6-week postnatal review: what happens at your postnatal checkup

The 6-week postnatal review is your own postnatal checkup with a doctor, separate from your baby's checks. KKH's doctors say it is usually booked four to six weeks after the birth, or earlier if you had medical problems in pregnancy. The doctor looks at how you are healing, asks about your mood and feeding, and talks you through contraception.

What the doctor checks at your postnatal checkup

KKH's obstetricians, writing for Families for Life, set out what usually happens. Your weight and blood pressure are taken. The doctor feels your tummy for tenderness, examines your perineum or caesarean scar to see that it is healing, and asks about breast problems such as engorgement or infection.

Two tests depend on your history. You get a Pap smear if it is at least six weeks since the birth. If you had gestational diabetes, you get an oral glucose tolerance test to confirm your sugar levels are back to normal. KKH's obstetrics team adds on HealthXchange that blood pressure is checked to make sure it has returned to baseline.

Expect a talk about contraception too. Families for Life warns that fertility can return surprisingly fast, especially if you are bottle-feeding, and that you can ovulate before your first period arrives.

Where to go in Singapore, and what it costs

If you deliver at KKH, you are given a follow-up appointment before you are discharged, KKH's Delivery Suite says. The review can be at KKH's Women's Specialist Clinic, a GP clinic or a polyclinic.

To book a polyclinic yourself, open the HealthHub app, tap Appointments, then Make new appointment, then Book Polyclinic Appointment. Doctor consultation is picked by default, so tap Change and choose Postnatal Care. HealthHub notes that the services offered vary by polyclinic.

Fees depend on where you go. National University Polyclinics lists a subsidised consultation at $19.60 for an adult Singapore Citizen from 1 September 2026, with lab tests and Pap smears charged separately. KKH's specialist clinics list a private first consultation with a senior consultant at S$222.14 for Singapore Citizens, and subsidised rates from S$37.20 if you are referred, effective 8 August 2025. Those fees also exclude tests and medicine.

The mood questions are part of the check

The doctor will ask how you are feeling, and an honest answer helps. HealthHub says about 1 in 10 mothers in Singapore who recently gave birth may have postnatal depression, and it offers a free 10-question check, the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, that you can do before the appointment.

The questions ask how you have felt over the past 7 days, and your score appears when you submit. HealthHub recommends it for mothers who delivered in the past six months, and says it can be used up to a year after the birth. Bring your result.

If you cannot tell whether it is the baby blues or something more, this is the place to ask.

Problems that should not wait for six weeks

Do not sit on a problem because the appointment is weeks away. Families for Life tells mothers to see their obstetrician or return to hospital as soon as possible for heavy bleeding, worsening tummy pain, fever, a swollen or leaking wound, or signs of depression. KKH also asks you to see a doctor if your lochia suddenly turns heavy after it had been easing.

Some problems are easy to leave out because they feel awkward. The NHS lists leaking pee or wind, soiling, painful sex and pain in the perineum as things to tell your doctor at this check. Your doctor can only help with what you mention, so say it, and ask about your pelvic floor if you leak.

Our full guide to the six-week postnatal check has a question list you can print and tick.

Frequently asked questions

When is the postnatal check after delivery?

Usually four to six weeks after the birth, KKH's doctors say, and sooner if you had medical problems during pregnancy. In the UK the NHS offers it at 6 to 8 weeks, so a friend overseas may have been seen a little later.

Is the 6 week postnatal check for me or my baby?

For you. The NHS describes your baby's check as a separate appointment, though the two can be done one after the other on the same visit.

Do I need a Pap smear at my postnatal checkup?

Only if you are due for one. KKH's doctors say it is done at the review if it is at least six weeks after delivery, to look for abnormal cell changes in the cervix.

Should I wait for my 6-week check to start contraception?

Not necessarily. Families for Life says you may ovulate before your first period, so waiting for a period can be too late. Ask the doctor which method suits you, especially if you are breastfeeding.

Related terms

• Postnatal Depression: A common, treatable depression after birth that lasts beyond two weeks and gets in the way of daily life.
• Baby Blues: Tearful, irritable, anxious days in the first week or two after birth that pass on their own.
• Lochia: The bleeding and discharge after birth, red at first and paler over three to eight weeks.
• Perineum: The skin and muscle between the vagina and anus, which stretches in birth and can tear or be cut.
• Pelvic Floor: The hammock of muscles holding up your womb, bladder and bowel, which pregnancy and birth can weaken.
• Polyclinic: A public primary care clinic with subsidised fees, where Singapore families can take children for jabs and checks.

See every term in the glossary