"Told we could stay an extra day"

I had my first beautiful baby 16 months ago. Best day of my life, he continues to bring joy to my life every day. I received excellent care all throughout my pregnancy and most of the midwives I encountered during my labour and after in the ward were fantastic and deserve to be recognised for the amazing job they do. 

I do have one small issue, during my pregnancy at my antinatal classes the midwife there explained that as we were first time parents we didn’t have to leave the hospital after a day if we felt we needed to stay two or three days we could. I had my son on the Thursday morning and expected to stay in hospital until the Saturday especially as I ended up having a difficult delivery and had to have stitches so was very uncomfortable. Early on the Friday morning, a midwife came to me and said you have to go home today as we need your bed, even though there were a couple of other beds in the room. I felt like I was being pushed out and explained that I didn’t feel ready to go home as was still uncomfortable from the stitches. Plus I had to see someone about bathing my baby and about his hearing test etc. Midwife said fine you could probably stay but by this point I felt like I was a burden and agreed to go home. I still felt very tired and sore but luckily had a great support network around me. 

However the Sunday night 3 days after having my baby I was rushed back into hospital with a haemorrhage and had to have an operation and a further 2 day stay in hospital as I had gotten and infection. The care I received on this visit to hospital was exceptional and the staff were so friendly and caring especially when I got upset from missing my new baby who was at home with my husband and parents. 

I just want to suggest that maybe don’t tell first time mums they have the option to stay a bit longer in hospital if that is not going to the case. I would have felt better prepared to go home if I hadn’t been told by midwife at antinatal class that we could stay an extra day.