Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby. This postpartum discharge information is to provide you with helpful information on how to care for you and your baby. Please review the information before you go home and again when you arrive home. If you have any questions, please ask your nurse, midwife or doctor before you leave.
Postpartum/baby warning signs to report
Call your doctor/midwife if you or your baby have any of the following:
Mother
- Temperature over 100.4 F/37.8 C, with or without chills
- Red/hot/tender breasts
- Foul smelling vaginal bleeding or discharge, or itchiness
- Caesarean incision that is red, draining, swollen or painful
- Burning sensation during urination or an inability to urinate
- Crying and periods of sadness beyond the two weeks
- Your leg(s) are tender and/or red, painful or hot to the touch
Call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Department immediately if you:
- Are soaking a pad with bright red blood in less than 1 hour, and/or passing large clots (size of a plum or larger)
- Have trouble breathing or chest pain, unusual/new headache or vision changes
Baby
- Temperature over 99.8 F/37.6 C (oral) or under 97.0 F/36.2 C (under the arm temperature)
- Abnormal skin colour (pale, bluish or gray)
- Colour of eyes and/or skin yellow
- Unusually fussy, irritable or sleepy
- Cries all the time and can’t be comforted
- Not interested in feeding or is lethargic to feed eight or more times a day
- Has not passed urine or stool in 24 hours in the first week
- Firm, hard stools
- Frequent choking/gagging or coughing persistently
- Frequent or forceful spitting up after feedings
- Green, brown or fresh red blood in the spit up
- Green, foul smelling discharge around cord
For non-urgent questions or concerns, please call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000.
