Postpartum health concerns the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of women during the weeks and months following childbirth, a period in which the body recovers from pregnancy and delivery while new caregiving demands emerge. Physiologically, the postpartum period involves uterine involution, hormonal rea…
Postpartum health concerns the physical, psychological, and social wellbeing of women during the weeks and months following childbirth, a period in which the body recovers from pregnancy and delivery while new caregiving demands emerge. Physiologically, the postpartum period involves uterine involution, hormonal readjustment, lactation, wound and surgical recovery, and risks such as hemorrhage, infection, and complications of cesarean or operative delivery. Equally central is mental health: postpartum depression, anxiety, and related mood disorders are common, and research links their onset to factors including perfectionism, beliefs about motherhood, prior psychiatric history, and inadequate social support. Breastfeeding establishment, perceived milk adequacy, and infant feeding decisions form another major domain, intersecting with nutrition and maternal confidence. Care during this interval includes monitoring for warning signs, screening for depression and anxiety, supporting lactation, and addressing pregnancy loss and bereavement when they occur. Outcomes vary with access to skilled care, obstetric training, and community resources, and disparities are pronounced in low-resource settings. Effective postpartum care is multidisciplinary, integrating obstetric follow-up, mental health services, lactation support, and family involvement to protect both maternal recovery and infant health across the first year after birth.
10 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 10 articles above have been cited 51 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Postpartum Health, linking to each citing work.