Postpartum care

Important things to do before you leave the hospital

• Enroll your baby in Medicaid, by calling the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) at 1-844-ASK-DHHS (1-844-275-3447).
• Make a follow-up visit with your baby’s provider.
• Set up a visit with your provider for postpartum care. It must be seven to 84 days after you have your baby.
• Call Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), to let them know you had your baby. WIC is a special nutrition program for women, infants, and children up to 5 years of age. It can help you learn more about eating healthy. You may qualify for special food packages that meet you and your baby’s nutritional needs. For more information, call 1-800-942-4321.

Bright Start is all about keeping you and your baby healthy. A Bright Start team member will contact you about two weeks after you have your baby to help make sure you have everything you need.

Postpartum depression can happen during or after pregnancy.

Please talk to your provider if have any of these feelings for more than a few days:

• Trouble sleeping for several days or wanting to sleep all the time
• Fears that you can’t care for your baby, aren’t a good parent, or may hurt your baby
• Having problems concentrating
• Feeling sad or angry
• Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
• Crying more than usual
• Feeling distant from your loved ones or feeling disconnected from your baby
• Feeling guilty or worthless

Some health problems can happen up to one year after you have had your baby. Check yourself for warning signs and symptoms of possible health issues. Get help right away if you have any of the signs or symptoms listed below.

Call 911 if you have:

• Pain in your chest
• Problems breathing or shortness of breath
• Seizures
• Thoughts of hurting yourself or your baby

These post-birth warning signs can be life-threatening if you don’t get medical care right away.

Call your provider if you have:

• Heavy bleeding
• Incision that is not healing, increased redness, or any pus (if you had an episiotomy or C-section)
• Redness, swelling, warmth, or pain in your calves
• Fever of 100.4°F or higher or a bad smell from vaginal blood or discharge
• A very bad headache, vision changes, or pain in the upper right area of your belly
• Pain in your chest or problems breathing, like trouble catching your breath
• Seizures
• Thoughts or feelings of wanting to hurt yourself or your baby

If you can’t reach your provider, call 911 or go to the emergency room.

After you have a baby it is important to:

• Call AmeriHealth Caritas New Hampshire member services to let us know your baby’s name and the name of your baby’s provider. We can help you choose a provider for your baby if you do not have one.
• Call the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) at 1-844-ASK-DHHS (1-844-275-3447) to update your information. Tell them about your new baby. This is very important. They will help make sure you get the benefits and services your baby needs. 
• Call your baby’s provider to set up a visit. Your baby should see the provider when they are two to four weeks old, unless the provider wants to see your baby sooner.

If you feel depressed or hopeless and have lost interest in things after having your baby, we can help. Call Member Services at 1-833-704-1177 (TTY 1-855-534-6730) and ask to speak with our Bright Start team.

Your body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy. Now, your body needs time and care to heal. Staying healthy will also help you take care of your baby.

Please be sure to see your provider for a postpartum visit.

Your provider will tell you what you can do to help heal your body after your baby’s birth. Please follow this plan of care and call your provider if you have any questions. If your provider isn’t available, you can call the 24/7 Nurse Call Line at 1-855-216-6065.

Keep track of how you are feeling.

It’s a good idea to keep a notebook where you can write down when you have an odd pain or don’t feel well. If the problem keeps up or gets worse, call your provider and tell the provider how you are feeling.

Plan for your next baby.

Your provider may tell you to wait before trying to have another baby. For many people, it's best to wait at least 18 months between giving birth and getting pregnant again. This helps your body to heal.

Set up a visit with your baby’s primary care provider.

Just like you, your baby needs follow-up visits to stay healthy. The provider will help keep your baby up-to-date with their immunizations (booster shots) and other important tests and health care services. 

If you feel depressed or hopeless and have lost interest in things after having your baby, we can help. Call Member Services at 1-833-704-1177 (TTY 1-855-534-6730) and ask to speak with our Bright Start team.

Your postpartum visit is a chance for you and your provider to talk about how you have been doing since giving birth.

Please don’t feel afraid to ask any questions you have or to tell your provider if you feel like something isn’t right. You will not only be helping yourself, but you will be helping your provider to give you the best care.

For example, here are some questions you might ask if you:

• Are in a lot of pain:
  • Am I healing? Is this pain normal?
• Feel sad or restless:
  • Does everyone feel this way after giving birth? Am I at-risk for postpartum depression?
• Want to lose weight:
  • What type of exercise is safe for me? What kind of foods should I eat?
• Have changes, like lumps or soreness, on your breasts:
  • Are these changes normal after giving birth?
• Have problems breast-feeding:
  • What can I do to help my baby breastfeed?
• Use birth control:
  • What kind of birth control is safe for me? Is it safe while breastfeeding?
• Are sexually active or plan to be:
  • When is it safe to have sex?
• Plan to have another baby:
  • How long should I wait?

If you have any questions and your provider is not available, you can always call the 24/7 Nurse Call Line at 1-855-216-6065.

If you feel depressed or hopeless and have lost interest in things after having your baby, we can help. Call Member Services at 1-833-704-1177 (TTY 1-855-534-6730) and ask to speak with our Bright Start team.