What is the primary focus of postnatal care?

The primary focus of postnatal care is to provide support for both the mother and infant's health and recovery. This care encompasses a wide range of activities designed to ensure that the mother is physically and emotionally recovering after childbirth while also ensuring the newborn is healthy and developing appropriately.

Postnatal care involves monitoring vital signs, assessing any complications from delivery, providing education on infant care, and offering support for breastfeeding and maternal mental health. It recognizes the importance of addressing both the mother's physical recovery, such as healing from the birth process, and the physiological and developmental needs of the newborn. This dual focus is critical since the well-being of the mother directly affects her ability to care for her infant.

Assessing fetal development is not relevant during the postnatal period, as this phase occurs after the baby is born. Planning for future pregnancies and monitoring maternal weight loss may be considerations during postnatal care, but they are not the primary focus. The core of postnatal care is centered around immediate health and recovery for both the mother and baby.