Because of the unique nature of the Canadian health-care system, postpartum home care in Canada has taken on a distinctive form. The provision of postpartum home care is the responsibility of the individual provinces, and different approaches have been developed in each location. The most commonly observed pattern of postpartum care involves publicly funded services provided by public health nurses. Health-care reform and shortened hospital stays have led to changing patterns of care. In turn, these changes have precipitated issues for the mother-infant dyad, the family, and the community.