Planning to go home

If you and your baby are healthy and well after birth the best place for you both to be is at home, resting and getting to know each other. Discharge from hospital for healthy mum’s and babies is recommended from six hours after birth.

If you elect to go home early on the early discharge program you’ll have the support you need from our Midwifery in-home team, who will visit you at home for up to two weeks after the birth of your baby. The role of this team is to perform health checks for you and your baby, support you in learning to feed your baby and provide you with ongoing education and support.

If you think this model of care is of interest to you, discuss this with your midwife in the antenatal period and include this in you birth plan. Or you can discuss this with your midwife in the birthing unit after the birth of your baby to see if you meet the admission criteria.

After the birth of your baby you may wish to consider the midwifery in the home service (MITH).  MITH is a service where an experienced midwife will visit you at home to:

• check on the wellbeing of you and your baby
• provide ongoing education and support on looking after yourself and your baby’s health
• provide education and support on feeding your baby.

This is a free service available to women up to two weeks after the birth of your baby. If you’re interested in this service please discuss this with your midwife prior to discharge from the hospital.

After discharge from the hospital or midwifery in the home, your ongoing care as new parents is continued through the Child and Family Health Service (C&FHS).