Why do we say postpartum now?

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

Or rather, why didn't we say it so much before?

When I had my 8 and 12 year old, the word postpartum was only in American books or on American tv.

I have a 6 month old and now hear it all the time.
Since it means post baby, how come it wasn't always used?

[PCohle]

I think there's just more acknowledgment now of the difficulties many women face in the period after giving birth, both physically and mentally, so the term is used more often.

[InglouriousBasterd]

It was always postnatal to me!

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

Postnatal and postpartum are different.

But I agree! With my older kids, it was always postnatal.

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

They both mean after childbirth so why do you think they are different?

[DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou]

Postpartum is the mother after the birth.

Postnatal is the baby after the birth.

Or so I was told.

[ChanklyBore]

They are different. Postpartum refers to the mother. She is past parting with her infant.

Postnatal refers to the baby. They are past birth. Hence neonate, neonatal, etc.

In common English usage post natal has been used to refer to both infant and mother. In American English the same custom fell to postpartum.

In the post-netal world (post- internet) they are now used interchangeably, but yes, they are different in careful usage.

[chickhonhoneybabe]

The terms “postpartum period” and “postnatal period” are often used interchangeably but sometimes separately, when “postpartum” refers to issues pertaining to the mother and “postnatal” refers to those concerning the baby. The terms “antenatal”, “antepartum”, “intranatal” and “intrapartum” refer to issues pertaining to events before or during childbirth. apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70432/WHO_MPS_10.03_eng.pdf?sequence=1

Both postpartum and postnatal mean the 6-8 week period following birth, it’s just people using different terminology often without understanding the difference. The NICE guidelines talk about postnatal care for women and their babies 6-8 weeks after birth and don’t use the term postpartum care www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg37

[chickhonhoneybabe]

I’ll also throw in the perinatal period.... 😂

The perinatal period commences at 22 completed weeks (154 days) of gestation and ends seven completed days after birth.