How is discharge from the maternity hospital going: how to organize everything?

March 28, 2019
Pregnancy and childbirth
Oksana Yatskevich

Every family should plan not only for the birth, but also for discharge home. This is an important process that every girl will face. And few people want this solemn moment to be forgotten. How does discharge from the maternity hospital proceed? What do you need to know? How to prepare for it? Answers to the above questions and more will be presented below. In fact, everything is simpler than it seems.

When discharged

What time are they discharged from the maternity hospital, and also when is this done? There is no clear answer to such a question. As a rule, women and their babies are released from the maternity hospital in the first half of the day.

In a normal natural birth, discharge occurs approximately on the fourth or fifth day of the baby’s life. Of course, if everything is fine with mother and child. If there was a “caesarean section”, you will have to wait a while before leaving the maternity hospital. On average, it is prescribed a week after birth.

The woman will be informed by her doctor about the exact date of the “celebration”. The corresponding decision is made by several specialists at once: an obstetrician, a neonatologist, and also the head of the department.

Family discharge

A small circle of those closest to you: mom and dad, sister, husband. All. Also festive, but much calmer. There is no pomp, but there is a feeling of unusualness of the day. In such a circle, you can immediately put on your favorite robe upon arriving home and feel comfortable. There are no complaints about the set table either. Mom will take care of dinner herself, and will also provide food supplies for several days ahead. Of the minuses

I will note the point that the remaining guests, in our case these are families of brothers and sisters, had to be invited in the very near future with all the ensuing issues that I wrote about in the previous paragraph.

The right clothes

How does discharge from the maternity hospital proceed? And what does it take to properly prepare for it? Even before giving birth, a woman should prepare clothes for herself and the baby for discharge. It will depend on the time of year.

As a rule, babies are bought special “discharge kits,” as well as satin ribbons with bows and envelopes “according to the season.” This will be more than enough.

The mother must think for herself what she wants to be discharged with. You need to choose clothes that are comfortable in them after childbirth. For example, in summer and spring it is better to wear a dress or nursing clothes.

What should be the gifts for discharge?

Such an event involves a festive mood and gifts.

Personnel:

bouquets of flowers, boxes of chocolates, high-quality alcoholic drinks;
gift boxes of tea, coffee, cakes;
souvenirs.

To the woman in labor:

baby monitor;
breast pumps, sterilizers;
toys or clothes for the baby;
cake made from diapers.

Any woman, after going through her experiences, will gladly accept a subscription to a beauty salon as a gift. Also a great gift would be a certificate to a children's store, where parents can pick up everything they need themselves.

Diaper cake

Cosmetics

If you don’t have the slightest idea about how leaving the maternity hospital is carried out, it’s worth asking how one of your friends or relatives was discharged from the maternity hospital. They will tell you how best to prepare for this event.

When getting ready for the maternity hospital, a woman is advised not to forget her cosmetics. It will come in handy when you check out. Everyone wants to look beautiful.

If mom's cosmetics are forgotten, you can ask your husband or close relatives to bring them. It’s better not to put on makeup every day, but just before discharge.

What things to prepare for the maternity hospital

It is optimal to pack a bag for mother and child in advance. Then you will be calm, and your husband will not have to rush around the shops in a fuss after the birth of the baby. The list of items varies slightly depending on the season. In winter, you need more warm clothes for the mother and baby.

What does a newborn need?

It is recommended to take the following accessories:

diapers and wet wipes;
pacifier and bottle;
2 hats without ties and 2 pairs of socks;
optional - bodysuit, vests, rompers;
disposable absorbent diapers;
electronic thermometer;
baby diaper cream;
Diaper rash remedy (Bepanten);
cotton pads

When leaving the hospital, choose clothes for your baby made from natural fabrics with external seams and comfortable fasteners. Wash items in advance with a special baby powder and iron them inside out. Typically, a kit for a newborn includes 2 hats - light and warm, diapers, a slip or romper with a vest, and an envelope.

In the summer, choose an envelope or blanket made of light fabric without lining; in the fall, an insulated version with fleece or plush is suitable; in winter, a jumpsuit or envelope with sheepskin.

For Mom

To stay in the maternity ward, you will need postpartum panties and pads, personal hygiene items (face and body cleansers, toothbrush and toothpaste), slippers, a towel, a postpartum bandage, breast pads, and cream for cracked nipples. Upon discharge, you will additionally need comfortable shoes and clothes, a cosmetic bag, a hairdryer, and a curling iron if desired.

If you think necessary, take hair styling products and other necessary elements to create the look. It is important to feel confident if you are planning a photo shoot or video shoot.

