6 week postnatal check

[PollyPocket245]

Hi all :),

Slightly odd post and apologies if this is in the wrong place! I had a forseps delivery resulting in a third degree tear, I have a postnatal hospital check on Monday. For those who have had a 6 week postnatal check at the hospital following birth, I was just wondering what happened at your appointment?
Thank you :) xx

They check over baby physically, ask what the baby can do, check feeding, weigh them etc etc.

They'll also check you for anything. So they might ask about you tear. I had an emergency csection and was asked if I was ok and if I wanted the wound looked at. I said no, because it was ok. I found it was very much up to me to bring up anything specifically though.

Hi, due to Covid they combined my 6 week check with my babies 8 week check. I think all I was asked was did my stitches feel ok... I thought they were meant to actually check stitches/feel your tummy to make sure your muscles were going back together etc!

The one at the hospital is for you, it's the not the baby check up one.

I had the same. They checked my stitches/ wound and also checked my pelvic floor. A bit invasive, but after you've had a baby, who cares!!! It's fine, I was in there about 5 mins as all was ok

Oh yeah, thats right. My answer is based on a combined 6 week/8 week check too.

Thank you! I’m just a little confused because my friend went to hers recently and they just asked if she had any concerns, she said no and then went home without stitches/wound being examined . I’d rather not go all the way into hospital for something they can do over the phone! Will have to wait and see I guess :)

I had forceps and episiotomy 9 weeks ago, I had a check at the GPs earlier this week at the same time as baby’s jabs. GP felt my tummy to check that my womb had shrunk back to where it should, then checked my stitches and she also examined my cervix (like a smear test, she used the duck type thing - sorry can’t remember its name! - to open me up and just look and see that everything seemed normal). She said it was up to me but I said I wasn’t going to say no to a full check up

We also talked about the birth, how I was feeling about it, how was my recovery going, my MH, contraception and sex life (had we restarted and was it going ok),

It was really through, she was a locum GP but found myself wishing she was a permanent one!

*thorough

I had a third degree tear with my first baby (2 years ago) and had a hospital check up because of it. I was physically examined and had to cough and do pelvic floor squeezes while the doctor’s fingers were inside me - both holes at the same time (sorry tmi!).
My actual six week check up was done at my GP surgery.

@pollypocket245 yeah, so it would have been up to your friend to say she wanted the stiches examined. Mine was like that, because I said I thought my csection wound was ok nobody actually checked it

Mine at the GP was frankly a waste of time (for me anyway). Checked my baby, back, hips, eyes etc. My bit consisted of him asking how my mood was and what contraception I was using. I had an episiotomy and asked if he was going to check my stitches or feel to check my womb had shrunk back but he told me they 'dont do that anymore as people find it a bit intrusive' but that I could ring and make another appointment if I thought there were any issues. My GP surgery is more like stepping onto the set of a bad sitcom than attending an actual medical establishment though.

Ohh okay! I understand now, I thought they just checked regardless that’s why I had to physically go.
@Esmeralda1988 I know that feeling! Mine isn’t much better

It's so good to hear that these checks are still done in some areas.

My GP doesn't do them so I was never checked physically after quite a traumatic forceps/episiotomy delivery (pre Covid). I was eventually diagnosed with grade 2 prolapses front and back, so it would have been helpful to be checked internally early on.