The first few weeks of being a mother can be challenging both physically and emotionally. The process of gestation and birth can sometimes seem like a very long road to many young mothers. Trying to balance your child’s needs and yours might also seem overwhelming. Your body, which is in a recovery state after giving birth, may take some time to kickstart the healing process.
The risk of long-lasting postpartum complications is high. Moreover, putting your health as a priority is essential for your baby as well. Therefore, you should schedule constant visits to the doctor to check on your health. The best time for postpartum visits is as follows:
What is a Postpartum Checkup?
Generally, the postpartum period occurs in three stages.
● Phase one: six to twelve hours after delivery.
● Phase two: two to six weeks of physical healing and adjustment to being a mother.
● Phase three: the gradual shifting of your body into its standard, pre-pregnancy conditions.
What To Expect
A postpartum checkup is an appointment with your doctor to track your mental, physical, and emotional health after delivering a baby. The checkup involves a physical examination to check the progress of recovery. Moreover, the doctor will ask questions to know about your mental and emotional state. The standard includes one to two visits.
When is the First Postpartum Checkup?
As a new mother, your first postpartum checkup should be within three weeks of delivery. Previously, the first postpartum visits were being made at six weeks of delivery. Mothers who had a c-section or had pregnancy conditions made these visits earlier.
However, the one-time visit schedule changed due to new thoughts and ideas as medicine has advanced. This period was reduced for better examination of mothers, to make sure her and her babies’ needs were being properly met.
As a new mother, a final visit after twelve weeks from delivery is recommended.
According to the 2013 guidelines from the World Health Organization, they recommend the following periods:
● The first 24 hours of birth
● The third day of delivery
● Between seven to fourteen days
● Six weeks after birth
You should be in contact with your doctor within the first three months. Your first visit to the doctor should not be later than twelve weeks of birth.
Postpartum Complications
You should strive to avoid postpartum complications to the best of your ability. Taking care of yourself and getting some much-needed rest is crucial. However, things may not go as planned, and some complications may occur. Therefore, postnatal visits would help deal with any issues that may arise.
Common postnatal complications include:
Diastasis -Recti
This postnatal condition refers to the separation of abdominal muscles after giving birth. The common signs of Diastasis recti are the bulging or indentation of your stomach. The expansion your belly experiences during pregnancy can lead to this prevalent condition.
You can conduct an easy self-test to know whether you have the issue. By lying on your back and running your fingers through your navel, you will notice an ample space. Contrary to noticing it, you will conclude to be okay.
To prevent the condition, Consider ab exercises before and after your pregnancy. The condition will require some time before you fully recover from it. However, light exercises might help deal with the problem.
Excessive Bleeding
According to Healthline, bleeding within the first two to six weeks of birth is normal. There is no need to panic if you experience some minor to moderate bleeding within the first few weeks.
Immediately after birth, you should expect bleeding with signs of clotting. With time, your blood flow should reduce in quantity and change to a darker complexion. Physical activity will, however, impact the progress by increasing your heart rate and blood flow.
Unfortunately, some deliveries may also have you bleeding excessively, which might indicate complications. It would help if you opted for a postnatal visit when:
● Your blood flow does not reduce after four days
● Your blood flow shows signs of heavy clotting or is bright red
● Your blood flows reduce and then increases sporadically
● Painful cramps that accompany an increase in your blood flow
For you to remedy excessive bleeding, having adequate rest is crucial. However, excessive bleeding may result from severe issues that will require surgical procedures. By speaking to your doctor, they will advise you accordingly.
Infection
Childbirth can be gruesome and may lead to vaginal tearing in the process. As a result, you will require stitching to reverse the effects of having to experience a vaginal tear. The C-section surgery will also require stitching in order to close the wound.
These stitches will pose a challenge to you when visiting the bathroom. Cleaning the stitches after visiting the restroom is strongly recommended to avoid infection.
Experts say that you might experience discomfort due to the stitches for some time. However, an increase in pain can indicate the development of an infection. This infection, when not well addressed, may lead to kidney or urinary infection.
Signs of infection include:
● Increase in pain
● Fever
● Redness in color
● A warm sensation when touched
● Vaginal discharge
● Pain during urination
After noticing any of the above signs, you should visit your doctor for a medical examination.
Postnatal care should be a priority to you as a new mother. Taking steps to ensure your safety before and after pregnancy, will improve your quality of life while helping to ensure your baby stays healthy too.
