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Postpartum Care
Postpartum Care in Los Angeles
Postpartum care is not one appointment at six weeks. The weeks after delivery are when the most is happening and the least is scheduled. Recovery, mood, feeding, contraception and returning to activity all belong in that window, and none of them fit into a single visit at the end of it.
Medically reviewed by Dr. David Kim, MD, PhD, FACOG — board-certified OB-GYN, 15 years OB/GYN residency faculty at Cedars-Sinai, over 7,000 deliveries · Last reviewed
Explained
What the weeks after delivery actually need.
More contact, earlier, and about more than the incision.
More than one visit
The traditional single six-week check happens after most of the difficult weeks are already over.
Earlier contact matters because the problems that are worth catching — bleeding that is not settling, blood pressure, pain that is not improving, mood — tend to appear well before six weeks.
Tell us if something feels wrong at two weeks. You do not need to wait for the appointment on the calendar.
Recovery, and what is normal
Bleeding, cramping and soreness all follow a general pattern, and the useful information is when yours is not following it.
Bleeding that gets heavier rather than lighter, a fever, pain that is worsening, or a wound that is not healing are all reasons to be seen rather than to wait. So is a headache that does not respond to anything, or swelling that appears suddenly — blood pressure after delivery matters and is not always checked often enough.
Mood, and asking properly
Feeling low, anxious or overwhelmed after delivery is common, and it is treatable.
The reason it is asked about directly at these visits is that people rarely raise it themselves — it gets filed under being tired, or under not wanting to seem ungrateful. It is neither.
If something is wrong, say so at any point rather than at the visit where you are asked. There is help, and it works.
Contraception and the return of cycles
Cycles return on their own schedule, and fertility can return before the first period does.
Which contraception suits you depends on feeding, on your history, and on whether another pregnancy is in the plan and when. Some options can be started very soon after delivery and others are timed differently. It is a decision worth making rather than defaulting into. See contraception.
Returning to exercise, work and sex
These questions get asked last and worried about first.
Timelines are individual and depend on how the delivery went. Pain with sex afterwards is common enough to be expected and is not something to simply endure — it is examined and treated.
Weight and body composition after pregnancy have their own physiology. See medical weight management.
Questions
What patients ask first.
When is my first postpartum visit?
Earlier than the traditional six weeks, and more than once. Contact in the first weeks is when the problems worth catching actually appear.
How long is bleeding normal after delivery?
It tapers over weeks rather than stopping abruptly. Bleeding that becomes heavier rather than lighter, or that is accompanied by fever or worsening pain, is a reason to be seen.
When can I start contraception?
Some options can be started very soon after delivery and others are timed differently depending on feeding and your history. It is worth deciding before you need it.
When will my periods come back?
It varies considerably and is affected by feeding. Fertility can return before the first period, which is worth knowing if another pregnancy is not the plan.
I do not feel like myself. Is that normal?
Feeling low, anxious or overwhelmed after delivery is common and it is treatable. Tell us at any point rather than waiting for a scheduled visit. This is a medical question with real answers.
Where can I get postpartum care in Los Angeles?
Yunella Women's Health is on San Vicente Boulevard in central Los Angeles, convenient to Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Beverly Grove and the Miracle Mile.
General information about care at Yunella, not medical advice. What applies to you depends on your own history and examination.
Start here
Do not wait for the six-week appointment.
If something feels wrong in the first weeks, that is the appointment worth making.
Or call (424) 404-8832 · 6330 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 418, Los Angeles, CA 90048 · delivery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center