Leaving hospital and the initial time period after childbirth

How long you stay in hospital depends on how you and the baby are feeling. It also depends on how much support you and your baby need.

You always need to stay in hospital at least six hours after the baby is born to give the healthcare staff time to make sure that you and your baby are doing well.

Some people need to stay for a few days.

If you go home early

It is more common to leave hospital early if you have had a baby before.

You may need to come back for examinations if you have gone home early.

Before you leave the hospital, the staff will find out how your baby is feeding. This could be how breastfeeding is going or how formula feeding is going.

The staff are there to provide help and support if you need it.

The baby will be examined before you go home

The baby will be examined by a paediatrician before you go home.

Contact a children's health centre, BVC, after you have been allowed to go home.

At the BVC, you can ask any question you may have about babies, such as how to look after a baby and what it is like to be a parent. The nurse at the BVC will examine your baby to make sure they are healthy and developing as expected.

You can find a list of children’s health centres here. The information is in Swedish.

After you have been allowed to go home, the baby will be examined at the BVC.

You will have an examination

Everyone who has given birth is given an appointment for a postnatal visit to a midwife. At the visit, the area in and around your vagina will be examined.

Some people may also need to be examined earlier, for example if they experienced tearing or other injuries during childbirth.

You can get help with feeding your baby at the hospital where you gave birth, at the BVC or at a midwifery clinic. They can help you with breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Contact your healthcare provider if any of the following applies to you:

• Your baby is sick.
• You are experiencing problems after giving birth.
• You are worried about your baby’s health.

Seeking care during the first seven days after childbirth

If you or the baby need care within the first seven days of childbirth, do not hesitate to ask for help.

Contact the maternity ward or hospital where the baby was born. They are open 24 hours a day.

Seeking care after seven days

You can contact any of the following if you or your baby need care:

• A children’s health centre, BVC, for the baby.
• A midwifery clinic, for you.
• A healthcare centre.
• An out-of-hours service.

If you need urgent care

Seek care at an emergency department.

Call 1177 for advice

You can call the 1177 helpline if you need advice on what to do. Your call will be answered by a nurse. If needed, they can tell you where to go for treatment.

The nurse can speak both Swedish and English. Help is sometimes available in other languages.

Call 0046 771 11 77 00 if you are calling from a phone with a foreign number.