Follow-up midwife: care, support
Are you back from the clinic or birth center together with your child, or did you give birth at home? After the initial care, you are now entitled to the care of an aftercare midwife.
Right to midwife care
Everyone has the right to an aftercare midwife. You are entitled to this help from the statutory health insurance company. But you have to take care of it in time. It is often possible to meet before the birth, where you can ask initial questions. In the first ten days after the birth, the midwife comes every day, and if there are difficulties, for example with breastfeeding, twice a day. In general, follow-up care lasts for the entire breastfeeding period. In the first twelve weeks after the birth, the care takes place even more intensively, up to 16 visits are possible, after that only eight times upon specific request. You arrange the appointments with your midwife. If there are problems, further visits are also covered by the health insurance, but these must then be prescribed by a doctor.
Duties of the midwife
In general, the aftercare midwife looks after the mother and child during the confinement period, if necessary longer. She will answer your questions and give tips or assistance in dealing with your child and monitor your health. The aftercare midwife is a medical specialist and will help you with everyday problems. However, if it should go beyond that, she will consult a pediatrician or gynecologist.
Aftercare for the baby
In the first few days, the aftercare midwife will examine your child thoroughly in order to be able to rule out any congenital malformations or birth injuries. On the fifth visit to the aftercare midwife, i.e. five days after the birth, your child will have blood drawn from its heel for an important test. Using this sample, the blood can be examined for congenital metabolic diseases and, if necessary, therapies can be initiated that can prevent disorders. Your child’s weight will also be checked regularly. To do this, the aftercare midwife uses a handy hanging scale, into which the baby is placed like in a hammock. With a special measuring scale, the so-called “icterometer”, the aftercare midwife can determine the “yellow value” of the child and, if necessary, carry out a blood test, which sheds light on neonatal jaundice. In this way, therapy can also be initiated very early on if necessary. In exceptional cases, blood sugar levels are also determined.
Aftercare: Help for mom
Of course, the aftercare midwife is also responsible for your health. For example, she checks whether your uterus has receded after the birth or whether infections have occurred and shows you the first exercises for regression . In the case of an episiotomy or perineal tear , for example, she controls the healing of the wound and is responsible for pulling the threads. She will also take care of you if you are suffering from postpartum depression. She will also give you advice and tips on baby care. At the beginning, the aftercare midwife will show you, for example, how to bathe your child or what different diaper changing techniques there are. The care of the baby navel is also particularly important. It must be properly cared for in order for the wound to heal. The topic of nutrition is also often interesting. The midwife will answer all your questions about breastfeeding , but she will also advise you on everyday issues, for example on the subject of children’s clothing, child-rearing or vaccinations. The aftercare midwife will also draw your attention to additional offers that are not covered by health insurance but could be helpful for you or your child, for example baby massage , yoga after the birth, counseling centers and self-help groups. The follow-up care for mothers is particularly nice if their midwives were also present during the delivery. You can then talk to your midwife about this special moment on an emotional level, and she may understand some fears or questions even better if she already knows the mother and baby a little better. That gives many new mothers a good feeling.
Further information
In further articles of our special “ Midwife ” you will find more information on how a midwife can support you during your check-up, the birth and immediately after the birth in the clinic . Here you will find an overview of the duties of a midwife . The special also has some tips on how to find the right midwife for your needs.