Puerperium: The midwife will come to your home

At home with the newborn baby – young mothers now have many questions. It's good that there is aftercare by a midwife. Not only does she have an open ear for all worries, but also usually visits mother and child at home. You can find out what exactly happens during aftercare here.

How do I find the right midwife for aftercare?

Many women appreciate the fact that they are looked after by the midwife with whom they have already completed the birth preparation course even after their baby is born. Many even remain loyal to her until regression. Ideally, follow-up care should be arranged during pregnancy so that the midwife can add you to her appointment calendar.

This also applies if you had an attending midwife: She must also be entrusted with the aftercare in advance.

Can I look for a new midwife for aftercare?

Unfortunately, it sometimes happens: The line between the midwife who was chosen for the birth preparation or even for the birth itself did not turn out to be a good one after all. You can of course look for a new midwife for aftercare. However, shortly before the birth or immediately afterwards, they still have the hassle of organizing aftercare – that could be stressful.

Incidentally, the same applies to young mothers who did not require the assistance of a midwife during pregnancy: If you now feel that you could use a little support, you are of course entitled to follow-up care from a midwife.

What exactly happens during aftercare by the midwife?

During the aftercare, the midwife will listen carefully and give you lots of important tips. After all, young mothers (and fathers!) Are often very insecure, especially with their first child: Am I doing everything right when breastfeeding and changing diapers? Do I have to keep my baby busy now? How do we reorganize our family life now?

You can discuss all of these questions with your aftercare midwife. At the first appointment, which often takes place at the young mother's home, she will take at least an hour and not only listen, but also show a lot of tricks and moves.

In addition, the midwife will not only examine the newborn and take care of the navel, for example, but will also look after you as a woman who has recently given birth: For example, she will check whether the uterus is regressing well. If necessary, she can also give you good tips for common postpartum symptoms, for example if you have problems with the perineal suture.

In addition, the aftercare midwives also try to get an impression of how young families are coping with the transition to a life with children. So they usually look at the nursery and listen carefully to see whether there have been problems in the partnership since the baby was there.

What does the midwife's aftercare cost?

If you have statutory health insurance, the health insurance company pays for the aftercare provided by the midwife. The following rule applies: A midwife can come into the house every day until the baby is ten days old. Until the child is eight weeks old, another 16 appointments are possible – either again as home visits or as advice over the phone.

What not all young mothers know: Even after the eighth week, you can arrange up to eight further home visits or telephone calls about breastfeeding with your midwife. This offer is valid until the child is nine months old or as long as they are breastfeeding. A postgraduate course is also covered by the statutory health insurance.

And privately insured? Unfortunately, they have to inquire about the services of their fund, as these vary from fund to fund.

Aftercare: after the midwife, also to the gynecologist?

The gynecologist's follow-up examination is due six weeks after the birth. At this appointment, the doctor determines whether the uterus has receded, the weekly flow has stopped and the blood contains enough iron again.

He also checks whether the perineum – after a cut or tear – has healed well, is no longer painful or feels uncomfortable. If so, this is an important point for the conversation – a badly healed seam can now be corrected.

This article originally appeared on Eltern.de.

Jennifer Litters