6–8 Week Postnatal Check (Mother)

6–8 Week Postnatal Check (Mother)

🤱 6–8 Week Postnatal Check (Mother)

💷 How much is this worth to me?

This template supports delivery of the GP Contract requirement to offer a structured 6–8 week maternal postnatal check, which is:

  • Funded separately from the standard postnatal baby check

  • Required to be recorded distinctly in the patient’s notes

The postnatal check for mothers must be offered to all women who have given birth in the previous 6–8 weeks, and includes both physical and mental health assessments.

📊 High-level overview of the specification requirements

To meet NHS England’s postnatal check standards, the review must cover:

  • Mental health, including mood and signs of postnatal depression

  • Physical recovery from childbirth (e.g. perineal healing, caesarean wound, bleeding)

  • Contraceptive needs and choices

  • Feeding and bonding support

  • Safeguarding and social context

  • General health and pre-existing conditions

📌 What do you need to know?

This template is structured to guide clinicians through a comprehensive yet efficient review:

🧠 Mental Health

  • Mood check with prompt for discussion

  • Screening for signs of postnatal depression or anxiety

  • Referral or support options (e.g. talking therapy) if concerns raised

🩺 Physical Recovery

  • Fields to document:

    • Bleeding status

    • Pain

    • Perineal or caesarean wound healing

    • Bowel and bladder function

💊 Contraception

  • Prompts for discussion of current or planned contraceptive method

  • Tickboxes for offer of LARC or referral to family planning if needed

👶 Infant Feeding and Bonding

  • Tick whether baby is breastfed, formula fed, or mixed

  • Prompts to check maternal concerns about feeding, attachment, or support

🏡 Social Factors

  • Opportunity to record:

    • Social support and housing

    • Financial or relationship concerns

    • Safeguarding issues

📅 Follow-Up and Safety-Netting

  • Free-text or coded field to indicate:

    • Next planned review

    • Referral or safety-netting advice provided

💡 Hints and Tips

  • This check must be separately recorded from the baby’s 6–8 week check to meet contractual requirements

  • Use this opportunity to screen for mental health concerns — early identification is crucial

  • If a mother has declined the check, code this using the appropriate SNOMED decline term

  • Remember to check in on intimate partner violence or other safeguarding issues where appropriate

  • Where contraception is not discussed, document the reason (e.g. patient declined or already using a method)