Gaps in research and long-term postpartum care can leave women with undiagnosed complications, chronic pain and worsening mental health. After childbirth, many women suffering from medium- to long-term conditions are overlooked and face insufficient treatment during and beyond the first six weeks postpartum.
In September, a 36-year-old woman in Hamilton, Ont., died from a postpartum-related stroke. An article published by CHCH on Oct. 1, 2026, highlights the details of the situation and notes that postpartum-related strokes are rare.
Dr. Kara Nerenberg, a doctor who studies heart and stroke risk factors during pregnancy, told CHCH there are about 30 strokes for every 100,000 pregnancies and deliveries in Canada and that they are most likely to happen in the first six weeks postpartum.
Historically, postpartum research has focused primarily on postpartum mortality—maternal deaths caused by labour and childbirth complications—rather than postpartum morbidity, which encompasses physical or mental health conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.
While the global maternal mortality ratio dropped roughly 40 per cent from 2000 to 2023, the lasting and long-term health effects women face remain under-recognized and understudied.
More than a third of women who give birth globally experience lasting health conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth every year, according to research published in The Lancet Global Health.
Dyspareunia (pain related to intercourse), lower back pain, urinary incontinence and postpartum anxiety are a few of the most common long-term postpartum complications women face. These kinds of complications going undiagnosed can cause women to live with worsening chronic pain and severe mental health struggles.
Most women are “medically cleared” at the end of the first six weeks after childbirth, but what does that actually mean?
After giving birth, women may receive ongoing care from an OB-GYN, a midwife or a family doctor. With an OB, you will generally have one visit around six weeks postpartum. With a midwife, you can expect more ongoing treatment. Midwives will make at least four visits to your home in the first two weeks postpartum, and a six-week checkup at their office. These appointments assess recovery and provide an opportunity to discuss physical and mental health concerns.
However, according to a July 2025 analysis by Cedar Gate Technologies, nearly 60 per cent of commercially insured women studied in the U.S. did not attend a postpartum visit between three and eight weeks after birth.
Recovery can extend well beyond six weeks, and some childbirth-related conditions persist for months or years. Recovery timelines depend heavily on factors like the type of birth, potential labour and delivery complications and the support women receive after birth.
Assuming recovery is complete after six weeks risks overlooking conditions that need further assessment and has led to many women dealing with delayed diagnoses. Women need access to timely assessment, follow-up and specialist referrals when necessary, including beyond the first six weeks.
So, what needs to change?
Researchers writing in The Lancet Global Health are pushing for more extensive care for women during pregnancy, in the postpartum period and in the months following the initial six weeks. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that postpartum care should be ongoing and that it should be more personalized to each patient.
There needs to be a stronger focus on potential complications throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period to ensure complications are caught as soon as possible. After birth, women need monitoring tailored to their individual needs. Better care for women postpartum can help identify complications earlier and support better physical and mental health. Women need continuing access to assessment and treatment for as long as their recovery requires.