What do they give in the maternity hospital?

As already mentioned, the woman and her relatives are informed by the doctors of the relevant medical institution what time they are discharged from the maternity hospital. What documents should be issued? This is an extremely important point.

On the day of discharge, the woman must receive:

exchange card (not all maternity hospitals do this);
an extract for the mother with information about the maternity hospital;
a statement of the baby, which indicates information about the newborn;
birth certificate;
child vaccination certificate;
medical certificate of birth;
sick leave (for officially employed women).

Also, in some maternity hospitals, on the day of discharge, new mothers are given special gift sets. They contain things for mom and newborn.

How is the discharge process carried out?

Usually, every maternity hospital has a special discharge room - a beautifully decorated room where relatives can meet mother and baby and take photographs or videos as souvenirs. Parents can either invite their own photographer and videographer, or use similar services that are often offered by the maternity hospital itself. The event takes place as usual:

A nurse takes the mother and baby from the room and takes them to the preparation room.
The baby is dressed in a holiday set and an envelope.
The ceremonial part begins. The mother is allowed to accept congratulations from those greeting them, and the nurse carries the baby out and hands him to the father.
Afterwards, if desired, a photo session, gift transfer, etc. takes place.
The collected things of the mother and baby are given to relatives in advance or after the ceremony. The family can go home.

Regular statement

How does discharge from the maternity hospital usually proceed? The woman is informed in advance when she can go home from the medical facility. The relatives of the new mother are also told about this.

On the day of discharge, the mother is given the required documents. After this, together with the nurse, the woman takes the child and her things, and then goes to a special room to change clothes. There, the medical staff prepares the baby for discharge: he is wrapped in an envelope, after being dressed. If for one reason or another the maternity hospital does not have a changing room, all preparations are carried out directly in the ward.

After this, the woman with the baby and the doctor go down and go out to a special room for discharge. Relatives and relatives should be waiting for her there. The new mother is given flowers, and the doctor “hands” the baby to the father.

Then everything depends on the specific situation. How does discharge from the maternity hospital proceed? As a rule, after the described actions, they take pictures with the mother in the discharge room and then leave the maternity hospital. You can go home! For example, by taxi or by your own car.

Clothes for mom when she is discharged from the hospital

It's no secret that immediately after giving birth, a woman's figure changes. There are extra pounds gained during pregnancy, the belly takes time to shrink, and the breasts are surprisingly large. The most wrong thing at this moment is to scold and hate your body, and also try to put on the clothes that you wore before or during pregnancy. Clothes that don't suit your figure will only ruin your mood.

Need a new dress! Yes, exactly the dress, because on the discharge the mother is the personification of femininity. Trousers or jeans are not at all suitable for this occasion. When choosing a dress, pay attention to its color. Immediately cross out the dark options from those considered. The style of the discharge dress should not be fitted or short. True, even the now very popular floor-length options on the discharge are not very appropriate. It is advisable to choose a dress of medium length.

Match it with shoes or boots without heels. Don't forget about accessories. Place all this, including tights (if they are needed for the season), in a separate bag. Your relatives will bring it to you at the maternity hospital. You don't need surprises, do you?

Celebration

Nowadays ceremonial discharge is very popular. It can be organized by relatives and friends, or by the new parents themselves. In many cities there are special agencies that prepare and conduct ceremonial discharges from maternity hospitals.

If you want to organize a holiday, you need to agree on this in advance with the maternity hospital, as well as with the organization that will help hold the celebration. Having paid for the latter’s services, all that remains is to wait for “day X”. After the baby is handed over to his father, the festive performance begins. And after it, parents can go home.

Transport

Of course, you can’t take a mother and baby from the maternity hospital on foot or by tram. Need a car. Getting a car these days is not difficult. Another question is how she will look for such an occasion. It doesn’t hurt to embellish and dress it up.

The simplest and most popular option is to decorate the car with multi-colored balls and ribbons. Yes, it’s traditional, and it happens all the time, but it’s still beautiful and solemn.
Another similar option is inscriptions pasted on the car. Their content may be different, but at the same time, the meaning and essence must be unambiguous and understandable. For example: “Hurray, I have a son!”, “I’m on my way to pick up my daughter!”, “I’m a happy dad!” etc. You can even write it in poetry, if you have talent and desire. This option is also traditional, but still so cute!
It would be great if the happy dad got hold of an antique limousine for such an occasion. Moreover, he will decorate it - at least with the same ribbons. In any case, the effect will be just right!
Well, if dad or someone else who meets you drives up to the maternity hospital in a real horse-drawn carriage, it will be absolutely stunning. Of course, nowadays it is very difficult to get such a luxury, as well as to drive it along city streets, but for small towns this is simply a wonderful option. A carriage, horses, whose harness is decorated with flowers and ribbons - what can compare with such beauty?

