The weeks after your baby is born are full of wonder and worry. You may feel all sorts of conflicting emotions and uncomfortable physical sensations. Most of these physical and mental states are all within normal range, but sometimes there are complications. Call your health care provider right away if you experience any of these warning signs:
- Depression: You feel extreme sadness or despair, have delusions or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
- Bleeding: Your bleeding isn’t tapering off, continues to be bright red after the first four days, resumes after slowing down, contains clots bigger than a quarter, or has a foul odor.
- Fever: You develop a fever, even a slight one. A low-grade fever may be something benign, but it can also be a sign of a serious infection, so play it safe and call.
- Stomach pain: You have severe or persistent pain anywhere in your abdomen or pelvis, or afterpains that get worse instead of better.
- C-section pain: You have worsening pain or soreness that persists beyond the first few weeks, or redness, swelling, or discharge at the site of your c-section incision.
- Vaginal pain: You have severe or worsening pain in your vagina or perineum, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, or swelling or discharge from the site of an episiotomy or a tear.
- Breast pain: You have pain or tenderness in one area of the breast that’s not relieved by warm soaks and nursing. Or you have swelling or redness in one area, possibly accompanied by flu-like symptoms or fever.
- Abnormal urination: You have pain or burning when urinating; you have the urge to pee frequently but not a lot comes out; your urine is dark and scanty or bloody; or you have any combination of these symptoms. (Stinging after the urine comes out and hits a bruised or torn area normal.)
- Leg pain: You have severe or persistent pain or tenderness and warmth in one area of your leg, or one leg is more swollen than the other.
- Headaches: You have severe or persistent headaches.
- Vision problems: You have double vision, blurring or dimming of vision, or flashing spots or lights.
- Vomiting: You have severe or persistent vomiting.
- Tenderness from IV: The site of your IV insertion becomes painful, tender, or inflamed.
When to call 911 (or local emergency number) instead:
- You have shortness of breath or chest pain, or are coughing up blood.
- You’re bleeding profusely.
- You’re showing signs of shock, including light-headedness, weakness, rapid heartbeat or palpitations, rapid or shallow breathing, clammy skin, restlessness or confusion.
For more Postpartum information, visit Baby Center