6 Things to Expect At Your First Postpartum Hospital Visit

After the birth of your baby, everything will happen so fast. Based on experience with mothers at the scheduled 6 week postpartum checkup, Dr. Daniel Roshan, board-certified OB/GYN and high-risk maternal-fetal medicine doctor, tells us what you can expect to discuss and do during your postpartum visit in this FitPregnancy article:

Contraception: If you are not looking to get pregnant very soon, it’s important to think about birth control, because contrary to what people say, you are liable to get pregnant even while you’re breastfeeding. Also, another thing to consider is that every woman reacts differently to contraceptive methods. This will be a good thing to discuss with your doctor.
Your mood: It is especially important to talk to your doctor if you have been having feelings of depression or sadness. They are very normal feelings to have after having a baby, your hormones are still all over the place, and you are adjusting to a new lifestyle with less sleep and more activities.
Bleeding: A bit of bleeding could be going on, but the heavy bleeding should be well behind you by now. If it’s not, you definitely need to discuss that with your doctor.
Breastfeeding: If you’re nursing, you should talk to your doctor about how it’s going, especially if your nipples are sore. “Breast or nipple tenderness, redness, or lumps and bumps could be signs of mastitis or a clogged duct,” says Sara Twogood, MD, an OB/GYN at the University of Southern California and founder of the postpartum care package service Après Push. If the breastfeeding isn’t going as smoothly as it should, you may be referred to a lactation consultant, so you can get a little extra help and support.
Physical concerns: Hemorrhoids are a common topic of discussion in the postpartum visits, but your doctor will take a look and even refer you to a surgeon if need be. Your doctor will look for any additional symptoms, such as heart palpitations, feelings of nervousness or shakiness, or excessive sweating. These are signs of postpartum thyroiditis, a thyroid dysfunction in the postpartum period that usually needs treatment and monitoring, but is not very common.
Restarting your sex life: At this visit, you are very likely to have approval for your sexual life to pick up, as long as all bleeding and tearing have healed properly. But there are some changes that are common in this period, knowing about them can help to prepare you and your partner. Lubrication is low, as estrogen levels are still low in the postpartum period. If you had a vaginal delivery, the vaginal tissue may not be fully recovered, so you may want to hold off on sex till you get the play from your doctor.