After Delivery

Your stay in hospital is usually uncomplicated from a medical perspective. From your position its a different story:

• Paper work - so many forms to register the baby, immunisation schedules
• Feeding - poor sleep, engorgement
• Rest - what's that. Staff checking you, the paediatrician waking the baby you just got to sleep and more interruptions from well meaning staff and visitors
• Four walls for 4-5 days - Cabin fever is an issue
• Emotional roller-coaster. Most women seem to cope and enjoy the experience, especially if they keep the visitors and phone calls to a minimum.

 6 Week Post-Natal Visit: We meet again after discharge from hospital at the 6 week visit to discuss the following:

• The delivery - any final questions or concerns
• Contraception - Hormonal contraceptives are best started once the bleeding (lochia) has settled and intercourse should be delayed until 14 days after commencement of the tablets. If condoms are to be used I would suggest waiting until at least 6 weeks after delivery.
• Pap Smears
• Check Blood Pressure

Future Pregnancy: If you want your children close together, it is probably reasonable to wait about 6 months after a caesarean to fall pregnant. If you have a vaginal delivery, 12 months is a better idea because it will take that long for the pelvic nerves to recover.