Holiday outfit for mom

Sometimes they forget about this, but discharge from the maternity hospital is a holiday primarily for the mother. Therefore, she should look “perfect.”

If the mother, going to the maternity hospital, managed to grab the appropriate clothes with her, that’s great. But most often she has no time for this, so before discharge, the husband (or someone else) must clarify what clothes to bring for mom. It often happens that such clothes need to be bought, since the previous dresses may not fit on a happy woman in labor. Overall, this problem is quite serious and needs to be addressed ahead of time.

It would be great if the mother herself, before giving birth, collects a package of things that she will need for discharge: a dress, tights, bra, shoes, or shows her husband what exactly to bring her for discharge.

Discharging from maternity hospital

In principle, it is quite difficult to come up with something extremely original here, since the extract is a kind of conveyor belt. Mothers and babies are discharged every day, one after another; for doctors, this is part of their daily work, and therefore they have no time for holidays. But, nevertheless, you can still come up with something non-standard and memorable (besides traditional bouquets and champagne).

A theatrical performance will please your mother and amuse your guests. Its plot and characters can be very different. For example, a cheerful clown, a stork, a kind wizard, etc. The main thing is that it directly relates to the theme of the celebration - the birth of a baby and his discharge from the hospital with his mother. Such a presentation should not be long, so as not to delay the discharge of other mothers and not interfere with the work of doctors.
A small live orchestra or even just one musical instrument at the entrance to the maternity hospital is a great idea in these times. Let this orchestra or musician perform some piece that mom loves. Just don’t need any tape recorder with speakers - it’s banal and boring. Only live music!
Doves soaring from the hands of mom and dad are beautiful, solemn and symbolic. Who said that this is a purely wedding tradition? Nothing like this! The dove is a symbol of beauty, hope and a happy life. And releasing pigeons from parental hands means wishing all this for the baby.
Well, of course, there should be flowers when leaving the maternity hospital - where would we be without it? Many colors. Although this is traditional, it is by no means banal. Flowers cannot be banal. A bouquet for doctors, a bouquet for a happy mother, flowers scattered throughout the car – it’s always beautiful, solemn and opportune.
In addition to flowers, you can give other gifts to maternity hospital workers. What it will be like depends on the imagination and capabilities of the dad or other people meeting him.

How to decorate a room

It’s clear that you can’t bring a mother and her newborn into a disheveled, untidy apartment—it’s no good. Therefore, the home must be cleaned and decorated in advance. There are many options here, but these should be reasonable options, that is, ones that will not harm either the baby or the mother herself.

Flowers. If there are too many of them, the smell can harm the baby. And so did the mother, who had not yet recovered from childbirth. Therefore, there should be few flowers - a reasonable minimum. And if there is a suspicion that the baby has an allergy, then no flowers are needed at all.
The same goes for balloons. This, of course, is traditional and beautiful, but they smell like rubber, and this is not the most pleasant smell, especially for a baby. And from this it follows that there should be very few balls.
Recently, for such an occasion, it has been customary to decorate the apartment with multi-colored paper pom-poms. They are inexpensive, they look elegant and solemn, and, in addition, they have no smell, and therefore they can hang as long as you like - until you get tired of them.
Well, of course, the entire apartment should be in perfect order. No dust or dirt! Curtains - wash, carpets - vacuum, sinks and bathtub - wash thoroughly. It should be remembered that any dust and dirt will definitely be harmful to the baby. And mom too.

Video and photo

Currently, this is an indispensable attribute of the ceremonial discharge from the maternity hospital. After all, you really want to capture all the moments of the baby’s life, so that later he can watch it himself, and the parents have something to remember!

You can film the celebration with a camera or video camera yourself. But it’s better to entrust this task to a professional. He will certainly do better. In addition, based on what was shot, a professional can edit a real film, and this is much better than scattered, torn and jumping frames.

Festive feast

Can a Russian person do without a feast if there is a holiday in his house? This also applies to the ceremonial discharge from the maternity hospital of mother and baby. True, in this case the festive feast should be organized and held according to special rules - taking into account, so to speak, the specifics of the moment and all the accompanying circumstances.

