Credits: Social Media
American woman’s childbirth experience in the UK that she’d ‘never have’ at home
Childbirth is perhaps the most memorable and special experience for women, no matter where they are and how their baby is born.
One American woman recollects her pregnancy from a decade ago to talk about her childbirth in the UK, which comes across as mind-boggling to women elsewhere in the world.
American woman’s childbirth experience in the UK
TikTok user Yorkshire Peach is originally from America and moved to the U.K. 10 years ago. She had her first child in a foreign country.
In her latest video, she brings attention to her short stay in the maternity ward, which isn’t common in other countries, including the U.S.
The TikTok user was in a hospital in Leeds for the delivery of her son. She went in at around 8 P.M., the baby was born by 1 A.M. and she was back home by 10 P.M..
The American woman was surprised by the short stay because she expected to be kept in the hospital longer, which is a “norm” in the U.S.
“I don’t think that’s the norm in America. I can remember a couple of friends who had babies early and they were in the hospital for at least two nights,” she says.
Several women in the comment section have echoed the TikTok user’s thoughts about pregnancy in the U.K., which is convenient for some as the extended hospital stay could burn a hole in your pocket.
Many feel the norm in the UK is “better” than elsewhere as it allows them to go home sooner as long as the mother and the baby are healthy and aren’t faced with any complications.
Research backs this claim
One study from 2016 found that mothers in the U.K. have the shortest hospital stays – they are home more quickly than “any other developed country,” The Guardian article discussing the findings of the study notes.
On average, U.K. mothers spend an average of just a day and a half in maternity units after delivering their babies. Despite some users favoring the practice of sending women home after childbirth others are concerned about the potential health risks from an early discharge for both the baby and the mother.
“I work in maternity in the UK, very normal to go home the same day. Just dont have the capacity to keep mums in,” read one comment.
Another added: “I gave birth at 7.30 AM and was out by 10:50 AM I didn’t even make it up to the postnatal ward. Just had to promise to take him back in for checks within so many days.”
“Absolutely the normal in the UK but we have both community midwives and Health Visitors. In the USA they dont have community care in the same way. Its just a pediatrician etc.,” wrote a third user.
