After Discharge

You may receive a follow-up phone call and or a patient satisfaction survery from Baptist Health System.  We are very interested in finding out if your doctors and nurses always communicated well with you, if the hospital was always clean and quiet at night during your stay, if your pain was managed well and if your needs were met quickly.  Please let us know if there are any areas we can improve upon and if you would like to recognize any of your caregivers.   

How long you will stay with us is primarily determined by your physician and, occasionally, your health insurance company. On average, the length of stay for an uncomplicated vaginal delivery is 24 hours after delivery. For a Cesarean delivery, the length of stay is usually extended to 48 hours after delivery.

The following details need to be taken care of once you and your baby are ready for discharge. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask your nurse.

• We encourage you to plan to be discharged by 11 am
• Arrange transportation in advance to avoid delays
• Your physician must write your discharge orders before you can go home
• Your baby’s physician must write your baby’s discharge orders before your baby can go home
• You will be given discharge instructions for both you and your baby, including information on follow-up appointments and prescriptions
• Mom will need to sign the baby’s identification form
• You will be escorted, in a wheelchair as per hospital policy, to your vehicle by a hospital staff member
• Notify your nurse when you and your baby are dressed and ready to leave the hospital
• Please check your room carefully for personal belongings before leaving the hospital
• Bring your baby's car seat without the base to your postpartum room to transport your baby to the car
• You must have an infant car seat securely in place in your vehicle. Due to the variety of car seats available, the nursing staff will depend on you to secure your infant in the car seat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.