Preparing to return home after giving birth

This is something that young parents often ask about. Ideally, the arrangements for your return home should be made during your pregnancy (early antenatal care, classes to prepare you for birth and parenthood, making a birth plan, antenatal consultation). You can then receive support from a midwife from the moment you leave the maternity unit for two months following the birth of your baby, giving you greater peace of mind as you embark on this new stage in your life. All young mothers can naturally benefit from this kind of midwife support, regardless of whether they were discharged early from hospital or not, whether they are breastfeeding or not, and whether or not they have experienced postnatal complications.

The expected length of stay in the Maternity Unit at Princess Grace Hospital is 72 hours (3 days) for a vaginal birth and 96 hours (4 days) for a caesarean. This can change depending on your wishes, and how well you and your baby are doing. You can opt for an early discharge, i.e. between 48 and 72 hours after a vaginal birth or between 72 and 96 hours after a caesarean. Early discharge is possible with the agreement of your medical team and under the following conditions:

• No medical risks (for mother or baby)
• Midwife visit arranged within the following 24 hours

Even in the case of a standard discharge from hospital, a midwife visit is strongly recommended (within a week and ideally within 48 hours).

Additional visits may be arranged depending on your needs and if there are any medical aspects which need to be monitored.

During these visits, the midwife will check that the mother’s postpartum recovery is proceeding well and that the baby is gaining weight normally. She will monitor the baby’s icterus (jaundice) and answer any questions about feeding (any difficulties encountered with breastfeeding) and daily care of the baby.

To help you make your plans to return home, we advise you to get in touch with your chosen midwife as early as possible. The list of midwives practising in Monaco and the surrounding area is available on the website of the Princess Grace Hospital Maternity Unit (www.maternite.chpg.mc). You can also contact the Antenatal Coordination and Family Support Centre (00.377.97.98.95.12).