Have you ever used the word……

I don't think it's American, but I've only heard in medical context- most common use is "postpartum depression".

Or postnatal!

I’ve heard this word. It means postnatal, surely.

As a an old ex midwife we always used postpartum back in the 1970’s

Sadly, I connect this word with reading of the deaths of mothers after childbirth 😢

Its always been around, but, as others have said, in medical contexts

M0nica

Its always been around, but, as others have said, in medical contexts

Exactly.

It’s definitely a “medical” term and I’ve heard it used.

hollysteers

Sadly, I connect this word with reading of the deaths of mothers after childbirth 😢

No, that’s not the meaning. Not as I understand it anyway!!

The word itself doesn't imply anything bad, like death or depression, just the timing of whatever event is being described, usually in a medical context. I don't know why it has taken the place of post-natal.
I imagine you could also say "postpartum clothes buying" to describe that search for clothes to fit your new shape (and it wasn't the slender figure you'd been looking forward to returning to)

I've only heard the word in a medical context, never as a way of describing a timescale in an ordinary conversation. But then I imagine most young people look to the Internet for answers about childbirth, etc, where words like that are often used. I'm in favour of people learning as many "real" words as possible (and using them). Heaven knows, we're closing down our vocabulary at a rate of knots these days, so anything that counteracts that has to be good....

Only in the phrase postpartum hæmorrhage.

I've heard it in a medical context and certainly over on MN. I don't remember any of the mothers I was knocking around with when we were pregnant or "postpartum" ever using it.

I did an obstetric course back in 1972 and the expression postpartum was in common use and was not new back then.

I don't know why the interchangeable expressions post natal and postpartum are used in different contexts; for example postpartum haemorrhage and post natal depression.

From Latin, don’t think it’s American though - just a medical term,

I’ve been aware of the term itself but not in that context, only in medical use.

Is it like parents now say their child is 75 weeks old or 33 months old? It’s very odd language, to my ears.

As others said, postnatal used to be more common in the UK and postpartum in the US I think.
I had a baby years ago in America and it was definitely postpartum then over there.

Text books I've read used both I think.
Neither bothers me.

Thinking about this - maybe "postnatal" was more "common speak" than postpartum - which is obviously correct and well used in midwifery?