[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Maternal and child nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/maternal-child/) › Postpartum discharge: self-care, warning signs, contraception and the follow-up visit # Postpartum discharge: self-care, warning signs, contraception and the follow-up visit - Safe practice Before going home, the woman learns the warning signs, how to care for herself and the baby, which contraceptive she chose, and when her follow-up visit is. Updated Nov 13, 2026 ## Key points - Minimum stay: 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 hours after a caesarean (Res. 3280). - Postpartum visit between day 3 and day 5, booked before she leaves (Res. 3280). - WHO: contacts at 48–72 hours, 7–14 days and 6 weeks for healthy mothers and babies. - She can get pregnant as early as 4 weeks after birth: the contraceptive method is chosen and, if she wants, provided before discharge. - She should tell any health worker that she was pregnant in the last year when she seeks care (CDC). ## What it is Most maternal complications that appear after discharge can be treated if the woman knows the warning signs and comes back in time. Res. 3280 de 2018 sets a minimum stay of 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 hours after a caesarean, a postpartum visit between day 3 and day 5, and contraceptive counselling with the chosen method provided before discharge. WHO recommends at least three more postnatal contacts in the first six weeks. The nurse teaches, checks what the woman understood, completes vaccines and pending care, and books the visits. ## What it requires - Warning signs to come back (Res. 3280): foul lochia or heavy bleeding; headache, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, flashing lights, seizures or epigastric pain; fever; lower abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhoea; new or worse perineal or uterine pain; pain on urination; red, painful, hot breasts; leg pain or swelling; and a mood that affects the bond with the baby or daily life. - Bleeding to report (MedlinePlus): soaking more than one pad an hour, clots larger than a golf ball, or bleeding that stays heavy after day 4 apart from the brief rise around days 7 to 14. - Contraception: all methods are explained, starting with the most effective, using the WHO medical eligibility criteria, and the choice is hers (Res. 3280). - Res. 3280: the hospital provides the chosen method with at least 3 months' cover, plus condoms for double protection. - Before discharge: complete pending vaccines and give anti-D immunoglobulin, according to protocol, to Rh-negative women without antibodies whose baby is Rh-positive (within 72 hours). ## Components - Warning signs for the mother and the newborn. - Self-care: perineum or wound, lochia, rest, food, activity, sex. - Breastfeeding, newborn care and the birth registration. - Contraception and spacing the next pregnancy. - Mood and the support network; information on gender-based violence and how to report it. - Follow-up visits. ## How it is applied (and why) - Check the discharge criteria and that pending tests, vaccines and anti-D are dealt with — discharge is the last chance to do them in hospital. - Teach the warning signs with the written list and ask her to repeat them in her own words — this checks what she understood. - Explain how lochia change and which bleeding is too much — heavy or returning bleeding needs care. - Teach perineal care: plain-water baths or showers, cold the first 24 hours and warm baths after — this eases swelling and pain. - Advise waiting about 6 weeks for tampons, intercourse or impact exercise, and starting with gentle walks — the tissues need to heal. - Give contraceptive counselling, record her choice and consent, and provide the method she chose — pregnancy can return within weeks. - Talk about mood: baby blues are common, but over 2 weeks or with thoughts of harm she needs help — see the mental health page. - Book the day 3–5 visit and the newborn's check, and give her the perinatal card and the live-birth certificate — follow-up finds late problems. ## In nursing practice - Postpartum pre-eclampsia can appear even without high blood pressure in pregnancy: swelling of face or hands, a headache that does not go away, or vision changes need care at once (MedlinePlus). - CDC lists urgent warning signs for up to a year after birth, including chest pain, trouble breathing, a fast heartbeat, severe tiredness and thoughts of harming herself or the baby. - Res. 3280 recommends waiting at least 18 months before the next pregnancy. - Adolescents under 15 and women who had severe maternal morbidity are a priority for contraception after the birth (Res. 3280). ## Common mistakes - Giving a leaflet without checking that she understood. - Discharging her without the follow-up visit booked. - Leaving contraception «for the 6-week visit»: she can be pregnant before then. - Teaching only the mother's warning signs and not the baby's. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Between which days does Res. 3280 schedule the postpartum visit? Between day 3 and day 5 after birth. ## What is the minimum stay after a vaginal birth and after a caesarean? 24 hours after a vaginal birth and 48 hours after a caesarean. ## Why is contraception settled before discharge? Because a woman can get pregnant as early as 4 weeks after birth. ## How does the nurse check that the woman understood the warning signs? By asking her to explain them in her own words (teach-back). [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/postpartum-discharge-self-care-warning-signs-contraception-and-the-follow-up-vis/) ## Connections ## Related 4 - [Labour and postpartum nursing: monitoring and warning signs](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/labour-and-postpartum-nursing-monitoring-and-warning-signs/) - [Contraception counselling: the methods, eligibility in general terms, LARC and after birth or abortion](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/contraception-counselling-the-methods-eligibility-in-general-terms-larc-and-afte/) - [The newborn at home: cord care, bathing, safe sleep, feeding cues and the warning signs](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/the-newborn-at-home-cord-care-bathing-safe-sleep-feeding-cues-and-the-warning-si/) - [Patient education and teach-back](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/patient-education-and-teach-back/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Resolución 3280 de 2018: lineamientos técnicos y operativos de la Ruta de Promoción y Mantenimiento de la Salud y de la Ruta Materno Perinatal](https://www.minsalud.gov.co/sites/rid/Lists/BibliotecaDigital/RIDE/DE/DIJ/resolucion-3280-de-2018.pdf) (Ministerio de Salud y Protección Social de Colombia, 2018); [WHO urges quality care for women and newborns in critical first weeks after childbirth](https://www.who.int/news/item/30-03-2022-who-urges-quality-care-for-women-and-newborns-in-critical-first-weeks-after-childbirth) (World Health Organization, 2022); [Vaginal delivery - discharge](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000628.htm) (MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025); [Urgent Maternal Warning Signs (HEAR HER campaign)](https://www.cdc.gov/hearher/maternal-warning-signs/index.html) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/postpartum-discharge-self-care-warning-signs-contraception-and-the-follow-up-vis/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/postpartum-discharge-self-care-warning-signs-contraception-and-the-follow-up-vis/