Postpartum care: What to expect after a vaginal birth
Sore breasts and leaking milk
Incontinence
Tender breasts
The postpartum checkup
Content
Vaginal soreness
Vaginal discharge
Contractions
Leaking urine
Hemorrhoids and bowel movements
Sore breasts
Hair loss and skin changes
Mood changes
Weight loss
Postpartum checkups
Postpartum checkups
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that postpartum care should be an ongoing process rather than a single visit after delivery. Check in with your healthcare professional within 2 to 3 weeks after delivery by phone or in person to talk about any issues you've had since giving birth.
Within 6 to 12 weeks after delivery, see your healthcare professional for a complete postpartum exam. During this visit, your healthcare professional does a physical exam and checks your belly, vagina, cervix and uterus to see how well you're healing.
Things to talk about at this visit include:
- Your mood and emotional well-being.
- How well you're sleeping.
- Other symptoms you might have, such as tiredness.
- Birth control and birth spacing.
- Baby care and feeding.
- When you can start having sex again.
- What you can do about pain with sex or not wanting to have sex.
- How you're adjusting to life with a new baby.
This checkup is a chance for you and your healthcare professional to make sure you're OK. It's also a time to get answers to questions you have about life after giving birth.