You should not invite too many guests to the celebration - relatives and closest friends are enough. It should be understood that the mother, and the baby too, have no time for large feasts. They had just arrived home, the mother had not yet recovered from the birth, she wanted to rest. And, besides, it is unknown how the child will behave in an unusual environment.
Guests should also not sit at the table. They raised their glasses, wished mom, dad and baby all the best, had a snack, gave valuable advice, gave gifts - and went home.
Separately, it should be said about the dishes on the table. And first of all – about drinks. Of course, there should be no excesses in terms of alcohol on the table. As they say, this is not the case. Champagne and light wine are enough. As for snacks, some of them must certainly be dietary. Still, the mother most likely breastfeeds the baby, which means that she is not allowed to eat much, so as not to harm the baby.

And, of course, it will be a real disgrace if mom starts clearing the remnants of the feast from the table. Anyone, but not her! Mom and baby need to rest.

Gift for mom

By the way, about gifts. When discharged from the maternity hospital, it is customary to give them to the mother, and this is correct. It will be a memory and will be useful on the farm.

The husband (child's father) should think about this topic in advance. One of the best gifts in this case is considered to be some kind of jewelry: a gold ring, brooch, bracelet, etc. It is memorable, beautiful, and symbolic.
As for relatives and friends, gifts here are usually more practical in nature. For example, a beautiful stroller for a baby, sets of diapers, children's clothing, children's dishes, etc. Or, simply, a sum of money. In general, there are an endless number of options here, and any of them will definitely come in handy.

In conclusion, look at the video for examples of a beautiful festive discharge from the maternity hospital.

Congratulations from doctors

As a rule, upon discharge from the maternity hospital, families “congratulate” the doctors who delivered the child. This is an unspoken rule, but you don't have to stick to it.

Everyone congratulates differently. Some give “meat baskets”, some get by with fruit baskets, some give money, some prefer to give chocolate, cakes, candies, tea, coffee and champagne.

It’s better to ask the staff in advance about the best way to congratulate them. This will help avoid unnecessary expenses.

Home preparation

How real men are greeted from the maternity hospital is a difficult question, and most importantly, you need to start not from the maternity hospital, but from your own home. It will not be possible to greet your wife from the maternity hospital beautifully in a dirty home, so the first task is to carry out a general cleaning. It is advisable not only to wipe the dust and wash the floors, but also to water the flowers, put all things in their places, thoroughly wash the bathtub and toilet, wash all the dishes and inspect the refrigerator so that there are no expired products and moldy borscht in it, which never I managed to finish eating while my wife was in the maternity hospital.

When cleaning, it is advisable to use special products that are safe for children and without artificial fragrances to eliminate unpleasant strong odors. When in doubt, it's best to simply use nothing but clean water, soap, and baking soda.

In addition, it is necessary to change the bed linen, wash all dirty things and iron what has been washed and dried. If you need to wash some children's clothes, do not forget to use baby powder and fabric softener.

How to greet a child from the maternity hospital if he does not have his own crib and other accessories?

If a woman is ready to completely entrust her dad with the choice of a crib, stroller, bathtub or chest of drawers, then this work will definitely be enough for him for those days while he waits for the return of his expanded family. With this approach, the main gift and surprise will be lovingly chosen items that clearly show that the child now occupies an important place in the family and home.

How to greet your wife from the maternity hospital without a full refrigerator with foods safe for breastfeeding women?

Make sure you have all the vegetables, chicken, turkey and rabbit if possible, tender veal, oatmeal, buckwheat, kefir, vegetable and olive oils. The most wonderful thing that a loving husband who cares about how beautifully to welcome his wife from the maternity hospital can do is to prepare several dishes from foods allowed for breastfeeding women, so that at first a fairly tired woman does not have to stand at the stove. These may be the simplest dishes like oven-baked chicken and boiled buckwheat, but they will be prepared with care and love, which will be appreciated.

Try to ensure that, at least at first, your diet does not include delicacies, smoked foods, or sweets, if your wife loves them. It is very difficult to eat dietary foods when smoked sausage smells fragrant in your nose - give your wife time to adapt to the new diet.

As a bonus, in addition to all the preparations and cleaning, you can decorate the house with balloons, placing them in the living room or at the entrance to the house, and hang a large congratulatory banner announcing the birth of the baby.

Husband and his participation

Discharge of a child from the maternity hospital is a responsible and solemn event. And not only the mother, but also the new father needs to prepare for it. While the wife is in the maternity hospital, the husband will have little time to prepare.

What should a man do? For example:

clean the house;
decorate the apartment for the arrival of your wife from the maternity hospital;
assemble children's furniture;
bring the new mother everything she asks for;
agree with the photographer and videographer, as well as the agency that will conduct the official discharge;
plan the fun so that it does not strain mother and baby - they need to rest;
prepare transport and decorate it;
Ensure that the new mother has the right products at home.

