The Information - Post-birth

While research overwhelmingly shows that breast milk is better for your baby's overall health and development, the decision about how you wish to feed your baby should be based on an informed choice of what you feel is right for you and your baby in the first few months. This title respects and supports your choice in how you wish to feed your baby, while being supportive of babies receiving breast milk wherever this is possible. Research has shown that babies who receive breast milk have better protection from a range of illnesses. It's also known that babies who do not receive breast milk have a greater chance of experiencing poorer health which can continue into adulthood. Research has also shown that women who breastfeed are likely to feel and be healthier.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, it is even more important before you become pregnant (conceive) and during the first three months of pregnancy when your baby`s major body organs are developing and your baby will benefit the most from the food you eat. This title looks at the research evidence around diet and nutrition in pregnancy, as well as the general principles of a healthy diet and how this can lead to a healthier pregnancy for you and your baby. It also considers how eating certain nutrients may have an impact on your pregnancy and on longer-term health. There is also guidance on general food safety; this should be read in conjunction with the Informed Choice title Infections in pregnancy - prevention, detection and treatment.

The time from the birth of your baby until six weeks after is known as the postnatal period. This is when the bodily changes that occurred as part of your pregnancy return to their normal non-pregnant state, your hormones readjust to provide breast milk and your body tissues recover from the effects of the pregnancy and birth. However, the type of birth you experience, the health of your baby, and the challenges of the first few weeks of motherhood will all impact on your health and mindset, which is why many adjustments have to be made before you feel you have returned to normal. Women vary a lot in how quickly they recover physically and emotionally from their pregnancy and the experience of giving birth. This title 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 title Mood changes after childbirth.

The early weeks and months of parenthood are hard for many couples. For women in particular, the major life changes and responsibilities that motherhood brings will affect how they feel emotionally, and this can sometimes result in longer-term mental health issues, most commonly feelings of depression. This is because among the positive and sometimes overwhelming feelings of happiness associated with motherhood, dark and negative ones can also arise with mood swings, anxiety, exhaustion and tearfulness. This title focuses on one of the conditions - postnatal depression (PND), and looks at its signs and symptoms and the range of treatments that are available. This is a very complex area and new theories and treatments are constantly being promoted. The information in this title therefore, can only be an overview of the issues around this topic.

Pregnancy is a time when you will find yourself receiving a lot of new information and health advice, and will need to make a number of choices and decisions. It is a time when you also need to continue to look after, and protect, your own sexual health. This is about enjoying sexual relationships without causing harm to you, your partner, or your unborn baby. Being pregnant does not affect your risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI); you are just as vulnerable as those sexually-active friends and colleagues who are not pregnant. Catching a sexually transmitted infection can harm the pregnancy and damage both you and your baby's longer-term health. Your pregnancy is also a good time to think about the future and begin planning ahead; this includes thinking about your contraceptive needs. You may already know quite a lot about the various methods of contraception that are available, but bodily changes related to recovering from pregnancy and the birth, as well as breastfeeding your baby, may mean that you need to consider methods that differ from those you might have previously used.

This title gives you information about a condition called iron deficiency anaemia. This is where the amount of iron present in the body's red blood cells is lower than it should be. This can lead to health problems for the mother and/or her unborn baby. Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common cause of anaemia in the United Kingdom (UK). There are other causes of anaemia but these are usually as a result of loss of blood or as the result of pre-existing medical conditions, for example, sickle cell anaemia and thalassaemia. You can find more information about these conditions in the title, Sickle cell and thalassaemia disorders: screening offered to mothres and babies.

We are all susceptible to different infections, diseases and health problems throughout our lifetime. Most pregnant women are generally fit and healthy, which may mean they are not always aware they have caught an infection until they experience symptoms or health problems. In some cases, these only develop in the later stages of the infection or disease. Some infectious diseases can be fairly minor causing a few short-lived, bothersome symptoms, however others can lead to serious health complications for the mother during pregnancy and after the birth, as well as for her developing and/or newborn baby. This title has been developed to help you recognise the importance of any signs of infection in pregnancy, so that you can seek care and advice as soon as possible. This is a huge topic, so we have focused on the most important aspects of information and have included details of a large number of websites and information resources for additional information.

Thinking about your health before you decide to become pregnant may involve the need to make some changes to your lifestyle. Health advice around planning a pregnancy or during the very early stages of pregnancy is important because a number of factors are known to adversely affect this process. These have the potential to cause defects or abnormalities in the organs, limbs and bone structures of the developing baby. However, with advice and support many of these factors can be avoided, which in turn, can reduce the risks of harm, ill health and longer-term disability for your baby. The information in this title is about planning a pregnancy as well as care in the early weeks of pregnancy, with a focus on the current guidance being offered in the United Kingdom (UK). It therefore looks at the choices, decisions and responsibilities of parents as individuals, as well as health services in the UK that are available to help, advise and support. These services have an important role to play where you might need to make specific changes to your health and lifestyle.