Introduction <p>The postnatal period is crucial for the physical and emotional well-being of both mothers and new-borns. During this time, women experience numerous physiological and psychological changes, requiring adequate support and care to ensure a smooth transition to motherhood and promote healthy infant development. Despite the benefits of postnatal care, many women in the Tamale Metropolis are unable to attend postnatal care services. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate first-time mothers’ satisfaction with postnatal care services in Tamale Metropolis.</p> Method <p>This hospital-based study used analytical cross-sectional design with a quantitative approach to collect data from first-time mothers. The approached allowed for a structured and objective assessment of first-time mothers’ satisfaction with postnatal care services in Tamale Metropolis. The quantitative approached helped to estimate descriptive statistics like mean, and standard deviation which were used to summarize the responses and gave a clearer picture of satisfaction levels. A probability sampling technique was employed with a sample size of 267 for first time mothers.</p> Results <p>Half of the respondents (50.0%) reported that healthcare providers were their main source of postnatal care information. About 47.9% were satisfied and 21.3% were Very satisfied with the postnatal care service they received. Hence the overall satisfaction of respondents with the postnatal care service was 69.3%. Emotional well-being (53.7%), sleep disturbances (74.9%), and breastfeeding difficulties (65.3%) were the challenges the first-time mothers experienced. It was revealed that over 51.7% of the respondents adhered fully to the recommended postnatal care practices from healthcare professionals. Preparation for postnatal period, support from healthcare providers, physical health issues, lack of social support, and frequency of postnatal check-ups were statistically significant with respondents’ satisfaction with postnatal care services. About 39.7% of respondents moderately agreed that their postnatal experiences matched their expectations, while 56.2% noted specific differences between their experiences and expectations.</p> Conclusion <p>The study highlights several key challenges faced by mothers during the postnatal period, including emotional well-being issues, sleep disturbances, and breastfeeding difficulties. Despite these challenges, over half of the respondents adhered fully to the recommended postnatal care practices. Regular mental health screenings during postnatal visits can help identify and address emotional well-being issues early.</p>