Early Discharge of Mothers and Infants Following Vaginal Childbirth

With the construction and implementation of the first birthing center in the Air Force, it became necessary to deviate from the traditional 3-day postpartum hospitalization. The purpose of this study is to evaluate that decision. Three hundred seventy-one vaginal deliveries were examined. The average postpartum stay was 1.6 days. There were two maternal readmissions; both had the onset of symptoms at greater than 3 days postpartum. There were no infant readmissions. In-patient questionnaires revealed only satisfaction from the puerperae. It is the authors' opinion that early discharge is safe, cost-effective, and should be considered for implementation where feasible.