After the birth
Enjoying and resting
The birth is behind you and you can now get to know the little person lying on your belly. The postnatal period (kraambed) is above all about enjoying and resting. Together with your partner you will admire and care for your little one and discover what your baby likes. You are proud and want to show your baby to the whole world!
Recovery
During the postnatal period we visit you regularly to see how you and your baby are doing. During these visits we do check-ups and give tips and advice. We visit you at home three times, up to about 8-10 days after the birth. During these home visits we pay particular attention to:
- Your physical recovery;
- Your baby’s growth and development;
- How your baby’s feeding is going;
- How you are experiencing parenthood.
We talk about this together and give advice to help you recover well and your baby grow and develop. Sometimes recovery does not go the way you had hoped.
Baby blues and postnatal depression
You are tired from the birth, you have stitches that make sitting uncomfortable, and you lost some blood during the birth, so you also feel physically weaker. Your life has suddenly turned upside down. So it is not surprising that some women are quite shaken. And if you feel depressed, it can be hard to admit that you are not overflowing with motherly feelings. Almost all women have the ‘baby blues’. You get these around the 4th day after the birth. This is completely normal. Your breasts are engorged, the baby keeps you awake at night and your hormones are all over the place.
Sometimes the feelings are worse. You may feel gloomy, low, irritable or sad. You may also have trouble concentrating, problems sleeping, no appetite and a loss of libido. If you experience these feelings, we speak of postnatal depression. The symptoms appear weeks to months after the birth. It is important to talk to someone if you are not feeling yourself and/or feel depressed. You can raise this with us, so that we can find the right help for you.
Tests after the birth
Heel prick test
In the first week after the birth the heel prick test can also be done on your baby. This is a blood sample and can be taken by us between the third and seventh day after the birth. The blood is tested for a number of rare but serious conditions (the current list is on pns.nl). Early detection can prevent or limit serious problems in physical and mental development. The conditions cannot be cured, but they can be treated well, for example with medication or a diet. You will receive more information about this from us during your pregnancy. Would you like to know more, and which conditions exactly are tested for? Then take a look at the website of the RIVM (in Dutch).
Hearing test
After the heel prick you will receive an invitation for the hearing test via the child health clinic (JGZ). This test is often done before the third week of life. The test is not stressful for your baby. It is usually done while your baby is asleep.
When to call us
If you are worried or anxious after the birth about yourself or your baby, always contact us on 06-52520705 or 079 321 7172.
Call us in any case if there is:
- An urgent question and/or worry;
- Continuing heavy blood loss;
- Fever in the mother (temperature above 38.0 degrees);
- A temperature in your baby above 37.5 degrees or below 36.5 degrees, after the maternity carer’s advice on keeping your baby at the right temperature has already been followed;
- A baby who is listless and sluggish;
- Any other acute worry about the baby.
Postnatal check-up
About six weeks after the birth you can come for a postnatal check-up. If you would like to talk some things over or still have complaints, you can always phone to make an appointment about 4 weeks after the birth. During the postnatal check-up we ask how you are doing and, if necessary, we measure your blood pressure and iron level. You can also still ask any questions about the birth or about contraception.