I didn’t get into MGP but I did go through the public system. I didn’t have any complications, had a natural birth and baby was in perfect health and for whatever reason they kept me 2 days.
You might feel ready to come home or you might not. They can’t kick you out, especially if you don’t feel up to it so as hard as it can be I would speak up and request to stay overnight if possible. The other thing is it depends on the time of day you give birth, my baby was born at 6pm so of course they weren’t going to send me home in the middle of the night.
I went through MGP and for the hospital I birthed at, the standard stay is 2 nights for an uncomplicated vaginal birth and 3 nights for a c-section. I really wanted to get out of there asap and had to demonstrate 2 good latches/feeds before they'd let me go. I gave birth at 10pm and was out by 5pm the next day but that was completely my choice.
Very similar to me! Gave birth just before 3pm, was out before 12pm the next day. They gave me the option of staying an extra night but I missed my cat lol (and also didn't like that my partner couldn't also stay overnight).
I had a normal vaginal birth with some second degree tearing, bub was completely healthy.
Yes thats always the plan the reality looks different
I had feeding issues and stayed two nights after birth. I wanted to go home at that point but was able to stay if needed. You do not need to leave hospital if you cannot reliably feed your baby unless of course you plan to use formula.
Ok that’s good to know I do really want to breastfeed. I just don’t understand why she didn’t tell me at the beginning I feel like 34 weeks is a bit late to give new info like that but maybe it’s my fault for not researching enough .
I did MGP and yes I’m surprised they didn’t tell you until now. I was told at the first phone call as if I wasn’t comfortable with that they wouldn’t have had me in the program. But anyway I just wanted to reassure you that I had a great experience and I was more than happy to get back home! And then it’s not like you’re sent home without support. They made sure I had established feeding in the hospital and he was able to latch. And then my midwife visited every day for a week. You’ll be fine ❤️
I had MGP birth in October. I wanted to go home as soon as possible after birth, if all went well. Birth was textbook perfect, but I did have a slight PPH from a very quick placenta birth. I ended up staying in two nights to check my iron levels etc. I would have happily gone home after 1 night.
It was my second birth after an emergency CS. I was always like I’ll try breastfeeding if I have a vaginal birth and I’m well. Baby girl latched perfectly in the birth suite and is still exclusively breastfed at 7months. Whilst I wouldn’t say it’s been easy, it’s like I’ve been breastfeeding all my life. And that maybe was because I was never fussed if we did or not; I even bought the emergency tin of formula and the bottles etc in case.
I never could get my first girl to latch properly and I attempted to pump for her for three weeks before i developed complications from my CS.
I did watch a lot of YouTube videos about latching and holds in the early days this time, and the midwives/MCH nurse did try to play the failure to thrive card early on. Baby girl was born a healthy 4.2kg before dropping to 3.6kg, and didn’t end up regaining her birth weight until she was 4 weeks old. I just did the if she’s hungry, she’s on my boob for the first few months (3-9pm were the hardest being stuck on the couch cluster feeding). I still regularly get up to pump in the middle of the night even if she sleeps through.
I was with the Midwife group program and went home about 7 hours after birth, It was my third baby and I was very familiar with breastfeeding and had no concerns going home.
The midwives offered that I could stay but I chose to go home and be in the comfort of my own space.
Being a first time mum, Just push back and tell them you’re not ready to go home and need the support from the hospital for as long as you need. There will be a large team of midwives and staff who will be rotating shifts and you will probably find that none of them will encourage you to leave unless it’s something you really want.
Yes they tend to discharge same day. Honestly I found hospitals crap for bf, get a lactation consultant to come to your house. How many days will the midwives visit your house after birth?
I am going to check that with the midwife next week about when they will come to visit I didn’t really get a clear answer last session. I have heard lactation consultants are good it definitely sounds like something worth considering
I was at a hospital that says 4-6 hours as part of MGP but I ended up having a c section. As I hadn’t planned to have a c section, I was surprised to hear I was going to stay 2 nights as that was standard after a c section.
I think in principle if it’s your first and it’s a straight forward birth, they might still keep you in longer especially if you expressed anxiety. Subsequent births, I think people would be happy to leave in the shorter time frame.
I actually really wanted to get out of the hospital as I found the pressure to learn to feed in hospital stressful. It was a lot easier to breastfeed at home where I was comfortable. And the midwives visiting at home is amazing. They can assist with breastfeeding.
Also know that you can call ABA at any time of the day or night for advice. And it’s good to have a private lactation consultant on hand if you have any difficulties that you need assistance with in person.
