The postpartum period is the six to eight weeks after a woman delivers her baby, and her body begins to return to its pre-pregnancy state. After you deliver your baby, you will be taken to the Postpartum Unit where you will stay for approximately two to three days. At NewYork-Presbyterian, our team strives to ensure that you receive the support you need in the days following delivery on our postpartum-care units.
We provide “mother-baby” care, which means that one nurse is trained to care for you and your newborn. By having providers capable of addressing the needs of you and your baby, we can ensure your family receives high-quality, continuous care.
Our family-centered care approach encourages keeping your baby with you at your bedside. This is referred to as rooming-in or mother-baby couplet care and provides you with an opportunity to bond with your child. Rooming-in allows you to get to know your child’s behaviors and help meet his or her feeding needs, whether you have chosen bottle feeding or breastfeeding.
In our units, you can expect:
Education and support in caring for yourself. Throughout your stay, we encourage new parents as they learn about:
- Getting rest
- Coping with baby blues
- Medication management
- Physical changes
Training on caring for your child. In addition to daily workshops on breastfeeding, discharge, and mother-baby care, we help parents with:
- Feeding and bathing your baby
- Noticing and treating newborn health concerns
- Completing state and city health department documentation
Access to specialty care. Though most mothers have uncomplicated deliveries and healthy babies, on occasion either the mother or child may need specialist care. The Komansky Children’s Hospital and the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian are New York State–designated Regional Perinatal Care Centers. These centers have received this designation for their track record of delivering high-quality care for newborns. Additionally, NewYork-Presbyterian has pediatric and adult specialists in more than 120 specialty and subspecialty areas.
Going home. In the weeks following delivery, moms go through many physical and emotional changes, including what’s known as the “baby blues” as well as potentially postpartum depression and anxiety. NewYork-Presbyterian has staff at the Weill Cornell Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center to help new moms learn how to care for their newborn while adjusting to the changes to their body and family structure.
For more information, please consult with your doctor’s office.