If a woman does not want to celebrate her discharge, this needs to be listened to. And do as the new mother wishes. Often after giving birth you don’t want a holiday, no noise, no fun. There is no desire to even see close relatives. This is fine. A man must explain such a decision to relatives and friends, protecting his wife from unnecessary stress.

List of necessary things for mom

The discharge bag intended for the mother should contain all the things in which she wants to appear before the relatives and friends who meet her. The set should look something like this:

fresh underwear, including a nursing bra;
highly absorbent sanitary pads - urological or night pads for menstruation (at the time of discharge, most mothers are in full swing with postpartum discharge - lochia);
nylon or warm tights (according to the season);
dress or suit. Here it is better to give preference to loose models, and the same size as in the last months of pregnancy - the tummy does not go away immediately after childbirth and the new mother is unlikely to immediately fit into her usual things ;
comfortable shoes, preferably low-top ones;
outerwear, hat and scarf, mittens (according to the season);
cosmetics, comb, hair styling products - this will be needed so that the woman can get herself in order before the event.

Flowers - to be or not to be

It is already clear how discharge from the maternity hospital occurs. But there are still questions that require the attention of new parents.

As already mentioned, at discharge it is customary to give flowers to a woman who has recently become a mother. But some maternity hospitals prohibit this tradition. The ban has a justification - flowers are a strong allergen.

Whether to give bouquets to material and staff or not, everyone decides for themselves. You also need to think in advance what kind of flowers to give.

Flowers for discharge: choose yourself

It is common knowledge that men do not know how to choose flowers.
For most of them, a beautiful bouquet is an armful of roses. And the more, the better. Men do not know the names of those exquisite flowers that delight modern girls. We must come to terms with this fact. In general, if you want to have a beautiful and comfortable bouquet for discharge, then choose it yourself. It doesn’t bother you that the bride chooses her wedding bouquet, does it? Imagine if the groom chose it... A beautiful bouquet is an important part of your wedding reception look. And... it should be comfortable. Firstly, so that it is easy to hold in your hands, and secondly, so that it can cover what you want to hide, for example, your tummy.

With the availability of mobile phones and the Internet, you can buy something even while in the maternity hospital. But still, it is better to choose a flower company that will create the desired composition for you in advance. It is also necessary to agree on the terms of the order. Well, from the maternity hospital you can only make a confirmation call.

Banquet and guests

Now many people demand that new parents “continue the banquet” after discharge. That is, feasts. Is it really necessary?

Guests and preparing tables for them is an additional burden. In addition, a woman who has recently become a mother should not eat many foods. And the feast can tempt her.

After discharge from the maternity hospital, the child and mother need rest. Husband and wife must get used to the new family member. And guests in this case are extra people in the house, even if they are close relatives.

In addition, newborns have poorly developed immunity. Guests are carriers of infections. Therefore, it is better to postpone the feast until better times. The child will grow up a little, and the parents will get used to their new roles.

Nevertheless, everyone decides this issue at their own discretion. Some people like a feast immediately after discharge, others simply invite loved ones to celebrate the new addition to the family in a cafe. It all depends on the desires of a particular unit of society. But first of all, you need to listen to the wishes of the new mother.

Preparing and decorating your home

While mother and baby are recovering after giving birth in the hospital, preparations for welcoming a new family member should be in full swing at home. You need to go through all the points:

clothes for the child, bed linen - everything must be washed and ironed;
the house needs to be thoroughly cleaned, wet cleaned and dust removed even in the most inaccessible places;
the apartment needs to be well ventilated, and then this procedure will have to be carried out regularly;
The microclimate in the room where the baby will be needs to be analyzed using a hygrometer to measure humidity and a thermometer. Based on the results, it is worth taking measures to bring the parameters to the ideal - temperature 20 degrees and humidity 60-70%.

It is worth making sure that when the baby is at home, from the first minutes he has everything he needs, namely:

clothing of the appropriate size in several copies - the child will have to change clothes often due to regurgitation, and it is also possible that the diaper will fail;
diapers. It is advisable to buy several packages at once, and not only the smallest size, but also the next one - this way you can choose the most comfortable option;
crib or bassinet with clean linens;
a place for changing and changing clothes (usually a changing chest or table with a special mattress);
first aid kit for the baby (medicines for fever in the form of suppositories and syrup, thermometer, healing cream, wound treatment products, etc.);
formula for feeding (if the baby is bottle-fed).