Giving birth is a wonderful and exciting time for new parents. It is also
a time, however, when a new mom is at risk for postpartum health complications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2022, two-thirds of postpartum
deaths were deemed “moderately or substantially preventable.”
Don’t Wait — Get Medical Attention
Call 911 if you have:
Pain in chest
Obstructed breathing or shortness of breath
Seizures
Thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else
Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these:
Bleeding, soaking through one pad/hour, or blood clots, the size of an
egg or bigger
Incision that is not healing
Red or swollen leg that is painful or warm to touch
Temperature of 100.4°F or higher or 96.8°F or lower
Headache that does not get better, even after taking medicine, or bad headache
with vision changes
Watch these videos to learn more about warning signs of post-birth complications:
Orange Bracelet Alerts Others to Potential Post-Birth Complications
As a sign to others that a woman has recently given birth, and is at risk
for certain complications, we have joined other hospitals across the country
in utilizing Post-Birth Alert Bracelets. Here’s how the program works:
Upon release from the hospital, the new mom is given her orange bracelet
with the words “Post-Birth Alert” in black letters. She also
receives information alerting her to conditions and symptoms to watch
for that require medical attention.
The postpartum patient is encouraged to wear her alert bracelet for six
weeks, the time during which she is most susceptible to complications
occurring.
Our primary care team, emergency care team and area emergency medical service
teams have been made aware of the Post-Birth Alert program. They know
if a patient presents herself wearing the orange post-birth bracelet,
they should assess her for postpartum complications.
