PURPOSE:
Early postpartum discharge is expanding globally, yet remains highly variable and inconsistently defined. The French National College of Midwives, in collaboration with multiple scientific societies, initiated a comprehensive, multidisciplinary project to update the evidence base and guide equitable, safe, and context-sensitive discharge practices.

DISCUSSION:
This work introduces a novel typology of early discharge (6-72 hours postpartum) and outlines a rigorous methodology to support thirteen systematic literature reviews addressing clinical, psychosocial, and organisational factors relevant to early discharge decisions. Our analysis highlights the heterogeneity of existing practices, the limited robustness of international recommendations, and the crucial role of midwives in ensuring continuity of care. By integrating evidence across diverse domains, from maternal metabolic risk to neonatal jaundice and mental health, the initiative offers a framework for tailored discharge criteria aligned with midwifery models of care. Particular attention is paid to health equity, interdisciplinary coordination, and family-centred approaches, making the findings globally relevant beyond the French health system. This work also highlight the crucial role of midwife, the key professional of post-partum care, both in hospital and on an outpatient setting. In France, this is a major issue, given the tension between hospital perinatal care and the growing number of self-employed midwives.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Reviews were conducted according to PRISMA 2020 and GRADE standards, with a focus on high-income settings. The initiative was led by a national steering committee including midwives, paediatricians, obstetricians, anaesthesiologists, and public health experts.

KEY MESSAGE:
Developing a shared, midwifery-led framework for early postpartum discharge offers a model to enhance safety, visibility, and equity in maternal care systems. This work demonstrates how scientific rigour can support midwifery leadership in shaping interdisciplinary policy and practice. Interprofessional - guidelines