After your babe is born, it may seem as though all the symptoms you've been contending with over the terminal nine months or so will evaporate instantly. But y'all'll continue to experience a diversity of symptoms during the postpartum recovery menstruation, one of which is vaginal haemorrhage.

Remainder assured that postpartum haemorrhage normal and temporary. Hither's what y'all can expect, including how long postpartum haemorrhage typically lasts and how to safely manage it.

What is postpartum bleeding or lochia?

Vaginal postpartum bleeding, or lochia, is the discharge of blood and fungus that starts after commitment. Postpartum bleeding is normal and natural: Your body is ridding itself of all the extra blood, mucus and tissue it needed during pregnancy. As a event, y'all'll experience postpartum bleeding whether y'all gave birth vaginally or had a C-section.

Lochia is typically heavier and (often much) longer-lasting than your menstrual cycle. It also has some components that you lot won't find in a bones menstrual catamenia, like mucus and tissue from your uterus, more often than not from where the placenta was attached.

The heaviest of the bleeding volition last for about three to 10 days afterwards labor and commitment, and then it should taper off to lighter bleeding or spotting.

How long do you bleed after giving nascency?

Lochia is typically heavier and dark ruby-red in colour for upwardly to ten days after giving birth, and then transitions into lighter bleeding or spotting that can terminal for four to six weeks afterwards delivery. You'll meet the difference in the color equally this starts to happen, from red to pinkish, so dark-brown, and finally to a yellowish white.

Even so, every person is different, and postpartum bleeding may end sooner or later.

How to safely manage postpartum bleeding

For the showtime six weeks, apply only pads, even if you need pads equally thick equally your baby'southward diapers. Don't employ tampons, which tin can introduce bacteria into your still-recovering uterus and genital tract.

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Choose apparel — especially underwear — that yous don't intendance as well much about. Wearing your favorites immediately afterward commitment, fifty-fifty if you could fit into them, might non exist such a good idea, since stains from spotting later pregnancy will inevitably happen.

Finally, take it easy during your postpartum recovery flow. Doing also much also soon can irksome down the body's repair work and crusade bleeding to starting time once more, or to become heavy once it'due south started tapering off.

When should you telephone call your doctor about postpartum bleeding?

You should contact your dr. if you lot notice any of the following, which could exist signs of an infection or another more than serious condition such as postpartum hemorrhage:

  • Very large clots (think the size of a lemon or larger)
  • A very heavy catamenia — enough to soak through a maxi pad every hour
  • Lochia that has a foul smell (normal lochia should scent like a normal period)
  • Faintness, breathlessness, dizziness or a racing middle
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Swelling and pain around the vagina or perineum (the area in between the vagina and rectum)
  • Fever or chills