Canadian Women's Experience of Postnatal Care: A Mixed Method Study

The postnatal period remains unstandardized in terms of care and postnatal visits with a dearth of information on the experience from Canadian women.

To explore (1) with whom and how often women receive postnatal follow-up visits and (2) the postnatal care experiences of Canadian mothers.

Using a cross-sectional design, women who had given birth within the past 6 months were recruited to complete an online survey. Frequencies were computed for quantitative outcomes and thematic analysis was used for qualitative responses.

A total of 561 mothers completed the survey. Women saw on average 1.9 different postnatal healthcare providers, primarily family doctors (72.4%). 3.2% had no postnatal visits and 37.6% had 4  or more within 6 weeks. 76.1% women were satisfied with their postnatal care. Women's satisfactory care in the postnatal period was associated with in-person and at home follow-ups, receiving support, and receiving timely, appropriate care for self and newborn. Unsatisfactory care was associated with challenges accessing care, experiencing gaps in follow-up visits, and having unsatisfactory assessment for their own recovery.

There is considerable variation in the timing and frequency of postnatal visits. While many women are experiencing satisfactory care, women are still reporting dissatisfaction and are facing challenges.