Post-Birth OB Visit and What to Expect
Importance of Mother’s Health
In the first weeks after birth, families see the pediatrician several times for healthy full-term babies. However, the mother’s post-birth health and healing is also important to monitor, but visits to the mother’s caregiver can get delayed or put off. All mothers need to see a caregiver at least once in the first 6 weeks after birth.
In May 2018, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) redesigned their recommendations for how and when to offer postpartum care to doctors.* Traditionally, in cases without complications, mothers have scheduled one visit six weeks after delivery.
ACOG Recommendations
In their new recommendations, ACOG encourages OBs to provide continued care throughout the first 12 weeks. This includes contact in the first three weeks and on-going, individualized care that can assess:
- Mood and emotional well-being
- Infant care and feeding
- Sexuality contraception and birth spacing
- Sleep and fatigue
- Physical recovery from birth
- Chronic disease management
- Health maintenance
Be sure to talk to your OB about what to expect for your postnatal visits and share your expectations and/or concerns during the last month of your prenatal visits. Also, you should schedule your firth post-birth appointment in advance to be sure it gets done.
Can My Baby Come?
“Can my baby come with me to my appointments?”
One hurdle of getting to your postpartum appointments can be what to do with your baby. Normally, babies are welcome to come with you, so you don’t need to be separated or change feeding schedules/methods. (Check with your practice first, though.) Many practices enjoy getting to meet your new addition after months of helping care for you!
