Newborn Discharge From Hospital
Newborns are discharged from the hospital often as early as 1-2 days after delivery. In this article, we’ll talk not only about getting home with your baby, but also about a home checkup at the maternity hospital and what to keep at home for your newborn.
Newborn discharge from hospital
A baby born full-time and healthy typically gets home with his or her family 24 to 48 hours after delivery. In some cases, a baby born at 34-36 weeks of gestation may also be healthy enough to get home as early as 48 hours after birth. Children born with a section or suffering from health problems usually have to stay in the hospital for a slightly longer period of time, as do premature babies born before the 34th week of pregnancy.
The newborn is usually given a home check-up when he or she is 36-72 hours old. By this point, he has already adapted to cope outside the womb. During the home inspection, the doctor will do the following:
- Weighs the baby
- Listens to the baby’s breathing and evaluates the breathing sounds
- Checks your baby for this skin, color, muscle tone, irritability and reflections
- Check the baby’s heart by listening to it and, if necessary, measuring blood pressure and oxygen saturation and performing an ultrasound
- Inspects viscera through abdominal coverings
- Checks genital structures and testicular settling in boys
- Feels like the bones of the skull, the seams between the bones and the openings
- Checks limb, clavicle and upper limb movement
- Checks the red reflection of the eyes
- Evaluate your hearing
Breastfeeding, feeding and caring for the baby will also be discussed during the home inspection, and parents will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss matters that concern them. Follow-up of the child and mother usually takes place in a clinic, but in some municipalities in a maternity hospital.
What does a newborn need at home?
- Diapers and accessories: It is advisable to reserve diapers suitable for the newborn in the home, which can be disposable or permanent diapers. For a diaper change, you also need, for example, a diaper change table or base, wet wipes and a moisturizer. A diaper bag is also a good purchase, as it is easy to carry around when moving outside the home.
- Catering accessories. Even if your baby is breastfeeding, it’s a good idea to book baby bottles and a bottle brush at home. Every nursing home needs a stack of gauze to burp and tidy the baby. In addition to this, a fresh mother should get herself a breast pump.
- Bath accessories. According to experts, the newborn should be washed with a sponge or cloth until the umbilical cord stub is detached. After that, she can be soaked 1-3 times a week, and for this purpose it is advisable to get a safe bath suitable for a small baby. In addition to the bath, a thermometer is needed to measure the temperature of the bath water. Mild baby detergents and shampoos are also worth buying at home. You should also reserve soft towels for your baby.
- Accessories for medicine cabinet. At least a thermometer, painkillers suitable for your baby, small patches, moisturizing skin cream and small nail scissors should be available in your medicine cabinet.
- Clothing. All fresh parents quickly realize how much clothes they wear with their baby and how many machine washes a week have to be washed. Because clothes get tangled easily, it’s worth reserving them home enough, but not too much, because the baby grows very fast and the clothes stay small in a few weeks.
- Sleeping accessories. It is important to plan where your baby sleeps well in advance of giving birth. A cot placed near the parent’s bed is a good option as long as its safety is ensured. The bed needs a sturdy but comfortable mattress and light blankets. Due to the risk of suffocation, do not put a pillow, plush toys or other soft objects on the bed.
- Other. In addition to the above, the home can be pre-booked with, for example, pacifiers, toys, a baby carrier, a pram, a sitter, a car seat and furniture for baby supplies.
