What To Expect From Your Six-Week Postpartum Visit
Posted on: 16 July 2019
With so many different lenses and experiences in the world, you may have heard horror stories about the first visit back to your obstetrician after having a baby. Every birth story is different, with each baby coming into the world in their own way. That being said, here are a few things you can expect from your 6-week postpartum visit, no matter what type of delivery you had.
Physical Exam
The physical exam usually takes place at the end of the office visit, but it is actually the reason for the other features of the visit we will talk about today. Your doctor will do an internal exam to make sure that you are healing well from childbirth. This will take place whether you delivered vaginally or not. If you had a cesarean delivery, your physician will also check your scar to make sure that it has closed up nicely. This physical exam is crucial in order to make sure that you are healthy enough to get back to your life--or to determine if other measures need to be taken to ensure that you heal completely.
Discuss Future Family Planning
One of the main reasons your OB will want to see you back again is to help you with your family planning. If all goes well with the physical exam, you should be cleared for sexual intercourse, which means you could get pregnant again (regardless of how you are feeding your child). It is smart to go to your postpartum visit with either an idea of when you will want a child again or a plan of how you are going to prevent conception. For example, if you think you and your spouse may want another child within the next year, there are certain types of birth control you will want to avoid, such as the arm implant. If you are done having children, however, you will likely discuss permanent steps you can take.
Encouragement to Exercise
Assuming that your physical shows that you are healing, your physician will likely encourage you to restart exercise if you haven't already. While it can be difficult to get started, the sooner you start moving the better you are likely to heal.
In conclusion, it is really not as bad as some people make it out to be. You have nothing to fear. The 6-week postpartum visit can actually be a really nice way to kind of get your life back together. If all goes well, you should be able to start retaking control of your body. Enjoy it!
For more information on what to expect at your visit, reach out to a physician, such as Xiao-Mei Zeng MD.
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