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Length of Hospital Stay?

azure

Expert
Messages
9,780
Location
UK
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
A question for all you ladies who have already had your babies - how long did you stay in hospital after the birth?

I have no idea what's normal now! I know they'll test baby's sugars, but how long do they test them for, and are there any other tests or monitoring they do? What about me? Do they make sure mum's sugars are ok too?

Just trying to plan ahead a bit and think about what I might need to pack. I guess I'll be induced so that'll add a day or so, right?
 
Hi
Not sure on all your questions as only now thinking about getting pregnant, trying to get everything sorted and inline for best health of baby. I think I remember them saying they test the baby's sugars for 24hrs after birth. I might be wrong tho

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It all depends on the circumstances. With my first, I was in hospital 4 weeks before Being induced, due to high blood pressure. We would have got home about 5 days after the birth but baby was jaundiced so we both went up to baby special care unit for another few days.

With my second, I went in the day before being induced and we both went home about a week later.

Both babies were taken to the special care unit after the birth, to check blood sugars. After less than 24 hours, they joined me in the ward.

I was OK after my first but ended up on a glucose drip after my second (a day or two after the birth).

But that was almost 30 and 27 years ago so things will have changed. I think nurses are now better trained in diabetes, in our maternity wards.

They certainly keep an eye on blood sugars of both baby and mum.
 
I have actually been wondering this myself , but got it in my head everyone's birth stories are going to be different so I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see what happens when it happens lol .

How much longer have you got to go azure ?
 
Cloe-1992 said:
I have actually been wondering this myself , but got it in my head everyone's birth stories are going to be different so I guess I'm just going to have to wait and see what happens when it happens lol .

How much longer have you got to go azure ?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure exactly when I'll be induced so I don't have a definite date yet, but im currently 31 weeks How about you? Do you have an induction date yet?

I was mainly thinking about packing mine and baby's bags. If I had a rough idea about what was a normal length of stay, then I thought I'd know where to start. I realise it might vary, depending on the birth and which hospital you go to, but I reckoned there must be some guidelines, just like most people seem to being induced around 38 weeks or so. I had a quick google for info last night and couldn't find anything so I thought I'd asked here as there are so many people who can give their experiences.

Thank you to everyone who's replied so far
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh wow that's very exciting your very nearly there , do you know what sex baby is ?
Today I am 34+4 weeks pregnant , and I'm in the exact same boat as you I know I'm being induced but have no date either .
I've got my growth scan at 36 weeks and have been told I might be given a date then for 38 weeks if they think I can go to 39 weeks they will see me weekly after 36 weeks so I have no clue and getting impatient lol .

I totally get where your coming from it's the un known that's worrying isn't it , as I just haven't got a clue what to expect or whats going to happen , and like you on google couldn't seem to find any answers so thought hmm going to have to just go with the flow I have got a bag well a mini suitcase for me lol and a baby bag for baby but wether I've got to much or to little I have no clue luckily I'm not far from the hospital so could always get people to bring bits up . Exciting but worrying time .
Is lovely to hear what others do to give a bit of an idea , hopefully werll be telling our stories to others very soon hehe .

Hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well for you , loads of good luck wishes.
 
Thank you - lots of luck to you too!

I'm having a little boy I have a growth scan at 36 weeks too, so maybe I'll get an induction date then. My consultant said it would be between 38 and 39 weeks, if everything is ok, but it's hard not to worry. In some ways, I want him to stay in me as long as possible, but in other ways I'm so nervous I just want him out!

I was tempted to take a mini suitcase too. I have a little overnight/weekend case on wheels. It's pretty tiny. I was thinking about all the things I'd need to take and I can't see how I'll fit everything in if I take too small a bag. But on the other hand, I don't want to get to hospital and have them looking at me like I'm mad! Baby will,have his own bag
 
Hi ladies. You must be getting so excited! I went in at 38 weeks to be induced, and she arrived about 26hrs later. We then stayed in for one night afterwards. This is my hospitals policy for diabetics. It allows them to keep an eye on mums sugars. It also gives you time to get settled with feeding etc which I found invaluable. If you have a caesarean you'll probably be kept in 2 nights.
Re BM testing of mum and baby, the guidance is to check the baby's bm between 2-4hrs of age and if they are not hypo then it doesn't need to be checked again.
For you they will ask you to check your bm a couple if times during the time you're in. Make sure you write down what insulin doses (if on pump basal rates and ratios) you were on pre pregnancy as you will switch to these straight after delivery.
Good luck girls! Xxx
 
Different hospitals seem to have different policies. At mine the baby of a diabetic mum won't be discharged until 48 hours after birth at the earliest as they check baby's blood sugars every 3 hours for 24 hrs then every 12 hours for 24 hrs. If at any time they are under 2.6 they start again.
For my first (2 years ago) we were in for 5 days after the birth as we had trouble establishing feeding. My 2nd was in for 48 hours after birth.
 
Thank you, JessP and hels

Very useful info To be honest, I'd rather stay a day or two after the birth this time just to make sure baby is ok. I've had some issues this pregnancy so I'd like to know they'd had a chance to monitor him. Me too actually, as I'll be going back to an empty house so I'd like to know my sugars were behaving.

Thank you for the information about how long it took to give birth after the induction, JessP. I've never been induced before so I keep thinking about that too and wondering how it'll go. I must be a control freak! I just like an idea of what might happen
 

Thank you.

Oh that's lovely so exciting , were also expecting a baby boy
I'll come back on here after my scan and appointment and let you know if I fount anymore out then at that stage .
I feel the exact same !! Part of you thinks just get them out now please it's to much of a worry , but then if there doing ok in there it's worth the stay , it's so many mixed emotions can get a bit confusing well it does for me anyway lol .

That was my problem I had fount this nice ok sized bag but it was just over flowing and I thought it's getting heavy now its not fair my partner trying to drag that around the hospital thought I need the wheels . I know I think that the hospital might think im moving in and I definitely don't want to be doing that lol ! Hopefully you find one that's the right size for you , keep us updated on how things are going for you .

 

Thank you, Cloe - that'd be cool if you could let me know if you find out anything. I know they keep going on about the placenta failing early but it's not clear how common that is or how early is early.

Sweet that you're expecting a boy too! I hope you're not feeling too uncomfortable. I only started to feel extra-heavy in the last couple of weeks, but sometimes I look at my bump in the mirror and think "Wow, that's huge!"

I'm more and more tempted to take my little mini suitcase. I keep thinking of all the things I'll have to take. I'm blaming some of it on the diabetic stuff I'm going to start packing tomorrow so that I'm organised by the birth - I hope! Another good thing I thought about taking a suitcase is that it can just stand up on the floor whereas a soft bag would be in the way or have to go on a chair or something.
 
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