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

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Abstract
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.

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