Postpartum home care in the United States.

Shorter postpartum hospital stays have increased the need for postpartum home care. Health-care reform in the United States must include postpartum follow-up care as a basic maternity benefit. This article explores the variety of options for postpartum home care, including telephone calls, home visits, information lines, lactation consultations, mother-infant outpatient clinics, support groups, and a model program for childbearing women in Washington state.