Postpartum Care at Freya Center

Postpartum care blends the convenience of home visits in the early days after birth with office visits in the later weeks. During this time, the midwife will assess the health and well-being of both the mother and the baby. At the postpartum appointments, the midwife will:

For Mother:

• Check pulse, temperature, respirations, and blood pressure
• Assess for breastfeeding success
• Amount of postpartum bleeding
• Check on perineum if sutures were placed
• Look for signs of infection

 
For Baby:

• Perform the Critical Congenital Heart Defect Screening
• Collect blood for the Newborn screening and bilirubin levels, if needed
• Obtain weight, length, head measurements
• Check heart rate, respirations, and temperature
• Observe skin for color, rashes, birth marks
• Assess feeding patterns, voiding and stooling

 

• Newborn Hearing tests are referred to:
• Dell Children’s Medical Center Audiology department (512) 324-0137 or
• Varshna Narumanchi (512) 736-4591

 

• Hepatitis B vaccination for an infant can be done through a pediatrician.
• If choosing circumcision, the surgery can be arranged through a pediatrician.

Care Schedule:

• Home visit 24-48 hours following birth
• Office/Home visit or phone call at 1 week
• Office visit at 2 -3 weeks and 5- 6 weeks

We feel that the jump from a 3 day postpartum visit to a 2 week postpartum visit provided in traditional medical care misses the opportunity to prevent issues from arising regarding newborn jaundice or breastfeeding, therefore we provide a home/office visit or a phone call for mother and baby at one week postpartum to ensure that the transition into this new life is as smooth and enjoyable as it should be.