When to choose an outpatient birth

Outpatient birth is quite a controversial topic here, but abroad it is a common thing. Fortunately, the number of women choosing outpatient birth is also growing here, and neither hospitals nor their pediatricians have a problem with it. What exactly is outpatient birth, why choose it, and what needs to be arranged after such a birth?

What is outpatient birth

Outpatient birth is a birth in which the woman leaves the maternity hospital less than 72 hours after the baby is born. It can be as soon as two hours after delivery, or perhaps the next day. Abroad, this is a common way of giving birth. After the birth, the woman goes home and then a community midwife visits her, checks both mother and baby, carries out the necessary examinations, and the woman can be at peace at home, in her own environment. 

Why choose outpatient birth

There are several reasons for outpatient birth. If both the mother and baby are out of danger and the baby was not born prematurely with a birth weight below 2.5 kg, then nothing prevents them from going home earlier. Usually, mothers decide this because:

• they already have one child or more at home and want to be back with their family soon;
• they have a child at home who is used to falling asleep with mom or is still breastfed, and the mother does not want to undergo separation because of the birth;
• they have a bad experience with the postpartum ward, whether it is the staff, the food, separation from the baby, or pressure to breastfeed and have the baby weighed; 
• the woman does not like hospitals, does not feel comfortable there, and feels that the sooner she is home, the better she will bond with the baby;
• she likes the idea of a home birth, but does not dare to do it or does not have suitable conditions for it, so she prefers to go give birth in a maternity hospital and then return home. 

What needs to be arranged after outpatient birth

If you decide on an outpatient birth, then you need to find out what the conditions are at the maternity hospital you choose and what examinations they will carry out a few days after the birth, or whether you need to arrange them yourself elsewhere. These include:

• a test for newborn jaundice,
• a blood sample from the heel - screening for metabolic disorders (48-72h after birth),
• an eye examination (within 4 weeks of birth),
• a hearing check (within 1 month of birth),
• a hip check (within 7 days of birth),
• securing medical care for the newborn within 24 hours of birth (the pediatrician should not refuse to take a baby younger than 72 hours into care; if that happens, contact your health insurance company, which will arrange another pediatrician for you).

Who is outpatient birth not suitable for

In some cases, outpatient birth is not suitable and the woman should stay in the maternity hospital with the baby for at least 72 hours after birth. This is the case if:

• the woman has preeclampsia,
• the woman has diabetes,
• the pregnancy is high-risk,
• the baby is born prematurely (earlier than 37+0 and its birth weight is less than 2500 g),
• the baby shows obvious signs of pathology,
• the woman has had a major blood loss,
• the woman gave birth by cesarean section.

The number of mothers who choose outpatient birth is growing every year, and therefore hospitals are becoming more and more willing to accommodate it. There are also more community midwives who can provide the necessary postpartum care at your home, take blood from the baby’s heel, and advise you on what to do and how regarding care for the baby and yourself.

Enjoy your pregnancy, and if you have doubts about staying in the maternity hospital for the recommended three days, keep the option of outpatient birth open. If nothing prevents it (even induced labor is not an obstacle), then feel free to decide on it at the last minute, even after you give birth to the baby.