Responding to maternal desire: Some new mums wouldn't give up their three days in hospital for all the nappies in landfill. However, the Coombe and Holles Street maternity hospitals in Dublin have been running Early Transfer Home programmes for new mothers and take-up rates suggest that up to half of all maternity patients prefer their own bed to three days of three square meals in a hospital ward.

According to Early Transfer Coordinator Aileen Fox of Holles Street, 50 per cent of new mothers are now opting to leave the hospital early, sometimes within six hours of giving birth. "The reports we are getting from the programme are so positive that we have decided to keep the programme running beyond its original, one-year pilot status."

Early in 1999, The Coombe Women's Hospital introduced an Early Transfer Home Scheme for maternity patients in the Clondalkin, Crumlin and Tallaght areas and since it was launched, in excess of 1,000 mothers have used the service each year. Since January, up to 70 per cent of eligible patients have availed of the scheme.

According to Claire Fleming, who leads the Coombe's Community Midwifery team, new mothers are far more relaxed and at ease when they are in the familiar surroundings of their own home.

Subject to both mum and baby passing health checks and no occurrence of feeding problems, mothers can leave as early as six hours after delivery. A midwife will visit the patient's home the next morning and give both mum and baby a further full check-up and discuss any problems or concerns the patient may have. A home visit is made daily.