The general care that should be given during the postnatal period is divided into three main components. The care given in each component is different, so you have to understand what to do in each component. The components are the following:

• Early detection and management of complications.
  
• Promoting health and preventing disease.
  
• Providing woman-centered education and counselling.

Early Detection and Management of Complications

The postpartum evaluation starts by reviewing the client's clinical document including antepartum and intrapartum records. Complications such as cardiac disease, preeclampsia, obstructed labour, cesarean delivery that require close monitoring and treatment are identified in the patient's medical document. Besides reviewing the clinical records, the client should be evaluated thoroughly during the immediate postpartum period, 6th day and 6th-week postpartum visits.

The postpartum evaluation of the woman during the home visits or subsequent postpartum visits to the health post includes:

• Ask for pain, bleeding, difficulty in urination, breastfeeding, any other concern she may have. The general physical examination should be performed and should be evaluated for any danger signs of the postnatal period.
  
• Based on the evaluation, the mother should be selected for the next step of management.
  
• On the next step of management, she could be referred or counselled for such as mother-centred or baby centred counselling issues.

Promoting Health and Preventing Disease

In this case, you have to provide the mother with the necessary medications with the necessary counselling:

• Iron/ folate: 1 tablet to be taken by mouth once a day for at least 40 days postpartum.
  
• Vitamin A: one dose of 200,000 IU within 30 days after childbirth.
  
• Iodine supplementation: 400 - 600 mg by mouth or IM as soon as possible after childbirth if never given, or if given before the third trimester gives her now (only in areas where deficiencies exist).
  
• Six monthly presumptive treatments with broad-spectrum anti-helminths in areas of significant prevalence.
  
• Sleeping under a bed net in malaria areas.
  
• Tetanus toxoid.
  
• VDRL/ RPR.
  
• HIV testing (opt-out).

Providing Woman-Centered Education and Counselling

In session 1 of this module, you have learned about the critical periods in which severe complications on the mother will occur, and the danger signs that have the higher possibilities to occur and how to counsel her. Now here, you will learn what do you need to counsel.

• The education and counselling should address postpartum needs such as nutrition, breastfeeding, family planning, sexual activity, early symptoms of complications and preparations for possible complications.
  
• Postpartum counselling should take place at a private area to allow women to ask questions and express their concerns freely. If this is not possible, counselling could be done during the home visit.
  
• The partners of postpartum women (after their permission) should participate in this counselling and receive instructions before the discharge.