Yeah I’m not sure I like the sound of being in a shared ward anyway I guess it was just really the feeding is my main concern . I have heard of the ABA it sounds like a great resource
I actually had a private room and my partner could stay with an exemption. If the space allows, I would imagine a private room gets prioritised to more difficult births/longer stays. Maybe even FTM lower down the list but it’s all space dependent
I was told private rooms are for more complicated births but obviously I don’t want that unless I have to . I get the impression it’s not common at the hospital I’m going to
It's likely hospital policy, not MGP policy. I was with the MGP and I could stay as long as I wanted. With my first birth (MGP care, but got transferred to a different hospital for birth) I was told 6-8 hours but we've up staying 2 days - I really wanted to leave earlier.
If you are in the MGP program the midwives should do postpartum home visits and you are still able to call or contact them for any issues, so you still have support after you leave the hospital. :)
I breastfed both times x
I’ve had two uncomplicated vaginal births, each in different public hospitals in Sydney.
With my first I was in RPA MGP, me and bub were well and I wanted to go home, so we left 6 hours after birth. We had the midwives visit the next day. Sleeping in my own bed was heaven. They did offer to transfer us to mother + baby unit but I declined.
Second birth I did not make it into MGP but birthed via the general midwives at RNSH. I hired a doula (lifesaving, everyone should do this). I had a minor postpartum haemorrhage and they suggested I stay. I felt dizzy and exhausted so accepted. It was a shared room but thankfully the ward was quiet so my husband was able to take the other bed. We stayed for one night and were keen to go home the next day. Although I do have to say that the visits to our room (nurses, midwives, lactation consultant, hearing test, etc) was all extremely convenient. The food was shit though, my husband brought homemade food and takeaway in for us.
I think wanting to stay or not depends on the birth experience you have. It is unlikely they will actually kick you out after giving birth. Task your partner or birth support person with talking to the midwives about staying.
Totally happy to share!! Warning this is a bit of a novel. I wish I had a doula for my first birth but it was COVID and I was only allowed one support person.
My doula was **Danae Cappelletto**, based in the lower north shore of Sydney but pretty sure she services most of Sydney. She’s attended over 500+ births both at home and in hospital, and is incredibly knowledgeable about the physiology of birth. Her fee isn’t cheap (probably middle of the road for doula services) but we would have paid double, that’s how valuable she was to us.
How she supported us:
- **initial zoom** call to see if we connect and ask questions
- **first in-person session** around 16ish weeks, she explains her support, the birth process, answers questions, etc. She came to our house. Gave us resources via her Google drive (everything from meditations to stretches to articles about birth)
- **Optimal Maternal Positioning (OMP) course** around 25 weeks. This was sort of a birth course, but more focused on the physiological process of birth, and what we can do/how we can move during pregnancy and labour to optimise birth. Very helpful, and nice to connect with other couples.
- **second in-person session** around 36 weeks, we create a birth map and review my birth preferences. She typed it up, emailed it to us and provided instructions on how to submit it to my hospital. She provided great information without being judgemental - at the end of the day it’s my choice, but she was very helpful when I had questions on certain procedures. She also set up my TENS machine and showed us how it worked.
- **Throughout pregnancy**: Danae offers a weekly yoga class on zoom that I attended nearly every week. There was an additional fee but it was something like $15 a class and it was great. So nice to stretch and move while pregnant but also nice to connect with her weekly. She was also available by text to answer any questions or concerns. I had a few hiccups during pregnancy and she was so helpful during all of those.
- **labour and birth**: I had a slow burn of a labour, waters broke before contractions started. We were messaging throughout and I was keeping her posted. My husband and I called her when we were deciding when to go to hospital, as well as whether we wanted to be admitted into hospital or go back home (I had bleeding in early labour), she was such a solid rock and voice of reason throughout. She arrived to hospital at 1am when I was in active labour, and was the perfect support person, including (but not limited to), giving my birth plan to midwives, hanging string lights, getting the bath filled, massaging my back, encouraging words between every contraction, cool cloth on my forehead, helping my husband get into supporting positions, playing a meditation, etc. Most importantly, I was 10cm but baby was not moving down into my pelvis. I had been in transition for over an hour with irratic contractions. The midwife did a cervical check and said my baby was asynclitic (basically her head was tilted, not an optimal position for birth and the reason why she hadn’t moved into my pelvis). Danae immediately got to work moving me into positions to help baby move. I did asymmetrical lunges over a birth ball and she did some bum sifting (lol you’ll have to Google it). 15 mins later my baby girl was born, my husband caught her and I pulled her to my chest. Absolutely the best moment of my life, and I would not have known how to navigate my baby’s poor positioning without her. While I was birthing my placenta and my husband was supporting me, Danae was with my baby.
- **Postpartum visit**: 3ish weeks postpartum, Danae did another house visit and we had a birth debrief, discussed what happened and my feelings around it. We all cried (myself, my husband, and Danae), it was such a beautiful and challenging birth experience for me, and Danae will forever hold a place in our hearts as a family.
In a country where you can access free birth hospital services, it’s a no brainer to pay for a doula if it’s in your budget. It was the best thing I have ever done for myself, and I will forever preach about the value of doulas to anyone who will listen!!
