The first weeks and months following the birth of a child are an extraordinarily intense period for families—adapting to the newborn, maternal recovery after childbirth, family adjustments, and constant questions about the baby's health and development. While hospital birth care and immediate follow-up by a midwife or obstetrical team are well-defined in Quebec, the transition to primary outpatient care can represent a gap in services for many families who do not have a family doctor or whose doctor does not accept new patients.
Clinique Omicron offers postpartum maternal follow-up and primary pediatric care services at several of its branches in Quebec — medical examinations for infants and young children, developmental follow-up, vaccination according to the Quebec schedule, and maternal health assessment after childbirth. These services allow families to access quality care without the delays that often characterize access to pediatricians or family doctors in the current Quebec context.
Maternal postpartum follow-up: mother's physical and mental health
The postpartum maternal check-up is recommended 6 to 8 weeks after childbirth—but certain situations warrant an earlier consultation. Physically, recovery after a vaginal birth or Cesarean section involves several aspects to evaluate: perineal healing (tears, episiotomy) or Cesarean scar healing, resolution of swelling and pain, recovery from anemia sometimes present after childbirth (blood tests as needed), return of menstruation, and resumption of contraception (progestogen-only contraception is compatible with breastfeeding; combined estrogen-progestogen contraceptives are generally avoided in the first few postpartum weeks and during breastfeeding), gradual return to physical activity, and pelvic floor assessment—symptoms of urinary incontinence or postpartum pelvic pain warrant management by a doctor with a referral to pelvic physiotherapy if indicated.
Postpartum mental health is a fundamental aspect of maternal care that is too often overlooked. Postpartum depression (PPD) affects approximately 10 to 15% of mothers after childbirth—a prevalence significantly higher than that of the «baby blues» (transient sadness in the first few days linked to hormonal changes), which affects up to 80% of women and resolves spontaneously within two weeks. PPD manifests as persistent sadness, anhedonia (loss of pleasure), profound fatigue beyond simple sleep deprivation, difficulty bonding with the baby, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and sometimes suicidal ideation. It requires active medical management—psychosocial support, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and antidepressants (some of which are compatible with breastfeeding, notably sertraline) if the severity warrants it. Systematic screening using the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) during the postpartum visit helps identify women at risk and enables early intervention.
Routine pediatric exams and child development follow-up
The Quebec Child Health Program recommends routine medical check-ups at key ages to monitor the growth, development, feeding, and vision/hearing of infants and young children, and to administer vaccines according to the provincial schedule. These pediatric follow-up visits take place approximately at 2 weeks, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, and 4 years of age—with additional visits as needed. During each appointment, the doctor or nurse practitioner measures weight, height, and head circumference (plotted on WHO growth charts), assesses neurodevelopmental and motor development according to age-appropriate milestones, examines various systems, and answers parents' questions and concerns.
Developmental milestones—or key stages expected at each age—are important indicators for early detection of delays that require further evaluation or intervention. By 2 months, infants should smile socially and follow an object with their eyes. By 4 months, they should hold their head up and coo. By 6 months, they should roll over and recognize familiar voices. By 12 months, they should stand with support and say a few words. By 18 months, they should walk alone and have a vocabulary of at least 10 words. By 24 months, they should combine two words and understand simple instructions. These milestones serve as starting points for screening—an isolated delay in one area is less concerning than a global delay in multiple areas. A speech delay, in particular, is a frequent reason for pediatric consultations and may warrant a referral to speech therapy, audiology (to rule out hearing loss), or developmental pediatrics, depending on the clinical presentation.
