Optimizing Postpartum Care | ACOG Your doctor or midwife will discuss breastfeeding and your plan for your baby's health care with you. Call Pospartum Support International at 800-944-4PPD or visit online at www.postpartum.net. A full assessment is recommended within 12 weeks. These Are the Questions to Ask Yourself, Pregnancy Complications Women Need to Watch For, Your Postpartum Recovery Timeline: Week by Week, 10 Things to Ask Your Doctor or Midwife if You're Pregnant, Caring for Yourself and Your Newborn Postpartum, ACOG Committee Opinion No. Flows like a heavy period. After all, you've spent a lot of time in the office since you first found out that you were pregnant. Care and treatment can make life better for you and your family. Learn how much postpartum care your insurance covers. 6 week postpartum checkup: Here's what happens | BabyCenter Lochia is postpartum bleeding and vaginal discharge. Your provider will want to know how you're adjusting to the demands of motherhood and about any emotional problems you may be having. Concerns that shouldn't wait for the six-week postpartum checkup, the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information. Read ACOGs complete disclaimer. Many women think of it as the "go-ahead" visit, meaning your practitioner can verify that you're ready for more intense postpartum exercise and having sex again. If you're experiencing that, you may be dealing with dryness in your vagina, pelvic pain after birth, or emotional factors that can get in the way of your sex life. Postpartum Hormone Changes: What to Expect - Parents You can expect: Dark or bright red blood. While certain issues like mild sleep deprivation, aches and pains, and having the "baby blues" are normal, some postpartum issues are a cause for concern.. What to Expect at Your Postpartum Checkup. Your doctor also will check to be sure your reproductive organs are returning to their pre-pregnancy state. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Committee on Obstetric Practice. Your doctor will ask if you're still taking your prenatal vitamins; if you're nursing, it's especially important that you replenish your body with calcium, iron, and other vital nutrients. Staying healthy involves ongoing ob-gyn visits, even after the postpartum period. Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. It's a serious and dangerous condition. This shouldn't be your first postpartum checkup with your provider, though: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all women talk to their provider within three weeks after delivery and continue to receive follow-up care as needed, including a comprehensive checkup by 12 weeks postpartum. Read our, What to Know About Postpartum Birth Control, Everything You Need to Know About the 4th Trimester, Are You Pregnant? Risk factors include chorioamnionitis and prolonged rupture of membranes.13 Endometritis usually requires treatment with intravenous antibiotics, with most evidence supporting the use of gentamicin and clindamycin.14, The risk of venous thromboembolic disease, including deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, is five times higher during the six weeks postpartum than during pregnancy.17 A lesser degree of increased risk persists up to 12 weeks postpartum.5 Additional risk factors are increasing age, cesarean delivery, postpartum hemorrhage or infection, and a history of preeclampsia.15, Patients with a history of thromboembolism should be treated with anticoagulation for at least the first six weeks postpartum, and potentially longer if there are other risk factors. At this appointment, your body has healed enough that your doctor can perform a pelvic exam, discuss future family planning or birth control options with you, and ask about your mental and emotional health. 1997-2023 BabyCenter, LLC, a Ziff Davis company. 2018. 2019;133(2):e110-e127. Your medical practitioner will be looking at the following items, but remember that every doctor and patient is different. Terms and Conditions of Use. During the visit, your doctor will check on several aspects of your physical and emotional recovery. The baby, if in attendance, is unsettled and due for a sleep! In the past, most people got the green light to resume sexual activity at the six-week postpartum exam, assuming everything was healing well. Instead, it shows great courage to be transparent about how you're feeling about your new role.