gynecology and obstetrics
Postpartum Care
Laboratory parameters
During the first week, urine temporarily increases in volume and becomes more dilute as the additional plasma volume of pregnancy is excreted. Care must be taken when interpreting urinalysis results because lochia can contaminate the urine. Because blood volume is redistributed, hematocrit may fluctuate, although it tends to remain in the prepregnancy range if women do not hemorrhage. Because the white blood count (WBC) increases during labor, marked leukocytosis (up to 20,000 to 30,000/mcL) occurs in the first 24 hours postpartum; WBC count returns to normal within 1 week. Plasma fibrinogen and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) remain elevated during the first week postpartum. 