This 24 page booklet tells you about the basics of caring for yourself the first 6 weeks after your baby is born. This booklet is not intended to replace the advice of your pediatrician or members of your healthcare team. In the recent past new mothers stayed in bed for several days to a week after giving birth. Much of this time was spent in the hospital where the mother and her new baby received constant care.
Studies now show that early discharge is generally safe for both mother and baby.
Bonding begins sooner, less time away from home is less upsetting for the household, and mothers feel more confident at home. Hospital stays today for cesarean births without problems are usually 2 to 3 days. Once your baby is born, your body will change both physically and emotionally throughout the next year. Many of these changes happen in the first 6 postpartum weeks, called the postpartal period. The postpartal period is not a time of illness, but a period of healthy change.