Here in the Netherlands, they tend to kick the mother out of hospital as soon as feasible after the birth (typically after one night, or even on the same day), but as soon as you get home, the home nurse (kraamzorg, or "cradle care") arrives. She (and, as far as I know, it's always a she) will be at your home for something like eight hours a day for the first week or so after the birth, and will teach you how to care for the baby (even if it's your second, third, fourth, ...) and will monitor its health and progress. Remarkably, in the 'downtime' (e.g., when the baby is sleeping), she'll do household chores for you (such as clothes washing, vacuuming, washing up, etc.) and maybe even entertain any older children or go grocery shopping for you. The system works really well, and I've heard it be credited for the Netherlands' low infant mortality rate.
My family back in the U.K. can hardly believe it (especially the household-chores part); there, as I understand it, the mother tends to stay in hospital a big longer (typically for a few days), but once you're home, you're on your own...
My family back in the U.K. can hardly believe it (especially the household-chores part); there, as I understand it, the mother tends to stay in hospital a big longer (typically for a few days), but once you're home, you're on your own...