When is the Right Time to Leave the Hospital After Giving Birth?

There is no “one size fits all” answer to readiness for discharge after delivering a baby. The “Life Around Newborn Discharge” (LAND) study is the first ever to examine the decision-making of over 4,000 mothers and their paediatricians and obstetricians about postpartum discharge and to identify which factors most related to mother-infant pairs’ readiness to leave the hospital.

The significant factors associated with unreadiness included mother’s race, history of chronic disease, inadequate prenatal care, delivering during nonroutine hours, newborn having problems in the hospital, being a first-time mom, intent to breastfeed, and if she received only limited in-hospital education. The study results suggest that the mother and the clinicians caring for her and her infant must make the postpartum discharge decision together, as perceptions of readiness at the time of discharge often differ. In addition, clinicians should pay close attention to specific characteristics about the mother (for example, whether or not she is a first-time mother and whether or not she is breastfeeding) and should emphasize in-hospital education in order to personalize discharge plans and maximize chances for a positive experience at home. (Source: American Academy of Pediatrics : August 2007)