Birth is not always easy and for some women or babies, birth does not go to plan. This can have major and minor long-term consequences for you and your baby.
We would like to see you postnatally where severe, rare or major complications have occurred, especially if they have ongoing health impacts, involve serious injury or loss of your baby, or affect your care or birth in another pregnancy.
This appointment will be recommended before your discharge home and you should be given discharge paperwork that reflects our intention to see you and the timing of this review. If you do not receive an appointment in the mail in these circumstances, please see your GP who will be able to liaise with Monash Women’s or re-refer to fix this problem.
Examples of conditions where we routinely offer follow-up appointments include severe injury to your perineum (the area between the vagina and anus), where your baby has died regardless of whether this was anticipated or not, life-threatening conditions where you have unexpectedly required intensive care, or where your baby has been born severely prematurely and required neonatal intensive care. We may also offer appointments for other reasons as this list is not exhaustive and you have the right to decline an appointment if you do not feel it will be helpful.