Bringing Your Newborn Home from Hospital: What You Need To Know
There’s nothing quite like bringing your newborn home. After the long-awaited arrival of your newest family member comes a lot of firsts. There’s the first car trip, the first bath, and the first time you’re left in charge! Although you may have done a few classes or read baby books, there’s something about the reality of leaving the hospital that can bring an immediate sense of uncertainty or nervousness.
The first few weeks with your new baby can be a blur of confusion, feeding, and dirty nappies, so it can be helpful to be prepared and have a plan. When bringing a newborn home from hospital, pay attention to your doctor’s and midwife’s discharge instructions and if you’re feeling uncertain about anything for the days ahead, let your medical team know. We highlight expert tips below on what you might like to consider before leaving hospital.
How long after a baby is born can you leave the hospital?
The length of time you are required to stay in the hospital after the birth of your baby depends on the type of birth you have and the stage of gestation your baby reaches before birth. If you have a straightforward vaginal birth with few complications and mother and baby are doing well you may be permitted to leave the hospital within as little as 6 hours although most women stay in hospital for 1-2 days.
When bringing a newborn home after a cesarean section, the average post-birth hospital stay is 2-4 days. If your baby is born pre-term, there may be a longer stay in hospital required depending on the circumstances.
What should you talk to the midwife about before leaving the hospital?
Before bringing your newborn home, take the opportunity to allay some of your fears or uncertainties by asking the expert medical staff on hand. Whether it’s advice about feeding, bathing, holding your baby, or just some moral support and encouragement you need, you can get most if not all of this from the medical team.
Given that there will likely be a lot emotion and things to remember, consider making a list of questions you might have before being discharged. You could ask questions or advice on topics such as:
- Breastfeeding/bottle-feeding positions
- Recognising when a baby has had enough/not enough milk
- How to express breast milk
- How to sterilise and make up bottles safely
- Changing nappies
- Bathing your baby
- Settling your baby
- Pelvic floor exercises
- Postnatal depression
- Taking care of yourself
- Who to call when you need help
- Support services close to home
- Home visits by the midwife
- Contraception
- Registering your baby’s birth with the relevant authorities
What should you take from the hospital when bringing your baby home?
When bringing a newborn home from hospital in the UK, you will be given a personal child health record, which is usually a red book. This is an essential record, capturing your baby’s milestones, statistics, immunisations, and medical history. It also contains helpful information and advice for new parents.
Before leaving hospital after being officially discharged:
- Check that your baby has had all required immunisations
- Ensure you have a discharge summary and baby’s weight has been checked and recorded
- Ensure you are aware of any follow-up plans such as midwife visits or required checkups
- Make sure you have any medications that your baby may have been prescribed
How should you dress your baby when leaving the hospital to go home?
The first time you bring your baby home is a big moment in life. So, what to bring your newborn home in may be something you plan for. Firstly, choose something comfortable for your little one. Something that fits well and something that is temperature-appropriate for the climate or season you’re in.
Rompers, onesies, or bodysuits are ideal for newborns, they allow a full range of movement and are designed to fit close to the body so they don’t ride up and pose a hazard. Ensure clothing is well-fitting and made from breathable fibres such as cotton or bamboo
Use the handy guide below for ideas of clothing and combinations that are appropriate for a range of temperatures.
How do you transport a newborn from the hospital to the car?
Transferring your baby from the hospital to a car is often done using a baby capsule. This helps ensure safe delivery of your newborn to your waiting transport. For parents that have a car, ensure you’ve had your infant car seat correctly fitted by an approved baby seat installer.
While it is also ok to transport your baby to the car in a stroller or the arms of a parent or caregiver, baby capsules are often the more convenient as they allow your baby to sleep if they need to and most are designed to attach straight into your car seat for easy transitions.
How to ensure your baby’s room is ready
Preparing your baby’s bedroom can be one of the most fun parts of being a new parent, although it can be a lot to organise! For the first 6 months of life, safe sleeping guidelines recommend that your baby sleeps in their cot or bassinet in the same room as you, so even though you may not necessarily need to make sure the baby’s room or nursery is picture-perfect from the moment you arrive home, you do need to make sure your baby has a safe and comfortable place to sleep from the time they get home.
- Ensure your baby’s bassinet or cot is correctly and safely assembled before their arrival home
- Check your baby’s mattress fits the cot or bassinet well, with no gaps at the sides
- Make sure you have a few clean fitted sheets for the mattress and some swaddles for sleeping.
- Check you’re stocked up on things like nappies, wipes, and baby bodysuits.
How can parents consider the feelings of other family members?
Not everyone will share in the delight of your new arrival. For older siblings, the new member of the family may prove to be a concern. It is not uncommon to see poor behaviour and even regression in older siblings. The trick is to give ample warning to prepare them for their new sibling. You can do that by storytelling or asking questions about their feelings towards their new brother or sister.
Give older siblings some responsibility for the new baby. Perhaps devise a task around the nappies/toys/sleepsuits for the new baby. No matter how big or small the task may be, it will give big sister or brother a sense of purpose and help them to feel included.
After you’ve arrived home and you’re settling into your new life it’s important to monitor how you’re going and reach out if you need help. Even though you have physically left the hospital, it doesn’t mean you have to continue without any support. If you get home and something doesn't feel right with you or the baby please make an appointment to see your midwife or doctor as soon as possible or reach out to one of the trusted services in our directory.