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accessHealthNews.net
April 2024
Volume 10 | Issue No. 83
Pregnancy lasts nine months. The medical
community has historically divided it into
three stages: the first, second, and third
trimesters, ending with labor and delivery.
However, in 2018, an opinion released by
the American College of Obstetrics and
Gynecologists (ACOG) concluded that the
time after the birth of a baby is critical. It
sets the stage for both the mother's and
infant's long-term health and well-being.
The committee dubbed the postpartum
period the "fourth trimester." Their opinion
establishes comprehensive guidelines
for caring for people who have recently
delivered a baby.
The committee's findings are backed by
research, including data from the report
Pregnancy-Related Mortality in the United
States, 2011–2013, showing that 53% of
pregnancy-related deaths occurred one
week to one year postpartum, and 80% of
those deaths could have been prevented.
The postpartum period is rife with challenges
for new moms. These include recovering
from the physical stress of childbirth, pain,
breastfeeding problems, fatigue, lack of
sleep, urinary incontinence, and new or
worsened mental health disorders.
That is all on top of the 24/7 responsibility
of caring for a newborn and possibly older
children.
A Maternal Health Learning & Innovation
Center webinar titled "Supporting Birthing
People & Care Teams: 4th Trimester Project
Postpartum Care Tools" describes how
a collaborative North Carolina initiative
has built a storehouse of evidence-based
postpartum health information that aims to
define what parents need most during this
critical stage.
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"I wasn't ready for the changes to my body."
