After a birth: recovery, feeding and wellbeing

The first weeks and months after a birth: how bodies heal, feeding without judgement, sleep, mood, and the symptoms that need help straight away.

5 min read After a birth: symptoms that need help When bleeding, fever, chest pain, headaches or changes in mental health after birth need urgent or emergency care. Includes when to get help.
7 min read After a difficult or frightening birth Common reactions after a frightening birth, how lasting distress differs from baby blues, what talking services offer, and which treatments help.
4 min read Baby blues, postnatal depression and postpartum psychosis How baby blues, depression and psychosis differ after a birth, with clear ways to get treatment and urgent support. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Breastfeeding problems and getting help Help with painful feeds, swollen breasts, mastitis and tongue-tie, and when to check medicines with a pharmacist. Includes when to get help.
4 min read Contraception after a birth When fertility can come back, contraception options while breastfeeding, and the rules for using breastfeeding as contraception.
4 min read Feeding your baby: breast, formula or both Practical support for breastfeeding, formula and mixed feeding, with safe preparation and UK and US advice on vitamin D.
4 min read Getting active again after birth How to get moving again slowly, with advice on pelvic floor recovery, a gap in the tummy muscles and getting back to running.
4 min read Perineal tears and stitches: healing A plain guide to the degrees of tear, caring for stitches, signs of infection, and getting help with pain or bowel control.
4 min read Recovering from a caesarean Wound care, gentle movement, lifting and driving after a caesarean, with clear signs that you need to get help. Includes when to get help, with UK and US notes.
8 min read Safer sleep for your baby How to set up every sleep to lower the risk of SIDS, what UK and US advice says about bed sharing, and when to get help fast.
4 min read Sex and relationships after a birth Getting close again at your own pace, getting help for dryness or pain, and talking about support and contraception. Includes when to get help.
5 min read Sleep and tiredness after a birth Practical ways to share the nights and get rest, safer sleep for your baby, and when tiredness needs a medical check. Includes when to get help.
6 min read When your periods come back after a baby When periods tend to return after a birth, how feeding changes the timing, telling lochia from a period, and why pregnancy can come first.
4 min read Your body in the first weeks after birth What to expect from bleeding, cramps, breasts and going to the toilet after birth, and when to get checked. Includes when to get help, with UK and US notes.
4 min read Your pelvic floor after birth How pelvic floor exercises can help after birth, how to do them gently, and when to ask to see a physiotherapist. Includes when to get help.

Written by the Ruva team from the sources listed in each guide. They aren’t medical advice. If you’re worried about a symptom, talk to a doctor, nurse or pharmacist.