Mother with newborn baby The<unk>  (or postnatal)<unk>  begins immediately after childbirth as the mother's body, including hormone levels and uterus size, returns to a non-pregnant state. The terms puerperium, puerperal<unk> , or immediate<unk>  are commonly used to refer to the first six weeks following childbirth. The World Health Organization (WHO) describes the postnatal<unk>  as the most critical and yet the most neglected phase in the lives of mothers and babies; most maternal and newborn deaths occur during this<unk> . In scientific literature, the term is commonly abbreviated to Px, where x is a number; for example, "day P5" should be read as "the fifth day after birth". This is not to be confused with the medical nomenclature that uses G P to stand for number and outcomes of pregnancy (gravidity and parity). A woman giving birth in a hospital may leave as soon as she is medically stable, which can be as early as a few hours<unk> , though the average for a vaginal birth is one to two days. The average caesarean section postnatal stay is three to four days. During this time, the mother is monitored for bleeding, bowel and bladder function, and baby care. The infant's health is also monitored. Early postnatal hospital discharge is typically defined as discharge of the mother and newborn from the hospital within 48 hours of birth. The<unk>  can be divided into three distinct stages; the initial or acute phase, 8–19 hours after childbirth; subacute<unk> , which lasts two to six weeks, and the delayed<unk> , which can last up to eight months. In the subacute<unk> , 87% to 94% of women report at least one health problem. Long-term health problems (persisting after the delayed<unk>  are reported by 31% of women. Various organizations recommend routine<unk>  evaluation at certain time intervals in the<unk> .
Postpartum period
Pre-labor
Flu season
Metabolic age
Menstrual leave
Puberty
Male lactation
Teenage pregnancy