Description

The postpartum period. Oh my goodness.

You’ve heard about it and you may have experienced it personally but what is postpartum? The National Library of Medicine describes it in 3 phases:

The postpartum period has been termed the “fourth stage of labor”, and has three distinct but continuous phases.

1. The initial or acute period involves the first 6–12 hours postpartum. This is a time of rapid change with a potential for immediate crises such as postpartum hemorrhage, uterine inversion, amniotic fluid embolism, and eclampsia.
2. The second phase is the subacute postpartum period, which lasts 2–6 weeks. During this phase, the body is undergoing major changes in terms of hemodynamics, genitourinary recovery, metabolism, and emotional status. Nonetheless, the changes are less rapid than in the acute postpartum phase and the patient is generally capable of self-identifying problems. These may run the gamut from ordinary concerns about perineal discomfort to peripartum cardiomyopathy or severe postpartum depression.
3. The third phase is the delayed postpartum period, which can last up to 6 months (1). Changes during this phase are extremely gradual, and pathology is rare.

Despite being a board certified OB/GYN, Dr. Rachel Pope was so unprepared for the postpartum period of her first pregnancy. This is her postpartum story.

Now, we want to hear from you! What postpartum topics do you want us to discuss? Submit your topics here and Rachel and an expert will answer in an episode.

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