Women vary a lot in how quickly they recover physically and emotionally from their pregnancy and the experience of giving birth. You may feel that your body has got back to `normal` in a few weeks, but it can take much longer to adjust to the emotional changes of being a mother, especially for the first time.

This leaflet looks at the major health challenges around physical recovery that many women face after childbirth, as well as the psychological and other social aspects of becoming a mother or increasing the size of your family. The more specific psychological health aspects of motherhood are covered in the Informed Choice leaflet Mood changes after childbirth.

Your health after childbirth

Some women find that the physical symptoms they experience after childbirth carry on for longer than they expected. If this applies to you, regardless of the time frame of these problems, it is important that you seek advice if you are anxious and/or feel that you have not fully recovered from your pregnancy or from the birth.

It is very rare for women to suffer from serious or fatal illnesses after giving birth, although there will always be a risk of these occurring. The current interest in women`s health is more about the effect that motherhood can have on a woman`s mental health, the risks of being overweight or obese on your general health during and after a pregnancy and the importance of the right care if you develop any health problems after you`ve given birth.

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