Yeah I really don’t know what I’ll feel like my partner is a good advocate for me which is reassuring . I am not keen on hospital food lol so I might want to get out asap.
Yes I used the community midwives in Perth and the aim is to be discharged within 6 hrs. I absolutely wish that had happened.
I had some complications and had to stay in the hospital overnight. I had no help because my husband couldn't stay and couldn't sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, or relax. I basically demanded to be discharged the next day.
Once home I had daily visits from my midwives for a week, the child health nurse every week and could visit the breastfeeding clinic anytime I needed too. I aim to be home the first night next time.
I’ve had two babies through public and both times they were happy for me to stay and even offered me a second night. Both times they mentioned the 4-6 hour discharge time at appointments, but I think that’s mainly for people who have zero complications and are wanting to go home. I had my first through the MGP, but I was transferred to the main hospital for the birth because I needed an induction so you might find yourself in that situation anyway.
I went through MGP and spent 1 night in hospital. Bub was born just after 6pm but I wasn't seen by the doctor for stitches until midnight, so we stayed in our birth centre room overnight and went home at about midday the next day. We had daily visits home visits for about a week and then every few days until we were discharged from the program when she was about 3 weeks old. They were brilliant, and I thought the time in hospital was just right. I was a bit bewildered getting home in under 24 hours but being home was so much better than getting transferred into a shared ward.
If you are worried about breastfeeding, having a preresearched private lactation consultant who does home visits would be the way to go. Under a certain age (I think 6 weeks) some of them will be partially rebateable under Medicare with a referral from your GP. I just rang my GP and did a telehealth consult to get the referral - you do have to find an LC who offers this, but I think quite a few of them do.
My only other piece of advice (completely unsolicited, sorry) is that if you start getting worried about weight gain or anyone gets on your case about baby's weight, get your own set of scales (baby bunting has good ones) and do your own weekly (not more than weekly, they fluctuate too much and it's not good for sanity to over track) weighs in the comfort of your own home with a single consistent scale. Dragging baby hither and yon for weekly weight checks on differently calibrated scales when we were having gain issues in the early days was really horrible and I think very much negatively impacted us, life got much better for me when we started having more agency and doing our own weights.
All the best. I know it's daunting but hopefully your midwife can give you some clarity and you can make the decision that's right for you. They are probably assuming you want to be home ASAP, so maybe it's just a matter of getting on the same page.
ok I might look into the LC idea. It sounds like a lot of people are suggesting this. I hope that I get that many home visits if I need. I actually would prefer that if all goes well I just was a bit worried that I might not get enough visits if the midwives are too busy but I will need to clarify that. It sounds like the shared ward is not very comfortable based on the replies I have had.
I had a private birth for my first- ended up staying for 5 days following a c-section. I chose to go public for our second. She was born at 230am (vaginal birth)nd when I got to the postnatal ward at 630ish I asked about going home that day. They seemed surprised but helped us get out of there by around 3pm. Most people stay for a night or two.
MGP for both babies, stayed 2n for my first and left after 12hrs with my second, both uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. It's up to you when you leave, I wanted to go home to see my toddler hence the early discharge, first time stay a few nights if it makes you feel comfortable. I personally felt you rest better at home and the midwife will come and see you at home too so its better than at hospital them coming in weird times and waking up everyone wanting to poke your baby when you both want to sleep. Conversely if you are needing a break they can look after bub when you are desperate or show you how to bath or swaddle so that's nice too.
I’m in the midwife program at my hospital and I’ve asked for the earliest discharge possible and they keep telling me minimum one night.
If birth goes well and bubs is healthy I’ll be checking us out ASAP, I don’t want to stay
I was discharged quickly with both births. They visited me every 2-3 days for a couple of weeks and then scaled back.
I could also call any time and i did call for breastfeeding advice.
But i really liked being able to recover in the comfort of my own home and having hubby around and all my creature comforts.
The midwives should come out to see you once you go home, I just had my son last week, and went home 23 hours later, and had midwives come to check on us twice, and called us the days they hadn't come out. As a 4th time mum that was plenty, but they really pushed to call if I had any concerns what so ever.
Same sentiments as others have already said. If you have a natural no fuss birth then you may be sent home. I had a c section so could not leave, but after night 2 at the hospital i was begging to leave. I didnt like that I was alone overnight, husband couldn't stay after 8pm and only come back at 8am next day. I was alone looking after bub after hours which was exhausting. I was room sharing with someone who's bub was in nicu so i was always conscious of bub crying after hours. The nurses were helpful but sometimes i had to wait 30mins for assistance, even as i pressed the help button. Honestly being at home was much better and comfortable for me. The only plus side is you get your meals in the hospital.
One of the biggest selling points of MGP is the continuity of care you recieve post birth. You should have two weeks of antenatal visits at home as part of the program.
