9 Things No One Will Tell You About That First Postpartum Doctor's Visit, But I Will
byJennifer Germano
When I attended my first postpartum doctor's visit, I'm not gonna lie, I was terrified. Waiting to make sure everything was healing the right way was not, for me, an idea of a "good time." To be honest, as a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect, which only made that initial visit all the more anxiety inducing. I mean really, what do they do during a postpartum doctor's visit? It's never really laid out for you, step-by-step, and even if it is (honestly, who reads past the birth part of a baby book, anyway?) a woman's postpartum journey is hardly talked about with the same care and detail that pregnancy, labor and delivery are.
In the days leading up to my first postpartum doctor's visit, I felt a twinge of pain that I hadn't felt before. It difficult to go to the bathroom and showering was almost painful. Since I didn't really know what to expect after giving birth, let alone during my first postpartum visit, I wrote down some questions for my doctor, sure to cover my basis and remember every single inquiry. These feelings were new, and I wanted to make sure that I voiced my concerns regarding these feelings and pains and changes, as articulately as possible.
That list of initial questions helped, to be sure, but regardless of my due diligence, there were still things I wish I had known, prior to going to that initial visit, that would have eased my discomfort, both mentally and physically, including the following: