Get the Support You Need

The postpartum period is critically important and often overlooked. Up to 45 percent of maternal deaths happen in the weeks after delivery, a time where people are generally more removed from medical care and their regular support systems. Also, those affected often don’t have insurance coverage. In the United States, the postpartum time period is commonly thought of as the six weeks after delivery due to insurance coverage changes at that time. However — medically and physiologically — it is at least the entire year after birth, as this is how long the physical changes of pregnancy persist.

As of 2018, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women see their providers within three weeks of delivery. Women who have had more complicated pregnancies, including problems with blood pressure like pre-eclampsia, should be seen within a week of delivery, ideally a few days after leaving the hospital, for a check-in that includes a blood-pressure evaluation.

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Create a “Postpartum Preferences Plan” (resources like “Nurture," “The Fourth Trimester” and “The First Forty Days” can help). Similar to birth preferences, a postpartum plan should include discussions of support teams, preferences (for example, do you want to breastfeed on demand overnight or have someone help with nighttime feedings) and planned check-ins with your care provider.

Ask questions about how you can best prepare for your postpartum experience. The following sample language could help: “I know that many of the scary things that happen in pregnancy, particularly to Black women, happen after delivery. I want to be as prepared as possible for postpartum recovery. Can we make a plan to keep me safe and healthy during my postpartum care?”