Early discharge as voluntary and involuntary alternatives to a longer postpartum stay in hospital—effects on mothers' experiences and breast feeding

Abstract

Due to staff shortages in the maternity department postnatal women had to be discharged from the postnatal wards on the third day post delivery. They were given the option of discharge home on the third day following birth with domiciliary visits from a public health nurse, or transfer to another ward which was staffed by children's nurses. Previously early discharge home had been optional. Using semi-structured interviews over the telephone the effects of 'voluntary' and 'involuntary' early postnatal discharge on women's experiences of early discharge and breast feeding rates were studied in a sample of 230 women. Women discharged 'involuntarily' were more dissatisfied with early discharge and had more problems (e.g. fatigue) than women discharged 'voluntarily'. Early postnatal discharge should remain an option and should not be made compulsory.