Soon, You May Not Have to Wait Six Weeks to See Your Postpartum Doctor
Before your baby is born, you see a lot of your obstetrics / gynecology (or midwives) and their staff. Monthly visits turn into biweekly and weekly visits, but as soon as the baby pops up, you just get a “see you in six weeks” message. This may change soon.
The Working Group of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently recommended that post-natal care included more, well, in general, care. ACOG guidelines are optional, but doctors and insurance companies usually try to follow them. Depending on how long it takes to get everyone on board, your next birth may be followed by multiple visits for you , not just your little pumpkin.
New guidelines include:
- Be sure to discuss your postpartum plan before leaving the hospital . This includes how you plan to feed your baby, what you will do for contraception, and who to contact if you have questions or concerns.
- Follow-up visit during the first three weeks . If you are at high risk of complications, you may come to your place earlier. If you had high blood pressure later in your pregnancy, they will want to see you within three days.
- Additional visits as needed , depending on what complications or problems arise. The last postpartum visit can last up to 12 weeks after delivery.
Traditional six-week observation often seems like a quick test that you are basically okay and then you can continue on your way. (In the meantime, your child has probably seen the doctor two or three times by then.) ACOG guidelines should consider many aspects of your physical and mental health.
Here are just a few things your doctor should do during this time: test you for depression, ask about birth trauma, and adjust any medications you are taking. They will talk with you about your lactation period, including whether you are experiencing any pain while breastfeeding and what you need to know about how it affects fertility and birth control. They will help you recognize what is normal for your physical recovery, not a warning signal that healing is taking too long or that you are developing complications. They will discuss your plans for more babies and how an immediate re-pregnancy will affect your health (usually not recommended). They should even help you figure out how to get the best sleep and how to talk to your employer about pumping at work.
This all sounds much better than the traditional schedule, but so far, insurance companies usually only cover one postpartum visit. We hope they will join us soon because your health is as important as your child’s.