Today was my six-week postpartum check-up and I was actually looking forward to it. It was actually for weeks to the day for me but we missed two weeks and wanted to get in there sooner than six! It is getting hot here and I wanted to know if I was cleared to swim. I also wanted to see how my stitches were healing.
I had been through this before with my first baby, but with the midwives it was a bit different. Here is what they typical do at the 6 week postpartum visit:
Check your weight and blood pressure. That is actually my favorite because I typically lose a lot of weight from breastfeeding – at first. After the six week visit, it is harder to work off.
Check your abdomen for tenderness.
Check your stitches, if you tore.
She will also talk with you about your emotional state of mind and how things are going for you, how you are managing.
For me this is where it ended today, aside from weighing the baby and seeing how breastfeeding was going. But a typical doctor may also do these things:
Examine your breasts, inspect your external genitalia, and do and exam. If you are due for a pap smear it is a good time to get it over with.
I was relieved to get the all clear and to find out that everything is healing up nicely. This is the first week I am starting to feel like myself – less sore, more rested and able to balance my two little monkeys!
How did the six week visit go for you?