Vaccination of infants and young children in Quebec
The Quebec Immunization Program (PIQ) offers a complete series of vaccines free of charge to infants and young children according to a specific schedule, ensuring early protection against many serious infectious diseases. Vaccines administered in the first months and years of life include the combination vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and hepatitis B (DTaP-IPV-Hib-HepB) at 2, 4, and 6 months with a booster at 18 months; the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV15 or PCV20) at 2, 4, and 12 months; the serogroup C meningococcal vaccine (Men-C) at 12 months and serogroup ACWY (Men-ACYW) in secondary school; the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, administered at 12 months and in kindergarten; and the chickenpox vaccine at 18 months and in kindergarten. These vaccines are administered during routine pediatric visits at Clinique Omicron, as part of the child's health monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions about Postpartum Follow-up and Pediatrics
When should one consult if they think they are suffering from postpartum depression? What signs should be a warning?
Postpartum depression can develop at any time during the first year after childbirth—not just in the first few weeks. It is often underdiagnosed because mothers are reluctant to talk about it due to guilt, shame, or fear of judgment. Do not wait until symptoms become severe before seeking help. Signs that warrant prompt medical consultation include: sadness or an emotional void that persists for more than two weeks without improvement; an inability to care for oneself or the baby; intrusive thoughts (unwanted, repetitive thoughts about accidents or injuries to the baby, present in about 50% of women with PPD—contrary to popular belief, these thoughts do not mean the mother wants to harm her child, but they are very distressing and warrant evaluation); a feeling of total inadequacy or of not deserving to be a mother; refusal or inability to sleep even when the baby is sleeping; and, of course, any thoughts of harming oneself. Postpartum depression is a medical condition that responds well to treatment—seeking help early significantly improves the prognosis for the mother, the mother-child bond, and the child’s development.
My 18-month-old baby isn't talking yet. Is this a worrying delay? When should I consult a doctor?
At 18 months old, a vocabulary of at least 10 meaningful words (not just «mama» and «dada») is the expected milestone according to language development benchmarks. The absence of any words at 18 months is generally considered a sign that warrants evaluation, although normal language development varies significantly—some children experience a later onset of expressive language development without any underlying pathology (referred to as «late talkers»). What concerns professionals more than a simple expressive language delay is the absence of understanding simple instructions (pointing to objects when asked, responding to their name), the absence of non-verbal communication (proto-imperative and proto-declarative pointing, imitation), language regression (loss of acquired words or skills), and an association with other signs of atypical development. The 18-month pediatric visit is precisely a key moment to assess language and decide whether a referral for audiology (to rule out undetected mild to moderate hearing loss, a common cause of language delay) or speech therapy is indicated. It is always better to consult early—early speech therapy intervention yields better results than late intervention, and normal audiology results are also reassuring for the family.
Are childhood vaccines safe? Can the vaccination schedule be spaced out or modified?
The vaccines on the Quebec immunization schedule are among the most well-studied medical interventions, and their safety has been rigorously evaluated in medicine—they benefit from decades of global post-marketing surveillance. Common adverse effects—pain at the injection site, local redness, mild transient fever, irritability—are benign and temporary, reflecting the normal triggering of the immune response. Serious adverse effects are extremely rare (severe allergic reaction anaphylaxis: approximately 1 to 2 cases per million doses), and the clinical vaccination setting allows for immediate management. The causal link between vaccines and autism, widely circulated following a fraudulent and retracted 1998 study (Wakefield), has been definitively refuted by dozens of large-scale epidemiological studies involving millions of children. Modifying or spacing out the vaccination schedule based on unfounded concerns is not recommended—it leaves the child vulnerable to preventable diseases for longer periods, with no demonstrated benefit. Schedule adjustments may be justified in certain specific medical situations (immunodeficiency, documented allergies to vaccine components), and are discussed with the physician on a case-by-case basis.
https://cliniqueomicron.ca/blogue////////////////////-consultation-pediatrique-pediatre-ramq-clinique-omicron-rive-sud-2026/
Omicron Clinic
Need to consult a doctor?
En clinique ou en télémédecine, partout au Québec.
Reçus pour assurances. Téléconsultation 7 j/7. Sans médecin de famille requis.
