Real Life Q & A: As we watched a video in class last night someone asked, "When did they decide that 12 hours was not a long enough stay in the hospital after giving birth vaginally?" (in the video, the parents only stayed about 12 hours post baby) In case you didn't know, the average recommended length of stay for a healthy, normal, uncomplicated vaginal birth is about 24 hours, and anywhere between 48 & 72 hours for a c-section. So, why is the stay so long? Well, there are a number of reasons and this article states a few of them. Additionally, it depends on where you give birth and what kind of post care you receive. Did you know that if you birth in a Birth Center your stay is only 3-4 hours if mom and baby are doing well? Same with a home birth. The midwives average stay after baby arrives is about 4-6 hours. Maybe it has to do with paperwork, procedures and waiting for test results? In any case, it is good to expect at least 24 hours, if birthing in a hospital, as leaving before the recommended time frame is considered, especailly AMA (against medical advice), if your Dr strongly feels you should not leave early, your Insurance will not cover the stay, if you leave in that circumstance. Just some food for thought! https://www.fitpregnancy.com/…/what-expect-after-giving-bir…