Your postpartum checkup is a great time to make sure your body is getting back to normal.  There are some important issues you need to discuss with your health care provider.  First, discuss your birth control options.  If you are breastfeeding, or planning on another child soon your options will be different.  You also need to discuss with your doctor any chronic health problems you have that might effect your birth control options.

You will also want to talk about the return of your period.  Breastfeeding moms may get their first period as soon as six months postpartum.  For those who bottle-feed, their period will return between six to eight weeks after the birth of their baby.

You can ask your doctor about losing postpartum weight.  For some lucky women, six weeks is all it takes to get back into their pre-pregnancy clothes.  For most though the process can take from three to six months.  Make sure to discuss your weight loss options if you are breastfeeding or had a c-section.

If you are having problems getting re-interested in sex, this is a good time to talk to your doctor.  Its not uncommon at this point to be uninterested in intimacy.  Nursing lowers estrogen levels and can cause vaginal dryness.  Hormones can also contribute to a low sex drive.  While your doctor can’t change hormones they can suggest a lubricant.

A lot of new mothers have questions about their breasts.  By six weeks postpartum, whether you are breastfeeding or not, your breasts should not be tender or in pain.  Even if you are bottle-feeding, the size and shape of your breasts has been permanently altered.

Any urinary leakage you may be experiencing should clear up by 12 weeks.  Your doctor may suggest Kegel exercises to help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and speed your recovery.