After your labor and delivery, your body begins to heal right away.

But it can take some time to fully recover.

This time is called postpartum.

Some people call it the fourth trimester.

This video is all about you, your feelings, and your body after childbirth.

This is to help you understand why it can take time to feel like yourself again.

And this video also offers ways you can take care of yourself and will help you know when to call your doctor or midwife.

Just remember, pregnancy, labor, and delivery are unique for every person.

Right after delivery, your emotions may be all over the place as your hormones settle down.

Many parents get the "baby blues" off and on during the first few days to a few weeks after childbirth.

So if you occasionally feel sad or not totally connected to your baby yet, that's okay.

But if you feel sad, anxious, or hopeless most of the time for more than a few days, call your doctor or midwife.

You may have postpartum depression.

This needs to be treated.

And if you have thoughts of hurting yourself, your baby, or another person, get emergency help or call 988 right away.

Your body may feel sore and very tired for several weeks.

You may continue to have contractions—after pains—as the uterus returns to its prepregnancy size.

You will also have some vaginal bleeding.

Call your doctor or midwife if the bleeding is heavy.

Heavy means you're soaking through one or more pads in an hour or are passing blood clots bigger than an egg.

After a vaginal birth, you may feel uncomfortable and have pain or numbness as you heal.

And if you had tears, recovery can be uncomfortable or painful, depending on how deep and long the tears are.

To ease pain in the area, you can try a cool compress or a sitz bath—a shallow bath of warm water and Epsom salts.

And instead of using toilet paper, you can clean yourself gently with warm water squeezed from a bottle.

It's most painful at the beginning, but you should feel better each day.

Call your doctor or midwife if you have signs of infection, such as a fever, new or worse belly pain, or vaginal discharge that smells bad.

After a cesarean (or C-section), you may have pain in your lower belly.

Call your doctor or midwife if you have loose stitches or if your incision comes open.

Breast engorgement is common between the third and fourth days after delivery.

Breast engorgement means your breasts are painfully overfull of milk.

This can cause discomfort and swelling.

Be sure to call your doctor or midwife if you have increased pain, redness or a change in skin color, or warmth around your breast.

Call if you have reddish streaks leading from a breast, pus draining from a breast, or a fever.

Now this video can't cover everything you may experience, so trust yourself to ask questions or call for help.

Even if you're unsure about something, let your doctor or midwife know your concerns, and most definitely call if something doesn't feel right or hurts.

For example, get emergency help if you have chest pain, are short of breath, or cough up blood.

And call your doctor or midwife if you have symptoms of a blood clot in your leg— called a deep vein thrombosis—such as pain in your calf, back of the knee, thigh, or groin.

And call if you have redness, a change in skin color, or swelling in your leg or groin.

Call your doctor or midwife if you have signs of a heart problem, such as sudden weight gain, feeling so tired you can't do your usual activities, or you have new or worse swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet.

Also call your doctor or midwife if you have signs of preeclampsia, such as a severe headache, vision problems, or sudden swelling in your face, hands, or feet.

Your mind and body have been through a lot during every stage of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

You used your entire body to grow and deliver a baby.

So this is a time that you may need a little help from others.

Reach out to someone—your partner, a friend, neighbor, or family member— when you need a break or a helping hand.

Talk to your doctor or midwife about any concerns or questions, including when you can have sex and what form of birth control is best for you.

If you're in the United States and on a program like Medicaid, you should get the care you need as soon as you can—before coverage may run out.

In some states, coverage from programs like Medicaid may end as soon as 2 months after your baby is born.

During your pregnancy, you may have found out that you have health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or certain heart problems.

Some of these health problems can continue to cause symptoms and may become worse.

Your doctor or midwife may recommend that you get additional health care visits.

You know yourself best, so call your doctor or midwife if you have any new or worse symptoms.

Your doctor or midwife will want to hear how you're doing.

Now, you may not have had time to think about yourself and your body.

But this is when, especially during the first 12 weeks after you've delivered, it's important to go to your postpartum checkups.

Life after pregnancy can bring so many changes to your body, to your family, and to your emotions.

You know yourself best, so if you have any questions or concerns, you can always call your care team.