Postpartum Care
Know what to expect after childbirth
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Recovery After Birth
Welcoming a new baby into your life can be both amazing and overwhelming, especially for first-time parents. It’s important to remember that you also need to take care of yourself during this postpartum period. If you have any particular concerns or questions, please speak with your Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) provider.
Our obstetrical nurses have a long tradition of combining professional excellence with personalized care. With you and your well-being at the heart of everything we do, our nurses strive to ensure that you receive personalized and compassionate care of the highest quality.
Postdelivery Care
The fourth stage of labor is the first hour or two after you deliver. During this time, your provider may have to repair an incision (episiotomy) or tears (lacerations) that happened during the delivery. Your doctor makes this repair by giving you stitches with thread that absorbs on its own. You won’t need to have these stitches removed later. If needed, you’ll get local anesthesia (numbing medication) called Novocain for these stitches.
During this time, your primary nurse will check for a number of issues:
- Monitor your blood pressure, pulse and temperature
- See how well the top of your uterus (fundus) has contracted
- Monitor your vaginal bleeding (lochia)
Learn what to expect after a C-section delivery.
Newborn Care
Unless you or your baby needs special care, you may hold your newborn right after delivery. There are many benefits to immediate skin-to-skin contact, including helping your baby regulate their body temperature and promoting early breastfeeding. Get more information on newborn care in the hospital.
Transfer to Your Private, Postpartum Room
After your baby is born, your care team will move you to a postpartum room. You will stay in this room until you leave the hospital. There, you will find a relaxed environment where you can recuperate, get to know your baby and receive personalized care.
Most moms stay in the hospital two nights after a vaginal birth and four nights after a C-section. Learn about what to expect during your hospital stay. We encourage you to keep your baby in your room as much as possible while you are in the hospital. We call this rooming in.
There are many proven benefits to rooming in:
- Bonding improves between baby and family
- Encourages breastfeeding on demand
- Increases frequency of breastfeeding
- Infants cry less, helping them set sleep cycles
- Longer duration of successful breastfeeding
- Mother’s milk comes in sooner
- Parents become familiar with sleep cycles
- Parents learn to recognize feeding cues regardless of feeding choice
- Parents sleep better without separation anxiety
More About Postpartum Care
Our staff is eager to make sure you have a good start to breastfeeding your baby. The best time to begin is right in the delivery room, within an hour of the baby’s birth if possible. During the first hour after birth, your baby will be alert and most interested in breastfeeding.
Nurses on the postpartum unit have special expertise in helping mothers and babies breastfeed. We are available 24 hours a day to help you and your baby learn this important new skill. And you can find written details in your discharge folder.
Breastfeeding is a learned process for both you and your baby. If you and your baby need additional help with breastfeeding, your nurse will ask one of the lactation consultants to visit you before you leave the hospital. The consultants are available daily while you’re in the hospital.
On occasion, mothers who have given birth have leg weakness and pelvic pain from the delivery. This can cause you to need a walker or crutches. In this case, a physical therapist provides instruction on these assistive devices and prescribes muscle strengthening exercises.
BIDMC offers ongoing care and support after you and your baby go home:
- The Parent Connection classes and support groups which provides mentorship for new parents, as well as classes on topics such as newborn care and breastfeeding
- Physical therapy to improve your pelvic floor health
- Specialized care for postpartum mental health
Advancing Care, Research & Education
Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology
Our OB/GYN team provides care to patients throughout all stages of life, from family planning and pregnancy to intimate health and menopause.
Obstetrics & Gynecology Research
Explore ongoing OB/GYN research, featuring diverse projects, publications, and education opportunities for students and professionals.
Obstetrics & Gynecology Education
We offer physicians and medical students a range of educational and training opportunities in obstetrics and gynecologic care.
