Saturday 19 November 2022 10:08 PM Campaigners call for new mothers to receive a GP check-up nine months after ... trends now
New mums should be given a health check by GPs nine months after giving birth, campaigners are urging.
A growing number of medical professionals and charities are warning that women are not getting enough support with their physical and mental health in the year after childbirth, leading millions to develop issues that can affect their lives for decades.
Postnatal care currently ends with a health assessment with a GP at between five to eight weeks after birth, known as the six-week check, which is done at the same time as babies have vital checks.
Mary Broddle, now 45, pictured with her baby son Leo lost more than a litre of blood during the delivery. The Nottingham mother of two went on to develop severe anaemia which was not spotted until 18 months later
Professor Debra Bick, an expert in maternal health at Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, says that there is ‘no medical reason why women’s postnatal checks end at this point’, calling it ‘a historical anomaly’.
Doctors, physiotherapists and women’s health advocates calling for the change say the new check should include an assessment of mental health and for incontinence or sexual function issues, an examination of pelvic health and blood tests.
Lyanne Nicholl, a postnatal health campaigner and the author of Your Postnatal Body, says: ‘The six-week check is too soon after birth, when many women are focused on their baby. Even if women do raise health concerns, often they are wrongly told it’s normal after having a baby or told to wait to see if things improve.’
She wants the checks to include specific reviews for women who experienced pregnancy conditions such as gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia – a life-threatening complication that causes high blood pressure – as these can be precursors to long-term problems.
‘Nine months is an ideal time to check in,’ she adds, ‘as many women are looking to go back to work and the baby may be old enough to be looked after by someone else, so the mother can attend alone and focus on their own health.’
