Host:

Typically, a new mom and her baby will stay in the hospital for a day or two after the delivery, or 2-3 days after a c-section. This depends on how well you're both doing.

After you go home, you’ll need to pay particular attention to what you body is telling you.

Be sure to call your provider if you experience any of these things after you get home from the hospital.

1. Fever over 100.4 degrees
2. Foul smell or an unexpected change in your lochia flow (there should not be any bright red blood or clots in the lochia after about the fourth postpartum day)
3. Heavy lochia/bleeding, saturating a sanitary pad in one hour or passing blood clots larger than a Ping-pong ball.
4. Sharp pains in your perineum, abdomen, breast or chest
5. Blurred vision or dizziness, appearing alone or with a headache
6. Pain in your legs, particularly in the calf muscles when you walk or extend your feet
7. Appearance of a large blue or purple lump on your vulva or vaginal area or around the perineum (such lumps may be blood clots called hematomas; small lumps may disappear on their own, large lumps (greater than a quarter size) usually need medical treatment)
8. Any sign of swelling, redness, or pus around your cesarean incision or your genitals, especially at your episiotomy site.
9. Separation of your episiotomy or abdominal incision
10. Swelling, red streaks, and tenderness in your breasts, accompanied by fever greater than 100.4 F. This may indicate an infection of your breast tissue
11. Discomfort or burning when you urinate, inability to urinate, or the inability to completely empty your bladder.
12. Feeling weak, lightheaded, or confused and having cold or clammy skin
13. Any sense that "something is wrong" with you physically
14. Crying spells, mood swings that leave you feeling out of control
15. Any thoughts of harming yourself, your baby, or any other family members.

You've now completed module three of four. Be sure to schedule time with your provider to view the next module. Thank you so much for spending this time with us. Keep up the good work. Your own delivery isn't too far off, and your entire healthcare team is cheering you on.