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Obstetrics
Standard For Patient Care
Postpartum Care
Compassionate Postpartum Care and Support
As women prepare to head back home and adapt to their new lives, they tend to experience a flux of emotions and symptoms that will greatly affect them during the first six months to a year after giving birth. Labor is an intensive, life-changing experience, and no matter how the delivery went, the body goes through some serious trauma and will need time to recover.
Postpartum recovery is just that; it’s about giving women the tools they need to feel more like themselves and take time to overcome the challenges ahead.
Postpartum Care at The Women's Health Group
A woman's body goes through many changes during and after the birthing process. While these changes can look different for everyone, receiving proper care pre- and post-natal is extremely important. We are here to help.
At The Women's Health Group, our providers are acutely aware that, while uncommon, complications postpartum can occur. We follow the community standards of care with routine visits scheduled six weeks postpartum. If our patients experience any acute complications prior to that visit, we bring them in immediately to the office to meet with one of our providers or may advise them to come to the emergency room for immediate evaluation. For higher-risk patients, we often schedule postpartum checkups before six weeks.
We prioritize patients with certain medical conditions, including but not limited to:
Hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia
Diabetes
Excessive bleeding or hemorrhage
Postpartum Changes
Women after labor can experience numerous complications with their bodies.
Those changes can include:
- Mental Health – Many women experience emotional changes in the days or weeks following childbirth, such as the "postpartum blues" or postpartum depression, which may feel like moderate to severe feelings of sadness, anxiety, or tiredness. If feelings of sadness do not resolve within a couple of weeks, it's important that you seek care with your medical provider.
- Vaginal Bleeding – The bloody discharge, also called the lochia, will gradually decrease from bright red to pink, and then finally from brown to yellow. Women tend to bleed for as long as six weeks and will need a vaginal checkup from their gynecologist to check for any issues.
- Difficulties Urinating – Urinating can become difficult due to the pain surrounding the pelvic area. Use peri bottles to help with urination, and if you cannot empty your bladder, then call the emergency room.
- Bowel Movement Problems – Problems with bowel movements are also difficult during this time, especially because the risks of hemorrhoids increase with labor. Sitz baths can provide relief for pain in the bowels, and taking in fluids can help soften stool.
- Perineum Tears – Tears in between the vagina and anus can cause considerable amounts of pain, and there are multiple ways to help relieve this pain, including Sitz baths, cooling pads, peri-bottles, and taking in liquids to soften stool.
- Sore Breasts – Hormonal changes in the body will trigger a surge of milk supply from the breasts, and sore nipples and enlargement will occur as a result. It’s recommended that babies receive breast milk for the first six months to provide optimal nutrition. Use form-fitting bras, ice treatments, and avoid stimulation if you don’t plan on breastfeeding.
Postpartum Treatments
Physical changes aren't the only thing that happens to a woman after she gives birth. Women after delivery also tend to experience changes that affect their overall mood, such as fluctuation in emotions. In many cases, resting and maintaining a healthy diet-to-exercise ratio can help manage these emotions.
