1. Introduction
The postpartum period or the puerperium is defined as the period ‘‘encompassing the first few weeks following birth’’. This definition of the postpartum period has long guided services and research towards a restrictive approach to postpartum health focusing on problems related to the
reproductive organs and neglecting other aspects of women’s physical and psychosocial health in addition to limiting the time period for postpartum recovery. In fact, WHO defines postpar-
tum maternal morbidity as morbidity occuring within the first six weeks of giving birth