Depending on how your baby is delivered, you can expect to remain in hospital for one to five days after your baby's birth. Hospital staff and your baby's paediatrician will check the wellbeing of you and your baby before you both leave the hospital.

Discharge

To assist you with your planning, please note that there is a daily discharge time:

• Logan Hospital at 10am
• Redland Hospital at 10am
• Beaudesert Hospital at 10am

Please ensure that you have pre-arranged for someone to be available to pick you and your baby up on the anticipated day of discharge and that your baby safety restraint has been fitted, prior to your discharge. Staff may help you to call commercial transport if required, however transport costs will be your responsibility.

If you anticipate any problems with these discharge requirements, please inform your midwife or nurse as early as possible so that other arrangements can be made.

Before you leave hospital you should obtain the following information from your doctor or nurse in charge:

• any follow-up outpatient appointments
• medications
• arrangements for community support services
• personal health record
• child health support
• immunisation
• birth registration forms 
• Centrelink forms.

Before you leave you should also ensure that:

• you have all of your personal belongings
• you have signed the necessary 'claim forms' and all fees are paid
• all items held for you are collected including medication
• the correct forwarding address is on your medical record
• you obtain any relevant medical certificates.

Discharge against medical advice

With few exceptions, you have the right to leave hospital when you choose. This may be a serious step when taken against the advice of your obstetrician and paediatrician, and could pose a threat to you or your baby's wellbeing.

If you choose to be discharged under these circumstances, you will be asked to sign a 'disclaimer' form, and the responsibility for this action will rest with you. However, if your condition does not improve or if it causes you concern, you should not hesitate to seek further medical advice or to return to the hospital's emergency department.