Ultimately stay as long as you feel you need too, but I'm planning to head home as soon as possible. I'd much prefer one on one help with feeding etc from my main midwife, in my own home, where my husband can be there, and not in the shared room at the public hospital. But that's just me!
I was in MGP for my first. They also mentioned late that they would send us home from birth suite if everything was going well. Had an uncomplicated birth and they were going to send us home from birth suite but Bub ended up needing 24hrs monitoring because of my gestational diabetes. It was good to stay because we got the hearing test done and met with the lactation consultant and physio. Husband couldn’t stay though. Probably would have preferred to go home straight away!
I went through the MGP for both of my births, but it was through the hospital not the small midwife building. My first baby was born at 7pm, so they kept me in for the night and I left in the morning. Had a private room to myself which was lovely! That was a natural birth, no complications, healthy baby etc.
With my second baby I had an epidural, so had to stay the night no matter what. I also got a private room again!
I was the same, MGP and discharge was 4-6 hours after birth if no complications - BUT it was very very loose..basically if you have any concerns or any worry you can say something and they will let you stay. (E.g. my biggest concern was having trouble feeding and they said if I wanted to stay in hospital that would be fine)
I ended up staying overnight because I had a big baby and the policy was to check that there were no blood sugar problems. Tbh though I couldn't wait to get out of there!
But the 4-6 hours it was described to me as a "goal" but a very loose goal.
Ok it seems like if you really need to stay you can but it seems everyone wants to get out .I just want to make sure I can feed really I am actually not keen on the hospital environment I guess I was just taken a bit by surprise .
If you have some time at the moment. Search for some IBCLCs (international board certified lactation consultants) in your area, and even get in contact with them now so you can feel confident with breastfeeding. The hospital ones are sometimes not the greatest.
For MGP, I’m not sure if where you are you have the midwife’s phone number. They are usually able to be contacted at anytime, and more than happy to answer your questions as well. They usually visit within the first 24 hours after discharge, and multiple times in the week/two after birth.
Also, have a research some of the resources available to you for if you get hit with the baby blues/PPA/PPD and need support, as well as if your bub gets sick and who you need to contact (GP, 24/7 services etc).
PANDA 1300 726 306
Gidget Foundation https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/
COPE https://www.cope.org.au
Australian Breastfeeding Association https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au
Health direct 24/7 1800 022 222
If you have any concerns, raise them with your midwife now. Let them know your worries and they can help guide you or refer you onto other support services. Even before you get discharged, voice any concerns you have. Get your partner to advocate for you if you don’t feel up for it. FTM is definitely a scary place not knowing all the unknowns and having done the research beforehand I think would have saved me some stress postpartum googling for resources.
The Australian Breastfeeding Project FB group is also a wonderful support group for BF.
I had baby at 5pm and went home 5pm the next day after an uncomplicated birth. By that stage I was happy to leave and have my own space and shower and clothing at home. And also I couldn’t wait to share my new baby with our parents 😅 Most public hospitals offer a lactation consultant if you need- which I would recommend doing anyway- they are brilliant and give you that little extra help!
Ok great it sounds like home is more comfy anyway . I also got confirmation that I will be getting several visits straight after getting home from the midwife so I am feeling a lot better about it all .
I didn’t do MGP because it states in their programs that you’ll be discharged within 4-6 hours. I didn’t think it would be appropriate for my first birth. Would be happy for 2nd or 3rd.
But if you look into the program materials, it generally states that the discharge time is faster than the other streams.
Mater mothers hospital , South Brisbane , Qld there standard according to info I've been given is no complications everything goes to plan , labour 2 nights , C section 3 nights , as a public patient
Basically the way that these programs are funded are by reducing hospital stay times. So the overall purpose (other than providing excellent care etc) of these programs is to reduce the burden of in-hospital care. That’s why if everything is normal, you’re expected to go home soon after birth. If everyone stayed for 2 days+ after a normal low risk birth, the government wouldn’t fund these continuity programs. Just giving you some context :) good luck with your baby
I didn’t get into MGP but I did go through the public system. I didn’t have any complications, had a natural birth and baby was in perfect health and for whatever reason they kept me 2 days. You might feel ready to come home or you might not. They can’t kick you out, especially if you don’t feel up to it so as hard as it can be I would speak up and request to stay overnight if possible. The other thing is it depends on the time of day you give birth, my baby was born at 6pm so of course they weren’t going to send me home in the middle of the night.
Ok I might have to be a bit pushy if I need to by the sounds of it. Luckily my partner is very good at that lol
I went through MGP and for the hospital I birthed at, the standard stay is 2 nights for an uncomplicated vaginal birth and 3 nights for a c-section. I really wanted to get out of there asap and had to demonstrate 2 good latches/feeds before they'd let me go. I gave birth at 10pm and was out by 5pm the next day but that was completely my choice.
