postpartum care

Following a normal term pregnancy and spontaneous vaginal delivery, your new mother elects to breastfeed after an explanation of the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby as well as herself. She experiences moderately heavy, bloody vaginal discharge for the first 2 postpartum days and, during the next 3 days, progressively lighter bleeding to cessation or. bleeding. She returns to your office at 3 weeks, however, complaining of a whitish non-foul-smelling vaginal discharge. She is concerned that she may have a postpartum infection although she has no fever, chills, or discomfort.