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Post Partum Anxiety

Our physician partner Soha shares her personal story of post partum anxiety.

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Post Partum Infection

Our physician partner Soha shares her personal story with a post partum c-section infection.

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Prevention

Prevention tips

Prioritize your postpartum health. Start thinking about your postpartum care plan before you give birth. After childbirth, talk to your health care provider about your risk of a pregnancy-related complication and any special follow-up care you might need. Know the signs and symptoms of a problem.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists also now recommends that postpartum care be an ongoing process rather than just a single visit after your delivery. Have contact with your health care provider within the first three weeks after delivery. Within 12 weeks after delivery, see your health care provider for a comprehensive postpartum evaluation. If you're having trouble making time for an appointment, talk to your provider. Reach out to family and friends for help with child care.

During this appointment your health care provider will check your mood and emotional well-being, discuss contraception and birth spacing, review information about infant care and feeding, talk about your sleep habits and issues related to fatigue, and do a physical exam. This might include a check of your abdomen, vagina, cervix and uterus to make sure you're healing well. This is a great time to talk about any concerns you might have, including resuming sexual activity and how you're adjusting to life with a new baby.

Also, any time you see a health care provider in the year after childbirth, be sure to share the date that you gave birth. This can help your provider know that your symptoms might be related to your recent pregnancy. - Mayo Clinic

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Information on how to identify and seek help

Many postpartum complications can be successfully treated if they're identified early.

Seek emergency help if you have:

  • Chest pain

  • Obstructed breathing or shortness of breath

  • Seizures

  • Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby

Call your health care provider if you have:

  • Bleeding and soaking through more than one pad an hour or blood clots the size of an egg or bigger

  • An incision that isn't healing

  • A red or swollen leg that's painful or warm to the touch

  • A temperature of 100.4 F (38 C) or higher

  • A headache that doesn't get better, even after taking medication, or a bad headache with vision changes

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