Stage 4 of 6 · The first six weeks
After birth
After birth, attention naturally turns to the baby — but your own recovery matters too. Postnatal check-ups are for you as well as your baby: the first within a day of birth, then around day three, in the second week, and at six weeks.
In this stage
- How your body recovers in the first six weeks
- Bleeding, stitches and caring for a wound
- Your feelings: tiredness, low mood and worry
- Breastfeeding comfortably
- Family planning after birth
Read next
- After birth · 2 min read
The first six weeks after birth: what recovery looks like
How your body heals after birth, what is normal, when to go back to the clinic, and how family can help. - After birth · 2 min read
Feeling low after having a baby
The difference between the baby blues and postnatal depression, what helps, and where to find support.
Take these to your next visit.
- When are my postnatal check-ups?
- How much bleeding is normal, and when should I come back?
- How do I care for my stitches or my caesarean wound?
- Who can I talk to if I feel low or anxious?
- Which family planning methods are safe while I am breastfeeding?
Screenshot this list, or copy it onto the back of your clinic card. Ask one at a time — you are allowed to.
Opens the clinic list, filtered to places that offer this.