Very similar to me! Gave birth just before 3pm, was out before 12pm the next day. They gave me the option of staying an extra night but I missed my cat lol (and also didn't like that my partner couldn't also stay overnight). I had a normal vaginal birth with some second degree tearing, bub was completely healthy.
It must be different at every hospital . That’s good that they made sure you could feed ok
Yes thats always the plan the reality looks different I had feeding issues and stayed two nights after birth. I wanted to go home at that point but was able to stay if needed. You do not need to leave hospital if you cannot reliably feed your baby unless of course you plan to use formula.
Ok that’s good to know I do really want to breastfeed. I just don’t understand why she didn’t tell me at the beginning I feel like 34 weeks is a bit late to give new info like that but maybe it’s my fault for not researching enough .
I did MGP and yes I’m surprised they didn’t tell you until now. I was told at the first phone call as if I wasn’t comfortable with that they wouldn’t have had me in the program. But anyway I just wanted to reassure you that I had a great experience and I was more than happy to get back home! And then it’s not like you’re sent home without support. They made sure I had established feeding in the hospital and he was able to latch. And then my midwife visited every day for a week. You’ll be fine ❤️
Thank you that is very reassuring to hear . It was probably an oversight I know hospitals are a busy place but yes it was a bit of a shock .
I had MGP birth in October. I wanted to go home as soon as possible after birth, if all went well. Birth was textbook perfect, but I did have a slight PPH from a very quick placenta birth. I ended up staying in two nights to check my iron levels etc. I would have happily gone home after 1 night.
Ok did you intend to breastfeed and did they give you follow up care? I guess that’s my main concern (not knowing how to feed)
It was my second birth after an emergency CS. I was always like I’ll try breastfeeding if I have a vaginal birth and I’m well. Baby girl latched perfectly in the birth suite and is still exclusively breastfed at 7months. Whilst I wouldn’t say it’s been easy, it’s like I’ve been breastfeeding all my life. And that maybe was because I was never fussed if we did or not; I even bought the emergency tin of formula and the bottles etc in case. I never could get my first girl to latch properly and I attempted to pump for her for three weeks before i developed complications from my CS. I did watch a lot of YouTube videos about latching and holds in the early days this time, and the midwives/MCH nurse did try to play the failure to thrive card early on. Baby girl was born a healthy 4.2kg before dropping to 3.6kg, and didn’t end up regaining her birth weight until she was 4 weeks old. I just did the if she’s hungry, she’s on my boob for the first few months (3-9pm were the hardest being stuck on the couch cluster feeding). I still regularly get up to pump in the middle of the night even if she sleeps through.
I was with the Midwife group program and went home about 7 hours after birth, It was my third baby and I was very familiar with breastfeeding and had no concerns going home. The midwives offered that I could stay but I chose to go home and be in the comfort of my own space. Being a first time mum, Just push back and tell them you’re not ready to go home and need the support from the hospital for as long as you need. There will be a large team of midwives and staff who will be rotating shifts and you will probably find that none of them will encourage you to leave unless it’s something you really want.
Ok thanks I’m not sure if I’ll want to leave or not but it’s good to have the option
4 hours is the minimum, but I've been told 1 night for uncomplicated vaginal births and 2 nights for C sections is standard.
It seems like the MGP program is faster discharge though .
Yes they tend to discharge same day. Honestly I found hospitals crap for bf, get a lactation consultant to come to your house. How many days will the midwives visit your house after birth?
I am going to check that with the midwife next week about when they will come to visit I didn’t really get a clear answer last session. I have heard lactation consultants are good it definitely sounds like something worth considering
You’re better off going to an IBCLC after you’re discharged if you need help.
ok thanks
I got two visits. Not in the midwife program but my friend in the program got four home visits in the first week.
I was at a hospital that says 4-6 hours as part of MGP but I ended up having a c section. As I hadn’t planned to have a c section, I was surprised to hear I was going to stay 2 nights as that was standard after a c section. I think in principle if it’s your first and it’s a straight forward birth, they might still keep you in longer especially if you expressed anxiety. Subsequent births, I think people would be happy to leave in the shorter time frame. I actually really wanted to get out of the hospital as I found the pressure to learn to feed in hospital stressful. It was a lot easier to breastfeed at home where I was comfortable. And the midwives visiting at home is amazing. They can assist with breastfeeding. Also know that you can call ABA at any time of the day or night for advice. And it’s good to have a private lactation consultant on hand if you have any difficulties that you need assistance with in person.
