Postpartum care in the U.S. has long been built around a surprisingly limited model: have a baby, go home, and come back around six weeks later.

One reason? The way maternity care is paid for. But that may be about to change.

Beginning in 2027, a major shift in obstetric billing could create new opportunities for more frequent, individualized, and multidisciplinary postpartum care—including better access to care for pelvic floor dysfunction, birth recovery, mental health, breastfeeding concerns, hypertension, and more.

Could changing how we pay for postpartum care finally help change how we care for mothers after birth?

Read more about why postpartum care in America looks the way it does—and why the future may look very different.