of their delivery and this often assists you in bring some clarity and understanding to what happened, in order that you can move forward more positively.
There are a small number of women who find the experience of having a baby traumatic and have a perceived sense of being out of control. It can also be helpful for these women to go over the events surrounding their delivery and talk about how this has left them feeling and discuss plans for future births.
We offer a debriefing service at the Trust as we know approximately 2% of women in the U.K. suffer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) following birth and this can have an impact on their relationship both with their baby and their partner. It may leave them fearful about future deliveries.
We are here to help
Helpful web sites:-
www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk
