Going Home
Congratulations on your baby! Now it is time for you to go home and start your new adventure!
The exact time of your discharge will be coordinated with your health-care team as it is based on making sure you are medically ready to go home. Discharge teaching will be provided by your nurse to ensure you have adequate support and information to take your baby home.
When to Call Your Doctor or Midwife
For Mother:
- If you are unable to empty your bladder.
- You have a fever (38 degrees Celsius or 100.4-degree Fahrenheit).
- You have unexplained abdominal or perineal pain.
- You are soaking a pad in less than 1 hour, passing large clots, or having foul smelling discharge.
- Your breasts are red, warm, shiny or there is unusual discharge from the nipple(s).
- You have discharge from an episiotomy/laceration or the incision site.
- You have unusual/new/ongoing headache or vision change.
- The back of your leg(s) is tender and/or red and painful.
- If you feel depressed or feeling blue for more than 2 weeks.
For Baby:
- Baby has less than 3 wet diapers a day (at 3 days of age or more) and his/her mouth is dry.
- Your baby has not passed stool in 24 hours in the first week.
- Bowel movements become unusually frequent, loose, green or an unusual colour, or are mixed with blood.
- If your baby’s skin or whites of the eyes are increasingly yellow.
- Your baby is no longer interested in feeding or is abnormally sleepy.
- If there is forceful vomiting or a large amount of spit up.
- If your baby is gagging or coughing persistently.
- If your baby has yellow- green foul-smelling discharge around the umbilical cord or circumcision site.
Follow Up Visits
To help ensure a healthy transition with your new baby, the Birthing Center likes to do a follow up visit with all parents and babies who were looked after by one of our delivering doctors. This visit occurs 1-3 days after discharge depending on how your baby is doing. Midwife patients will be followed up at home by their midwife team. An appointment time will be arranged prior to you and your baby being discharged from the hospital.
The postpartum visit offers infant feeding support and postpartum assessments for both parent and baby. Your baby’s weight and jaundice levels will be reassessed at this time.
Car Seat Information
It is your responsibility to make sure your car seat is approved in Canada and follows the safety guidelines. Please review your car seat manual and be aware of how to use and install your car seat prior to admission to hospital. Car seats are only to be used while traveling in a vehicle (never for sleeping).
Passenger Safety Association of Canada
Ministry of Transportation-Install a Child Car Seat
Postpartum Depression
Women experience many emotions after the birth ranging from joy and relief to guilt and sadness. Many new mothers feel sad, tired and overwhelmed in the first few days after birth.
These feelings are normal and usually disappear after a few days. In some new moms, these feelings do not disappear. This is called postpartum depression. It can happen at any time within the first year after the birth of your baby. Women who have had previous problems with depression are more likely to develop postpartum depression, but it can happen to anyone.
Please inform your health care provider immediately if you are having difficulty coping at home. Feeling like you want to harm yourself, your baby or someone else is an EMERGENCY. Call your local hospital emergency room or the Crisis Team at Grey-Bruce Health Services (24-hours a day) at 519-376-2121 or 1-888-525-0552.