Postpartum Care—Infections and Pregnancy

If you are pregnant, an infection can be more than just a problem for you. Some infections can be dangerous to your baby. You can help yourself avoid infections:

• Don’t eat raw or undercooked meat
• Don’t share food or drinks with other people
• Wash your hands frequently
• Don’t empty cat litter. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis.

You may need to take medicines or get a vaccine to prevent an infection in your baby. For example, you may need to take antibiotics if you develop an infection with group B strep, or take medicines if you have genital herpes. Only some medicines and vaccines are safe during pregnancy. Ask your health care provider about how best to protect you and your baby.

• Group B streptococcal septicemia of the newborn (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Group B streptococcus – pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Immunization and Pregnancy (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Pregnancy and the flu (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Pregnant Women Need a Flu Shot (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Protect Your Baby for Life: When a Pregnant Woman Has Hepatitis B (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Toxoplasmosis: An Important Message for Women (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF

Also called: Post-pregnancy health

Taking home a new baby is one of the happiest times in a woman’s life. But it also presents both physical and emotional challenges.

• Get as much rest as possible. You may find that all you can do is eat, sleep, and care for your baby. And that is perfectly okay. You will have spotting or bleeding, like a menstrual period, off and on for up to six weeks.
• You might also have swelling in your legs and feet, feel constipated, have menstrual-like cramping. Even if you are not breastfeeding, you can have milk leaking from your nipples, and your breasts might feel full, tender, or uncomfortable.
• Follow your doctor’s instructions on how much activity, like climbing stairs or walking, you can do for the next few weeks.
• Doctors usually recommend that you abstain from sexual intercourse for four to six weeks after birth.

In addition to physical changes, you may feel sad or have the “baby blues.” If you are extremely sad or are unable to care for yourself or your baby, you might have a serious condition called postpartum depression.

Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health

• After vaginal delivery – in the hospital (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Losing weight after pregnancy (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Vaginal delivery – discharge (Medical Encyclopedia)