Early and late discharge after hospital birth: Fatigue and emotional reactions in the postpartum period

Fatigue and emotional reactions in the postpartum period were studied among parents interested in participating in an early discharge study. Fifty parents were randomly allocated to a group offered hospital discharge 2448 h after the birth, combined with domiciliary visits (experimental group = EG), and 54 parents to a group offered the traditional hospital postpartum stay of 6 days (control group = CG). Women in EG felt more tired than CG women during the first 2-4 days, the days after hospital discharge in EG. CG women were most tired on days 5-7, the days after discharge in this group. No statistical difference was observed between men in EG and CG, and men as a group reported fatigue to the same extent as women. Seventy per cent of women in the EG and 69% in the CG reported tearfulness during the first 2 postpartum weeks, peaking 4-5 days after the birth. The proportions of women reporting a depressed mood during the first 6 weeks were 26% in the EG and 34% in the CG (n.s.), culminating during the 2nd and 3rd week after the birth.