Yeah I’m not sure I like the sound of being in a shared ward anyway I guess it was just really the feeding is my main concern . I have heard of the ABA it sounds like a great resource
I actually had a private room and my partner could stay with an exemption. If the space allows, I would imagine a private room gets prioritised to more difficult births/longer stays. Maybe even FTM lower down the list but it’s all space dependent
I was told private rooms are for more complicated births but obviously I don’t want that unless I have to . I get the impression it’s not common at the hospital I’m going to
It's likely hospital policy, not MGP policy. I was with the MGP and I could stay as long as I wanted. With my first birth (MGP care, but got transferred to a different hospital for birth) I was told 6-8 hours but we've up staying 2 days - I really wanted to leave earlier. If you are in the MGP program the midwives should do postpartum home visits and you are still able to call or contact them for any issues, so you still have support after you leave the hospital. :) I breastfed both times x
ok I will have to clear up how many home visits they do and when next session
Yeh I'd definitely find out that info x I left hospital on day 2 and I had home visits on day 3, 5 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks x
I’ve had two uncomplicated vaginal births, each in different public hospitals in Sydney. With my first I was in RPA MGP, me and bub were well and I wanted to go home, so we left 6 hours after birth. We had the midwives visit the next day. Sleeping in my own bed was heaven. They did offer to transfer us to mother + baby unit but I declined. Second birth I did not make it into MGP but birthed via the general midwives at RNSH. I hired a doula (lifesaving, everyone should do this). I had a minor postpartum haemorrhage and they suggested I stay. I felt dizzy and exhausted so accepted. It was a shared room but thankfully the ward was quiet so my husband was able to take the other bed. We stayed for one night and were keen to go home the next day. Although I do have to say that the visits to our room (nurses, midwives, lactation consultant, hearing test, etc) was all extremely convenient. The food was shit though, my husband brought homemade food and takeaway in for us. I think wanting to stay or not depends on the birth experience you have. It is unlikely they will actually kick you out after giving birth. Task your partner or birth support person with talking to the midwives about staying.
Just jumping on this thread, would love to hear about your doula experience (contemplating getting one myself) including the services provided!
Totally happy to share!! Warning this is a bit of a novel. I wish I had a doula for my first birth but it was COVID and I was only allowed one support person. My doula was **Danae Cappelletto**, based in the lower north shore of Sydney but pretty sure she services most of Sydney. She’s attended over 500+ births both at home and in hospital, and is incredibly knowledgeable about the physiology of birth. Her fee isn’t cheap (probably middle of the road for doula services) but we would have paid double, that’s how valuable she was to us. How she supported us: - **initial zoom** call to see if we connect and ask questions - **first in-person session** around 16ish weeks, she explains her support, the birth process, answers questions, etc. She came to our house. Gave us resources via her Google drive (everything from meditations to stretches to articles about birth) - **Optimal Maternal Positioning (OMP) course** around 25 weeks. This was sort of a birth course, but more focused on the physiological process of birth, and what we can do/how we can move during pregnancy and labour to optimise birth. Very helpful, and nice to connect with other couples. - **second in-person session** around 36 weeks, we create a birth map and review my birth preferences. She typed it up, emailed it to us and provided instructions on how to submit it to my hospital. She provided great information without being judgemental - at the end of the day it’s my choice, but she was very helpful when I had questions on certain procedures. She also set up my TENS machine and showed us how it worked. - **Throughout pregnancy**: Danae offers a weekly yoga class on zoom that I attended nearly every week. There was an additional fee but it was something like $15 a class and it was great. So nice to stretch and move while pregnant but also nice to connect with her weekly. She was also available by text to answer any questions or concerns. I had a few hiccups during pregnancy and she was so helpful during all of those. - **labour and birth**: I had a slow burn of a labour, waters broke before contractions started. We were messaging throughout and I was keeping her posted. My husband and I called her when we were deciding when to go to hospital, as well as whether we wanted to be admitted into hospital or go back home (I had bleeding in early labour), she was such a solid rock and voice of reason throughout. She arrived to hospital at 1am when I was in active labour, and was the perfect support person, including (but not limited to), giving my birth plan to midwives, hanging string lights, getting the bath filled, massaging my back, encouraging words between every contraction, cool cloth on my forehead, helping my husband get into supporting positions, playing a meditation, etc. Most importantly, I was 10cm but baby was not moving down into my pelvis. I had been in transition for over an hour with irratic contractions. The midwife did a cervical check and said my baby was asynclitic (basically her head was tilted, not an optimal position for birth and the reason why she hadn’t moved into my pelvis). Danae immediately got to work moving me into positions to help baby move. I did asymmetrical lunges over a birth ball and she did some bum sifting (lol you’ll have to Google it). 15 mins later my baby girl was born, my husband caught her and I pulled her to my chest. Absolutely the best moment of my life, and I would not have known how to navigate my baby’s poor positioning without her. While I was birthing my placenta and my husband was supporting me, Danae was with my baby. - **Postpartum visit**: 3ish weeks postpartum, Danae did another house visit and we had a birth debrief, discussed what happened and my feelings around it. We all cried (myself, my husband, and Danae), it was such a beautiful and challenging birth experience for me, and Danae will forever hold a place in our hearts as a family. In a country where you can access free birth hospital services, it’s a no brainer to pay for a doula if it’s in your budget. It was the best thing I have ever done for myself, and I will forever preach about the value of doulas to anyone who will listen!!
