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Beginnings: Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond

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Your hospital stay: Ready to go home

Before you and your baby leave the hospital, your nurses and health care provider will want to make sure:

Important

State law requires that all infants travel in an approved car seat. Your baby's car seat should be rear-facing in the back seat of the car, ready for the ride home.

  • you can walk around by yourself
  • you know how to take care of yourself and your baby
  • you can urinate
  • you do not have a fever
  • you are not bleeding too much
  • you can manage your pain
  • if you have stitches, they have begun to heal
  • your baby has had at least two successful feedings or a follow-up plan is in place
  • your baby has had both wet and soiled diapers.

 

Source: Allina Patient Education, Beginnings: Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, sixth edition, preg-ahc-90026, ISBN 1-931876-25-8

First published: 10/04/2002
Last updated: 08/22/2011

Reviewed by: Allina Patient Education experts