What actually happens at your 6 week check up after birth?

[laura325630]

Hi, I have mine on Tuesday and was just wondering what actually happens and what the doctor will check. Thanks.

She just felt my tummy, asked about stitches, I would presume she would check these if I had any? And then offered me contraception! Checks nover baby too.

They will ask you how you are getting on, your general well being and babies too. Do a general top to toe.

Think they get you to fill in some paperwork asking you questions bout your state of mind (diagnosing PND, if its present) Either the doc does this or your HV will.

They will prob ask if you have managed or tried intercourse yet and your family planning method from now.

Also check your bp and ask when you had your last smear (in case there is any member of the medical profession who
hasn't had a feel of your cervix

Mine did nothing at all to me - asked me if I was still bleeding, but that was about it. No PND questionaire or bp check.

It seemed very pointless to me

mine did very little iirc

Absolutely nothing...

Took my blood pressure, asked if I was still bleeding (I was, seemed unfazed) that's it... oh and it was 3 MONTHS post delivery - for a blardy 6 week check... marvelous...

And that's for someone who had an extended 3rd degree tear, vaginal and cervical tears, and nearly an hour's worth of stitching up.

I did wonder if he'd actually seen my notes let alone bothered to read them... especially since he also asked the ridiculous "what method of contraception are you using?" question - like in the mess I was in that was going to happen... FFS...

No post natal depression questionaire or anything, despite traumatic birth, experience.

I was quite shocked actually and felt like he really didn't give a toss, and I was clogging up his consulting room...

db
xx

I had:
qu re having had intercourse yet
huge pile of leaflets about contraception (oddly none promoting the tried and tested "having 3 small children" method)
general qu about how I am feeling

Baby had:
General look over
Doctor checked she could "walk" when picked up
Doctor asked if she was smiling yet

And that's it as far as I remember

My GP didn't know what to do.

Her; "What can I do for you"

Me; "It's my 6-week pn check"

Her; "Oh. Uummmmm. How are you feeling?" (Lots of rifling through bits of paper....)

Big fat waste of time.

I did mine by accident, I booked an appt with the Gp for dds 6 wk check only to be told that I should get an appt around 8 weeks for that. So he ended up doing mine. I was asked how I was feeling, healing etc. and that was it. I was still a bit high after having her and felt like it was no big deal and wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. In hindsight I think they should do another one at about 12 weeks, once the superwoman stage has passed.

bugger all. weigh baby, if lucky.

very good point Ambi.

IME: General chat about how you're feeling, how it's going, whether you are weeing and pooing OK. Confirming when next smear is due. Asking if there were any pregnancy complications that need following up. Asking about contraceptive plans. Didn't get it done until 4 months (!) this time (my GPs normally contact you at 8 weeks if you've not booked anything, but I fell through the cracks this time and knew that was all they would do so wasn't in any hurry to book anything). Post c-section the first time round I think they looked at my scar.

No PND questionnaire from GP or HV in my area. Or at least, last time I suppose you could say there was a questionnaire consisting of "Are you feeling depressed at all?".

Didn't get one at all. Fell through cracks also. Didn't know I was supposed to have one till LO was 4 months old. Never got any letters etc from docs due to having home birth. Never got letters for vaccs etc either. HV was missing in action.......

I seem to be still alive, so I'm guessing it wasn't imperative.

Message withdrawn

as above

ask a few questions poke and prod you poke and prod baby make it cry

as it's your first do go along though if you had any stitches etc get them checked
get some contraception if you haven't already because things happene when you least expect
it's a bit like being a teenager again!
and you don't want to have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy

I've refused mine because my GP are rude at best &(&)&(& at worst
and I can't be doing with going near the surgery
I too had a homebirth I got a letter this morning warning it's IMPERATIVE I visit my health is at risk

I wrote back telling them I'm alive and kicking and signed it yours healthily

At my mum's six week check they informed her that no, morning sickness shouldn't be ongoing and she was in fact pregnant again . I'm the result!

Blimey!! Seems like it varies alot. Will wait and see what happens at mine.... Thanks everyone x

I was really annoyed about mine. I had seen the top obstetrician about 3 weeks earlier and gone through the many thousands of problems I was having. She wrote to my Gp with all the details and various referrals I needed. When I turned up he could not have cared less and only did the bare minimum. Then he tried to tell me that the obstetrician was wrong about various things and I didn't need the referrals Mind you this is the same GP that couldn't be bothered to come out and give me some antibiotics for my early stage puerperal fever. If he had bothered I might have saved myself a week in hospital and a long recovery I have no faith.

I had an internal as well as the talk of contraception and god knows what else as I was extremely tired and would have rather been left alone to sleep instead of hauling me and dd down to the surgery.

I will refuse the appt time.

Mine was very brief both times.

Quick check of the baby and a fondle of his testicles.
Check of my bp.
Finally brief questions along the lines of how are you finding things, do you have pnd etc. Brief discussion about contraception.
No internal exams or anything like that.