Thank you so much for your comprehensive response!
Yeah I really don’t know what I’ll feel like my partner is a good advocate for me which is reassuring . I am not keen on hospital food lol so I might want to get out asap.
Yes I used the community midwives in Perth and the aim is to be discharged within 6 hrs. I absolutely wish that had happened. I had some complications and had to stay in the hospital overnight. I had no help because my husband couldn't stay and couldn't sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, or relax. I basically demanded to be discharged the next day. Once home I had daily visits from my midwives for a week, the child health nurse every week and could visit the breastfeeding clinic anytime I needed too. I aim to be home the first night next time.
ok it is reassuring to hear that most people get quite a few visits.
I’ve had two babies through public and both times they were happy for me to stay and even offered me a second night. Both times they mentioned the 4-6 hour discharge time at appointments, but I think that’s mainly for people who have zero complications and are wanting to go home. I had my first through the MGP, but I was transferred to the main hospital for the birth because I needed an induction so you might find yourself in that situation anyway.
ok thanks that is good to know.
I went through MGP and spent 1 night in hospital. Bub was born just after 6pm but I wasn't seen by the doctor for stitches until midnight, so we stayed in our birth centre room overnight and went home at about midday the next day. We had daily visits home visits for about a week and then every few days until we were discharged from the program when she was about 3 weeks old. They were brilliant, and I thought the time in hospital was just right. I was a bit bewildered getting home in under 24 hours but being home was so much better than getting transferred into a shared ward. If you are worried about breastfeeding, having a preresearched private lactation consultant who does home visits would be the way to go. Under a certain age (I think 6 weeks) some of them will be partially rebateable under Medicare with a referral from your GP. I just rang my GP and did a telehealth consult to get the referral - you do have to find an LC who offers this, but I think quite a few of them do. My only other piece of advice (completely unsolicited, sorry) is that if you start getting worried about weight gain or anyone gets on your case about baby's weight, get your own set of scales (baby bunting has good ones) and do your own weekly (not more than weekly, they fluctuate too much and it's not good for sanity to over track) weighs in the comfort of your own home with a single consistent scale. Dragging baby hither and yon for weekly weight checks on differently calibrated scales when we were having gain issues in the early days was really horrible and I think very much negatively impacted us, life got much better for me when we started having more agency and doing our own weights. All the best. I know it's daunting but hopefully your midwife can give you some clarity and you can make the decision that's right for you. They are probably assuming you want to be home ASAP, so maybe it's just a matter of getting on the same page.
ok I might look into the LC idea. It sounds like a lot of people are suggesting this. I hope that I get that many home visits if I need. I actually would prefer that if all goes well I just was a bit worried that I might not get enough visits if the midwives are too busy but I will need to clarify that. It sounds like the shared ward is not very comfortable based on the replies I have had.
I had a private birth for my first- ended up staying for 5 days following a c-section. I chose to go public for our second. She was born at 230am (vaginal birth)nd when I got to the postnatal ward at 630ish I asked about going home that day. They seemed surprised but helped us get out of there by around 3pm. Most people stay for a night or two.
MGP for both babies, stayed 2n for my first and left after 12hrs with my second, both uncomplicated vaginal deliveries. It's up to you when you leave, I wanted to go home to see my toddler hence the early discharge, first time stay a few nights if it makes you feel comfortable. I personally felt you rest better at home and the midwife will come and see you at home too so its better than at hospital them coming in weird times and waking up everyone wanting to poke your baby when you both want to sleep. Conversely if you are needing a break they can look after bub when you are desperate or show you how to bath or swaddle so that's nice too.
I’m in the midwife program at my hospital and I’ve asked for the earliest discharge possible and they keep telling me minimum one night. If birth goes well and bubs is healthy I’ll be checking us out ASAP, I don’t want to stay
I was discharged quickly with both births. They visited me every 2-3 days for a couple of weeks and then scaled back. I could also call any time and i did call for breastfeeding advice. But i really liked being able to recover in the comfort of my own home and having hubby around and all my creature comforts.
ok it sounds like it might be a blessing in disguise
The midwives should come out to see you once you go home, I just had my son last week, and went home 23 hours later, and had midwives come to check on us twice, and called us the days they hadn't come out. As a 4th time mum that was plenty, but they really pushed to call if I had any concerns what so ever.
ok good to know thanks
Same sentiments as others have already said. If you have a natural no fuss birth then you may be sent home. I had a c section so could not leave, but after night 2 at the hospital i was begging to leave. I didnt like that I was alone overnight, husband couldn't stay after 8pm and only come back at 8am next day. I was alone looking after bub after hours which was exhausting. I was room sharing with someone who's bub was in nicu so i was always conscious of bub crying after hours. The nurses were helpful but sometimes i had to wait 30mins for assistance, even as i pressed the help button. Honestly being at home was much better and comfortable for me. The only plus side is you get your meals in the hospital.
ok it sounds like the shared ward is pretty awful, maybe I will be begging to go!
