How long you stay in the hospital after birth varies based on many factors – including hospital rules, insurance, and your own birth experience – but the average hospital stay after birth is usually between 24 hours and four days. Your stay might be longer if there are complications, and your baby may be in the hospital longer than you if it's a preterm birth or they're in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for other reasons.
Some new parents are eager to go and spend their first days at home with their baby, while others might wish they could stay in the hospital with extra help for a bit longer. Here's what to expect, depending on your situation:
Advertisement | page continues below
How long do you stay in the hospital after a vaginal delivery?
After an uncomplicated vaginal birth, you'll likely stay in the hospital for 24 to 48 hours. There's a lot that happens in those two days after delivery before you go home, including:
- You'll need to rest and wait for any anesthesia to wear off.
- Your healthcare provider will evaluate any perineal tears, check on the progress of the uterus’ return to its pre-pregnant state, make sure there isn't any excessive vaginal bleeding, and will monitor you and your baby for the first day or so to make sure that no problems develop.
- You'll move from the labor and delivery unit to a new private or shared room on the hospital's postpartum floor. Some hospitals have rooms incorporating labor, delivery, recovery, and the entire postpartum stay, but the majority move new moms to the postpartum unit a couple of hours after delivery, once they're stable.
- You'll have the chance to meet with a lactation consultant to help with breastfeeding.
If you think you'd like to be discharged sooner than 24 hours after giving birth, talk to your provider about it in the final weeks of pregnancy. With early discharges, you'll need to take your baby to see a doctor within two or three days after leaving the hospital. Some pediatricians require the baby be seen in the office within 24 hours. (You'll need to see your doctor or midwife, too, but you can wait a week or so as long as you're feeling fine.)
If any complications develop during labor and birth, such as infection or excessive blood loss, you’ll probably be encouraged to stay for the full 48 hours.
Your partner will most likely be able to stay with you in the postpartum unit. Some have private rooms with bed-chairs or cots for partners to sleep in. Check with your provider about your hospital's accommodations.
How long do you stay in the hospital after a c-section?
The average hospital stay after a c-section (cesarean section) birth is two to four days. Women who experience any complications during or after delivery may need to stay longer. Similar to after a vaginal delivery, your healthcare provider will be monitoring you and your baby to make sure you're both doing well.
After a c-section, the medical staff will also make sure your baby is well enough to leave, and your provider will want to be sure you can do the following before you go home:
Advertisement | page continues below
- Walk to the bathroom unassisted
- Urinate without a catheter
- Eat and drink without vomiting
- Pass gas
You should continue to limit your activity for several weeks or so after you get home, depending on how your body is recovering. Your medical team will provide guidance and any pain medication before you go home. The incision at your abdomen might be sore for a while longer as well.
Hospital stays after childbirth with complications
Your hospital stay after childbirth may be longer if you have any complications during labor, such as a postpartum hemorrhage, blood clots, or an adverse reaction to anesthesia. Each length of stay is different, but your healthcare provider and hospital staff will be monitoring you and your baby throughout.
Moms whose babies end up in the NICU after birth are rarely able to remain in the hospital longer than the usual postpartum stay. Unfortunately, insurance won't cover an extended stay if you can be discharged, and hospitals don't allow it.
It can be very hard to leave your baby at the hospital. Try to make the most of this time by getting rest at home, using a breast pump to regularly pump breast milk (with the same frequency as you would do if your baby was with you nursing), and visiting your baby for as many hours a day as possible.
Advertisement | page continues below
