After giving birth you can make a decision about when to go home. If you have an uncomplicated birth, have good support at home and feel confident with infant feeding, you may choose to go home within a few hours of the birth. However, the benefits of staying in hospital include support with establishing infant feeding, round the clock support and observation, the opportunity to share your birth experience with other women and offer mutual support, and support with learning to care for your baby. We welcome your immediate family members but encourage you keep visitors to a minimum, as you may well feel exhausted, to avoid disturbing other mothers and babies and to reduce the risks of infection. Please discuss your individual needs with your midwife.
We encourage breast feeding and recognise that keeping your baby close to you, lots of skin to skin contact, and early frequent feeding can help with your breast feeding experience.
When you go home, one of our community midwives will call to see you at home within 24 hours. At this visit you will have the opportunity to reflect on your birth experience, discuss how you are feeling physically and emotionally, discuss infant feeding and safe sleeping, and plan your post-natal care with your midwife. If you have had babies before you may want minimal home visits, however, if it is your first time you may feel you would like additional support and more frequent visits. Newborn screening tests are offered and will be discussed with you. Read more information about these tests on the
Newborn Bloodspot Screening Wales website.
There are many free, local mother and baby support groups available for you to attend when you feel ready. Your health visitor will make contact with you within 28 days of you giving birth. Legally you will need to register your baby within 6 weeks you will be giving this information when you are discharged from the hospital.