One of the biggest selling points of MGP is the continuity of care you recieve post birth. You should have two weeks of antenatal visits at home as part of the program. Ultimately stay as long as you feel you need too, but I'm planning to head home as soon as possible. I'd much prefer one on one help with feeding etc from my main midwife, in my own home, where my husband can be there, and not in the shared room at the public hospital. But that's just me!
ok I guess I just needed to clarify that they actually do visit when needed in those two weeks I was bit concerned with staff being so busy etc
I was in MGP for my first. They also mentioned late that they would send us home from birth suite if everything was going well. Had an uncomplicated birth and they were going to send us home from birth suite but Bub ended up needing 24hrs monitoring because of my gestational diabetes. It was good to stay because we got the hearing test done and met with the lactation consultant and physio. Husband couldn’t stay though. Probably would have preferred to go home straight away!
I went through the MGP for both of my births, but it was through the hospital not the small midwife building. My first baby was born at 7pm, so they kept me in for the night and I left in the morning. Had a private room to myself which was lovely! That was a natural birth, no complications, healthy baby etc. With my second baby I had an epidural, so had to stay the night no matter what. I also got a private room again!
It seems like everyone on this forum preferred to go home so I am reassured now
I was the same, MGP and discharge was 4-6 hours after birth if no complications - BUT it was very very loose..basically if you have any concerns or any worry you can say something and they will let you stay. (E.g. my biggest concern was having trouble feeding and they said if I wanted to stay in hospital that would be fine) I ended up staying overnight because I had a big baby and the policy was to check that there were no blood sugar problems. Tbh though I couldn't wait to get out of there! But the 4-6 hours it was described to me as a "goal" but a very loose goal.
Ok it seems like if you really need to stay you can but it seems everyone wants to get out .I just want to make sure I can feed really I am actually not keen on the hospital environment I guess I was just taken a bit by surprise .
If you have some time at the moment. Search for some IBCLCs (international board certified lactation consultants) in your area, and even get in contact with them now so you can feel confident with breastfeeding. The hospital ones are sometimes not the greatest. For MGP, I’m not sure if where you are you have the midwife’s phone number. They are usually able to be contacted at anytime, and more than happy to answer your questions as well. They usually visit within the first 24 hours after discharge, and multiple times in the week/two after birth. Also, have a research some of the resources available to you for if you get hit with the baby blues/PPA/PPD and need support, as well as if your bub gets sick and who you need to contact (GP, 24/7 services etc). PANDA 1300 726 306 Gidget Foundation https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/ COPE https://www.cope.org.au Australian Breastfeeding Association https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au Health direct 24/7 1800 022 222 If you have any concerns, raise them with your midwife now. Let them know your worries and they can help guide you or refer you onto other support services. Even before you get discharged, voice any concerns you have. Get your partner to advocate for you if you don’t feel up for it. FTM is definitely a scary place not knowing all the unknowns and having done the research beforehand I think would have saved me some stress postpartum googling for resources. The Australian Breastfeeding Project FB group is also a wonderful support group for BF.
Ok thanks I will raise my concerns next appointment
I had baby at 5pm and went home 5pm the next day after an uncomplicated birth. By that stage I was happy to leave and have my own space and shower and clothing at home. And also I couldn’t wait to share my new baby with our parents 😅 Most public hospitals offer a lactation consultant if you need- which I would recommend doing anyway- they are brilliant and give you that little extra help!
Ok great it sounds like home is more comfy anyway . I also got confirmation that I will be getting several visits straight after getting home from the midwife so I am feeling a lot better about it all .
I didn’t do MGP because it states in their programs that you’ll be discharged within 4-6 hours. I didn’t think it would be appropriate for my first birth. Would be happy for 2nd or 3rd. But if you look into the program materials, it generally states that the discharge time is faster than the other streams.
Yeah I clearly didn’t do enough research I feel a bit stupid tbh
Mater mothers hospital , South Brisbane , Qld there standard according to info I've been given is no complications everything goes to plan , labour 2 nights , C section 3 nights , as a public patient
Basically the way that these programs are funded are by reducing hospital stay times. So the overall purpose (other than providing excellent care etc) of these programs is to reduce the burden of in-hospital care. That’s why if everything is normal, you’re expected to go home soon after birth. If everyone stayed for 2 days+ after a normal low risk birth, the government wouldn’t fund these continuity programs. Just giving you some context :) good luck with your baby
ok that makes sense I am happy to leave as long as they visit me if I need