Postnatal care – baby and you
Baby’s safety and security in hospital
Rooming in
In the postnatal ward, your baby will be in the same room so you can see signs that your baby is hungry, uncomfortable, needs a change or wants a cuddle. We call this ‘rooming in’.
There are many benefits to rooming in:
- you can cuddle your baby whenever you want
- you can breastfeed when your baby shows feeding signs
- you can get to know your baby before you go home.
Bed sharing in hospital
Sharing your bed with your baby for the purpose of sleeping is not an accepted practice within the hospital environment, as in some circumstances this has been associated with an increased risk of sudden infant death (SIDS) and fatal sleeping accidents.
Please return your baby to the cot after feeding and cuddles. This is especially important when you are very tired and finding it difficult to stay awake.
More information: Red Nose – safe sleeping
Identification
Your baby needs to have two identification bands (usually one on their hand and foot) and a tape identification on their back at all times. Please notify your midwife/nurse immediately if any of these become loose or fall off.
If you are ever separated from your baby, ensure that you and the staff check the identification bands against yours, once you are reunited.
While in hospital, your baby will be identified by your surname. For example, ‘Smith, B/O Sarah Jane’. B/O stands for ‘Baby Of’, and Sarah Jane would be the mum’s first name and middle name. Later, when registering your baby’s birth, you may choose to use either your surname or the father’s surname.
When can I go home?
If you have a normal, uncomplicated vaginal birth, you can expect to be discharged from hospital between six and 24 hours after birth.
If you have an uncomplicated caesarean birth, discharge may be 48–72 hours after birth.
If you are in the postnatal ward you will receive ongoing care and support from the midwives, nurses, medical officers and allied health team. Discharge time can vary depending on the time of birth but is generally 10:00 am.
The midwives will offer discharge information and you will have an opportunity to ask questions before you go home.
In this guide:
- Baby’s safety and security in hospital
- How do I register my baby’s birth?
- Looking after yourself at home
- Your physical health and wellbeing
- Emotional health after baby
- More information