Postpartum appointments

[Birth Beginnings]

I have a question for the birth doulas out there. Do you do postpartum visits? And if so how many, and at what point?

Originally I started out doing three psotpartum visits. One within 24 hours, another at one week and a third at six weeks. I recently cut down to two, omitting the 24 hour visit, telling my clients that I will phone within 24 hours to check in and that if they needed me I would gladly come to help out if I could. Most were so overwhelmed with visitors on the first day and hadn't slept yet.

From recent evulations most clients are saying there are more postpartum visits then necessary. What I was thinking was to still call within 24 hours, and visit between days three and five, and lastly at two weeks to present the clients birth story. I also helps me because then I can't procrastinate on writing the birth story and risk omitting details or confusing them with other births.

So again, what do you do?

[AmandaB]

I have on my contract that I will visit by day 2-3. Honestly it never works out, I usually visit them within the first 2 weeks. I feel that clients are pretty overwhelmed with family and I don't want to be someone else they feel like they have to entertain. My clients have never seem to mind when I come, you have to balance it out between your schedule and theirs.

[DL]

I let her know right before I leave after the birth that she can call me ANY TIME if she needs me or has questions. I then call to check up on her the day after the birth and remind her again to call ANY TIME (I have, on occasion visited her at the hospital instead of the call, but it's casual and not considered her PP visit). I call her at one week after the birth to again check on her and to schedule the Postpartum appt. I shoot for 2 weeks postpartum, but a couple of times mom needed to push it back to 3 weeks because of family visiting, etc. I present the birth story then.

After the birth, I don't normally see her again until 2 weeks after the birth (or whenever we've scheduled the PP), unless she requests otherwise. I'm just going on what I know that I'd like for myself, which is privacy and as uninterupted time as possible with family. I've spoken to a lot of doulas about this, and it seems that we all do it differently.

[AussieDoula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birth Beginnings From recent evulations most clients are saying there are more postpartum visits then necessary.

I want to commend you on getting feedback and listening to you clients!

I guess since I do a lot of postpartum work, my visits with birth clients are quite different to what most Doulas do.
For instance, from listening and talking with other birth Doulas, they tell me that their postpartum visits basically consist of sitting and chatting about the birth for an hour or so, maybe giving them some paperwork, then leaving. If that's what you offer, then I would also tend to think that 3 visits is a little excessive, hehehe!
Personally, for birth clients I do 2 prenatals (one during the first week - usually their first day home, and another at around 3 or 4 weeks postpartum). I make sure they are settled in, have no housework, and something to eat before I leave.

So, I guess it just depends what you cover in your visits as to how many you "need"... If your main postpartum role is to just quickly check in, then I would say cut it back to 1 visit, maybe with an open-ended invitation to call you if she needs you again.

[dorothyh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doula Lori I let her know right before I leave after the birth that she can call me ANY TIME if she needs me or has questions. I then call to check up on her the day after the birth and remind her again to call ANY TIME (I have, on occasion visited her at the hospital instead of the call, but it's casual and not considered her PP visit). I call her at one week after the birth to again check on her and to schedule the Postpartum appt. I shoot for 2 weeks postpartum, but a couple of times mom needed to push it back to 3 weeks because of family visiting, etc. I present the birth story then.

This is pretty much exactly what I do. The only difference is that if it's a cesarean birth, I call her every day that she is in the hospital. And I am also reminding her that she can call me at ANY TIME.

[RosyDoula]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birth Beginnings Originally I started out doing three psotpartum visits. One within 24 hours, another at one week and a third at six weeks. I recently cut down to two, omitting the 24 hour visit, telling my clients that I will phone within 24 hours to check in and that if they needed me I would gladly come to help out if I could. Most were so overwhelmed with visitors on the first day and hadn't slept yet.

I find the same happens with my clients. I usually come over once and help with chores, bring a meal over, do errands, help with bf-feeding and answer any questions. I also go over a bit of info (I give them handouts but I dont really expect them to read them, honestly with a newborn who has time? So I just explain it to them and leave it there as a reference if they want it.) I leave more visits up to them, and I am always there for them with questions or concerns. I give them a call the first day, the next week and every other week just to check in on them.

[moncton doula]

I do one postpartum visit at the clients convenience...usually they schedule for a couple of weeks after they are home. I make it clear that they can call me anytime and that I would be more than happy to answer any questions or come by to help, but also that I do not want to be a burden at this special time and leave it up to them to call me.