After you give birth, your doctor will want to see you for follow-up postpartum visits. These visits may not seem important, but they are. Postpartum visits are the best way to stay focused on your own health. Even if you’re not a first-time mother, these visits are important to make sure you’re healing and healthy after giving birth.
Talk with your doctor
During postpartum visits, you can talk with your doctor about:
- How to stay healthy after your baby is born
- How you’ve felt since giving birth: sad, depressed or otherwise not yourself
Talking about your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Some women experience postpartum depression after birth, which is another reason these doctor visits are so important for both you and your baby.
Continue healthy habits
You may have taken up some healthier habits during pregnancy, like quitting tobacco. Even after birth, you shouldn’t start smoking again. Secondhand smoke can still damage your little one’s lungs and cause health problems. You should also keep these habits up after you give birth because they’re good for your health, too. Healthy moms make for healthier babies. Plus, you’ll model healthy habits for your children as they learn and grow. If you’re struggling with tobacco use, you can talk to your doctor about that as well during your postpartum visits. If you want help quitting tobacco, you can call 1.800.QUIT.NOW, or 1.800.784.8669 to reach the Michigan Tobacco Quitline. If you’re pregnant, let them know; there is a program set up to help pregnant mothers with tobacco.
Family planning
If you think you’d like to have more children, you should speak with your doctor during your postpartum visit. Together, you can form a plan to make sure your body heals before you have another baby. Waiting at least 18 months after you give birth to become pregnant again gives your body time to rest so you can have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.
Whether or not this is your first baby, it’s important you go to your postpartum doctor visits. If you have any questions or concerns, mental or physical, the postpartum visit is the right time to talk to your doctor so they can get you the care you need.
For more ways to help keep you and your baby healthy, visit priorityhealth.com/mihp to learn about Priority Health’s Maternal Infant Health Program.
N4001-23 Approved MH10072020
