The weeks following birth are a critical period for you and your baby, setting the stage for long-term health and well-being. Postpartum follow-up visits with your OB provider can help you navigate the new challenges of motherhood.

At this visit, you will have a comprehensive exam which includes a blood pressure and weight check along with a breast, abdominal, and pelvic exam.

If you had any vaginal or perineal tears, an episiotomy, or a C-section, your provider will check to make sure you have healed properly.

If you had gestational diabetes, you will have bloodwork for your 2-hour glucose tolerance test (2-hr GTT) bloodwork.

Review any medications you are taking, especially if you're feeding your baby breastmilk.

Make sure you're up-to-date on your vaccinations, especially the flu and Tdap vaccines.

Discuss future family plans, birth spacing, and birth control options.

Review and address any concerns or problems you had during your pregnancy, while giving birth, and after delivery.

Assess how you're feeling emotionally and discuss any concerns. If needed, you will be referred for psychotherapy or treatment.

Your baby's pediatrician may screen you as well each time you bring your baby in for a check up.

Pregnancy and childbirth can damage the muscles and connective tissue of the pelvic floor, causing all kinds of inconvenient and uncomfortable symptoms for women after they give birth.

Common postpartum pelvic floor problems include:
• Urinary incontinence
• Urinary retention
• Fecal incontinence
• Constipation
• Diastasis recti (separation of abdominus rectus muscles)
• Perineal or pelvic pain
• Painful sex
• Pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic floor PT involves several different kinds of techniques that focus on the muscles and connective tissue of your pelvic floor and abdomen.

Your provider will take measurements, do developmental surveillance, conduct a psychosocial/behavioral assessment and perform a physical exam.

There are a lot of immunizations recommended at this visit. Luckily, providers can combine some shots so there’s less poking and hopefully less crying.
• Hepatitis B - 2nd shot if not given last month
• Rotavirus - 1st of 2 to 3 doses (depending on brand)
• Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis (DTaP) - 1st of 4 doses
• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) - 1st of 3 to 4 doses (depending on brand)
• Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) - 1st of 4 doses
• Inactivated poliovirus (IPV) - 1st of 3 doses

Here are the key milestones your baby should reach by two months of age:
• Can briefly calm himself/herself
• Begins to smile at people
• Tries to look at parent
• Coos, makes gurgling sounds
• Turns head toward sounds
• Pays attention to faces
• Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
• Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn't change
• Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
• Makes smoother movements with arms and legs

It’s normal to have some vaginal bleeding or discharge, called lochia, after delivery. At first, the lochia will be mostly blood. As the days and weeks pass, you’ll likely see more mucus than blood.

Only use pads or pantyliners until your doctor says it is okay to use a tampon.

A few things that can temporarily increase the blood flow are:
• Getting out of bed in the morning
• Breastfeeding - Your body produces the hormone oxytocin while you nurse, which stimulates uterine contractions and accelerates healing.
• Exercising or increased physical activity
• Straining when urinating or defecating

After uncomplicated pregnancies and vaginal deliveries, it's generally safe to begin exercising as soon as you feel ready.

If you've had a C-section, extensive vaginal repair, or a complicated birth, you should wait until your provider has cleared you to start exercising.

Start with something low impact and simple, such as a daily walk, and follow these tips to get started safely.

If you're looking for camaraderie, find a postpartum exercise class at a local gym or community center, such as yoga, Pilates, spinning, or Zumba. Some gyms offer special postpartum exercise classes you can take with your baby (Mommy & Me).

Most providers recommend waiting to have sex until four to six weeks after delivery, regardless of the delivery method.

Hormonal changes might leave your vagina dry and tender, especially if you're breastfeeding.
Using lubricant can be helpful if you have dryness.

You might experience some pain during sex if you're healing from an episiotomy or perineal tears.

Pregnancy, labor, and a vaginal delivery can stretch or injure your pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine, and rectum. Therefore it can feel different.

If you're not feeling sexy or you're afraid sex will hurt, talk to your partner. Until you're ready to have sex, maintain intimacy in other ways.

Unless there is a medical reason to offer a bottle of pumped milk or infant formula, lactation experts suggest waiting until your baby is about 2 to 4 weeks old when breastfeeding is well-established before introducing a bottle.

If you're returning to work, start bottle-feeding by 6 weeks of age, so you both have time to adjust.

Sucking milk from a bottle requires different mouth and tongue movements than breastfeeding, and your baby may need a little time to get used to the change.

At this age your child should start to give you longer stretches of sleep at night (~4-9 hours).

During the day, your baby will probably be awake for about two hours before becoming sleepy and needing a nap.

Good naps during the day make it less likely that your baby will become overtired and cranky and more likely that your baby will sleep at night.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the best time to stop swaddling is when your baby is around 2 months old, before he or she starts to roll.

You should also remove the swaddle before your baby starts to break free from it, because if the blanket covers your baby’s face, it creates a possible risk of suffocation.

Be in communication with your boss in the weeks leading up to your return.

Check in to see how things are on your team and talk through your transition plan.