What it is
Your six-week appointment is coming and you are not sure what to ask, or you went and were 'cleared' in ten minutes. ACOG changed the rules in 2018. It now says every mother should have contact with her provider within three weeks of birth, earlier after high blood pressure, and a full visit by twelve weeks. About four in ten mothers never make it to the visit at all.
What's typical
The visit usually covers blood pressure, weight, a belly and wound check, a depression screen, feeding, and birth control. Cleared means the tissue has closed and the bleeding has stopped. It does not mean your pelvic floor, your sleep, your mood, or your iron have been checked.
What's known
ACOG's committee opinion on optimizing postpartum care calls the fourth trimester a time of ongoing care, not a single visit.
What helps
- Write the list the week before: leaking, pain, sex, mood, sleep, exhaustion, headaches, going back to work.
- Ask directly for a pelvic floor PT referral if you leak, feel heavy, or hurt. Ask for a thyroid and iron check if you are wrecked.
When to call someone
- Nowdo not save anything on the warning-signs list for this visit. Heavy bleeding, a severe headache, chest pain, or thoughts of harming yourself are calls now.
- Todaya fever, a wound that looks infected, or a mood that is scaring you.
- At your next visiteverything else on your list. Ask for a follow-up date; three months is reasonable if you are not well.
Who helps
Tools: My Birth Team · Postpartum Prep Checklist
Related
- Postpartum warning signs: the one-page listPostpartum: Your Body
- Your pelvic floor after birthPostpartum: Your Body
- Postpartum depressionPostpartum: Mind
- Birth control after birthPostpartum: Your Body
What mothers here say
No one has posted under this topic yet. The first experience here will help the next mother who searches for it at 2 a.m.
Experiences and questions are their authors' own, not reviewed advice. The topic's steward lists the ones that help most in a credited digest once there is one. Unusual experiences stay, with a note.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Committee opinion on optimizing postpartum care
- NHS — Your six-week postnatal check
Sources are named, not yet linked. The steward verifies each one and adds the link.
Steward this topic
Birthworkers listed in our directory can claim a topic, verify its sources, and curate what mothers share here. Your name and credential go at the top of the page. Takes about an hour the first time.
Find your directory page