Home birth post-partum care

During the days and weeks following delivery you will:

• Be available to parents for any concerns or problems in the first week. Refer to mother's physician or baby's pediatrician as needed.
• Examine mother and infant within 72 hours of birth.
• Weigh baby and discuss infant feeding and parental adjustment.
• Perform initial newborn screen.
• Offer the mother a clinic visit at three weeks post-partum for education and evaluation.
• Encourage breast-feeding and provide information if needed regarding La Leche League
• File a completed birth certificate with county vital statistics office.
• File a sentinel birth defect report if indicated.
• Facilitate referral for circumcision if parents so choose.

You should examine the mother at approximately six to eight weeks post-delivery, which includes:

• Counseling regarding breast-feeding; infant care and feeding; mother's emotional well-being; sexuality; need for adequate rest, nutrition, and exercise; and community resources for new parents.
• Assessment of mother's weight, blood pressure, and laboratory studies as needed.
• Pelvic examination.
• Pap test unless mother has had previous test within the last 3 years if under 29 years old or 5 years with HPV co-testing if over 29 years old.
• Discussion of family planning and consideration of LARC (Long Acting Reversible Contraception) as appropriate.
• Instructing seronegative women to contact Kaiser Permanente for vaccination to prevent subsequent varicella (chickenpox) infection. (The two-dose vaccine should be initiated between six weeks post-partum and within a few months of delivery.)

At this time, you also need to submit the required information outlined in Home birth maternal and newborn medical records.

The six to eight week post-partum examination concludes the home birth episode. Please refer the mother to her primary care provider or personal physician for ongoing care, including routine well-adult care, pap smears, and ongoing contraceptive care.