Longer hospital stays to help new mothers cope

An expansion of maternity services to be introduced will allow many women to spend up to four days in hospital after giving birth. Photo / Getty Images

Many women will be able to spend up to four days in hospital after giving birth under an expansion of maternity services to be introduced by the Government.

Maternity and medical groups welcomed Health Minister Tony Ryall's announcement yesterday, which fulfils an election promise with a $103.5 million increase for maternity services, spread over four years.

This will provide for longer post-natal stays, extra meetings with health workers for at-risk women during pregnancy and obstetric training for GPs

A 24-hour Plunketline telephone service will also be given full funding, as previously announced.

Mr Ryall said: "We have heard from too many new mothers who have felt pressured into going home before they are ready, and those who could benefit from extra support."

Longer stays would help new mothers establish breast-feeding and gain confidence in caring for their babies, he said.

A survey of maternity service users published last year found that 13 per cent of those who gave birth in a hospital or birthing unit went home before they felt ready. They said they needed more rest first, had problems with breast-feeding, were in pain, felt anxious and felt pressured to leave.

The rate of exclusive breast-feeding in the first four weeks had declined by 3 percentage points to 74 per cent since the previous survey five years earlier.

The Health Ministry says breast feeding reduces the risk of infections, sudden infant death syndrome and - later in life - obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The average length of stay in maternity facilities after birth is two days.

Mr Ryall's spokeswoman said the new money for post-natal stays - $5.5 million in the coming financial year and rising to $11 million subsequently - would typically permit those who needed to stay longer an increase of 24 to 48 hours, although this was not fixed.

"It's not for all women. It's for that 10 to 20 per cent they think will need that longer stay. It's up to the woman, the lead maternity caregiver and the district health board together."

Existing criteria for a longer stay were difficulty establishing breast-feeding, medical or psychological problems, or social risks.

A new one would be lack of confidence at mothering.

Maternity Services Consumer Council co-ordinator Lynda Williams said she was "glad to see this first step of what I hope will be more funding provided in future".

But she feared some who needed longer stays could be denied under the criteria.

The Medical Association welcomed the extra funding, but said that for maternity care to function properly, it must be fitted into the structure of primary health organisations.

UNDER PRESSURE
What women say about being discharged from hospital too soon after giving birth:
* "I was exhausted and not ready to go home straight after birth."
* "I was having a lot of trouble breast-feeding and had no confidence. Baby was consequently bottle fed."
* "Felt pressured to leave."
* "Asked to leave less than 24 hours after emergency caesarean. Re-admitted with peritonitis less than 24 hours after discharge."
Source: Government survey of 2900 women who had used maternity services.