Why we should pay more attention to the postpartum period

When you talk about the birth of a child, you inevitably hear the term ‘postpartum’ at some point. Some families make a big fuss about it, it is well-prepared, arrangements are made, people are invited or denied access. Others don’t know about it at all and don’t think much of it, assuming that ‘children have always been born and mothers just know what to do’. This sentence is often said by grandmothers. In this article, we’ll clarify what it is exactly and why women should talk about it more.

Postpartum refers to the first few weeks after childbirth. This time gets so much attention from midwives and medicine because a lot is happening during this time. For the person who gave birth as well as the child. For a new mother, the changes caused by pregnancy and childbirth recede during this time. The uterus becomes smaller again until it reaches its original size of about a fist, and at the same time, the wound left by the placenta inside the uterus heals. This process is accompanied by the postpartum flow, which is the name given to the bleeding that begins after birth and can last as long as the puerperium. With the postpartum flow, the wound secretion that is produced during the healing process is transported out of the uterus, thus ensuring good cleansing and healing of the wound, which is after all the size of a palm.

In addition, possible birth injuries also heal during these weeks. The hormones that were produced by the placenta during pregnancy are now no longer present, which is why the hormone balance changes completely. If you breastfeed, milk production really gets going now and the foundation is laid for a long-term breastfeeding process. And, of course, the postpartum period is also a time for getting to know each other and building a strong bond outside the womb, not only for mother and child but also for the rest of the family. 

The postpartum period is extremely important because it is a very sensitive phase. All the already listed changes and processes take place at once and at the same time you still have a newborn little human being who does not know the world yet and is in great need of help. The body and the psyche perform incredibly during this time and still don’t necessarily get much time to rest, because there is still a baby to feed, change, hold and get to know.

Apart from all this, women also have to think about their most important support organ for an upright posture: the pelvic floor. This, often neglected, part of the body is engaged in what seems like ‘competitive sports’ during pregnancy and childbirth and therefore needs to be strengthened afterward. This means, above all, as little strain as possible and, after a while, careful and targeted training.

In order to give the body of a person who has given birth and also their psyche the necessary time, we midwives advise to consciously do “postpartum”. But by this we do not mean, as is often feared, to lie down for 8 weeks. How long postpartum is done is, of course, up to each person to decide, but a sensible period is described in an old saying: “One week in bed, one week by the bed, and one week around the bed.” So it makes sense in the first week after giving birth when the adjustment is greatest and exhaustion still lingers, to stay in bed. Have good food in bed, cuddle, sleep, use the time to get to know each other, and just stay put. By the second week, most are drawn out of their bedroom again, but the bed should still remain the center of everyday life, often revisited for nursing and little naps. In the third week, the family often moves around freely in the apartment again and perhaps even ventures out on the first small trips with the new baby to the front door. Even after these weeks, the postpartum period is not over and it is still important to slowly find your way back into everyday life and carefully see what your body, mind, and the new family constellation can and want to do. 

This question can be answered very briefly and succinctly: The time after the birth of a child up to 6 weeks after birth is called the postpartum period. In medical terms, it is also called the puerperium or postpartum period. A distinction is made between the early and late postpartum period, whereby the early postpartum period refers to the first 10 days after birth and the late postpartum period begins on the 11th day after the baby was born.

After the birth of a child, the person who gave birth and/or has a newborn at home is entitled to care from a midwife. Midwives support young families during this time in all aspects related to mother and child. They look after the physical well-being and monitor the health of mother and child, initiate further measures if necessary, support bonding, and help with breastfeeding or bottle-feeding the baby.

During a normal postpartum visit, I first ask the family how they have been doing. I check for uterine involution by palpating the mother’s abdomen and discuss any discomfort, physical as well as psychological. I make sure blood pressure and temperature are in a normal range and no other symptoms of illness have appeared. We also check on the baby together, monitor temperature, breathing, heartbeat and excretions, and observe weight gain. I also take a close look at the umbilical cord remnant or healing. We discuss the baby’s feeding and I help with breastfeeding problems if any have occurred. In addition to all the exams and values that are documented, I talk to the family about topics such as the baby’s sleep, what clothes are warm enough, how to carry the baby, and more. The psyche and coming together as a family are also recurring topics that occupy new parents and for which a midwife has an open ear in the postpartum period.