Postpartum checkup

A postpartum checkup is focused mainly on the person who gave birth, and not on the new bundle of joy – even if you will probably also discuss breastfeeding, if relevant. At the postnatal ward, you may also get to talk to the doctor or midwife who delivered your baby soon after you give birth. If so, you will discuss what happened during your childbirth experience, and it’s a good opportunity to ask any questions you have about the course of events. If the delivery was complicated or if you had a C-section, your midwife will always check in with you, and you will almost certainly also meet with the doctor who was present. But it can be tough to keep track of so many perspectives and questions so soon after the experience, when all of your emotions are swirling about and everything is so fresh. That’s why the checkup is a good time to talk about everything.

Schedule your postpartum checkup when you’re home by calling the appropriate clinic or hospital – either where you gave birth, or a different clinic if you would prefer to switch and if that is an option where you live. Your checkup will probably be about 6–12 weeks after giving birth.

Review your maternity record

If needed, it is common to go through your maternity record at your checkup appointment. It isn’t always entirely straightforward, so it can be nice to have a doctor or midwife go through the record and what happened with you, and clarify any complicated terms that might not be very obvious. Check with your care provider about how to access your record, if applicable where you live. At your checkup, it will be quite natural to talk about how you’ve been feeling since giving birth and how things have been for you with your baby. The experience of giving birth and becoming a parent is powerful and will stay with you for the rest of your life. For most of us, those first few weeks and months are far from a walk in the park, and it’s nice to have the chance to express all the emotions that have come to life since giving birth and becoming a parent.

Physical exam

At the checkup, your midwife or doctor will give you a physical exam, including a blood test and blood pressure check; you will also be offered a gynaecological exam. The purpose of the exam is to check that any vaginal swelling has subsided and that you can find your pelvic floor muscles again. It’s also important to remember that you’re still relatively fresh from your childbirth experience at this checkup, and your vagina will be far from healed. The fact is that your entire body is in the process of recovering throughout the first year. It can be nice to keep that in mind, for example when you start thinking about exercise after pregnancy and childbirth – if you want to start exercising again, be sure you do so gradually, at a pace that doesn’t produce leakage or a sensation of pressure in your vagina. If you’re having problems that aren’t subsiding, you should always talk to your doctor or midwife, or a physical therapist specialised in women’s health. It is important to seek care for issues that you think might be related to childbirth.

During the visit, the doctor or midwife will also bring up contraception. We know: it might feel way too early to start thinking about sex so soon after giving birth. But it’s still important to know your options and the checkup is a good chance to discuss different forms of contraception and which ones you can use while breastfeeding – because breastfeeding doesn’t offer 100% protection.

Please note that all information above is based on Swedish recommendations.