Postpartum how long does bleeding last

Read time 7 minutes. Breadcrumb Home Life as a parent Your body after birth Bleeding after birth: 10 things you need to know. Email Post Tweet Post. Bleeding after birth may last for a while Bleeding typically lasts around for 24 to 36 days Fletcher et al, Heavy flow that probably soaks one maternity pad every few hours, with one or two clots or several smaller ones.

Day 2 to 6: Darker brown or pinkish red blood. Moderate flow with 7 cm to 12 cm stains on your maternity pads and smaller blood clots. Day 7 to Darker brown or pinkish red blood, becoming lighter. Variable but lighter flow, with less than a 7 cm stain on your pads. Days 11 to Darker brown or pinkish red blood, becoming lighter.

Lighter flow, you may have some sanitary towels that are hardly stained. Week 3 to 4: Paler, possibly a creamy white blood loss. Lighter flow.

Week 5 to 6: Brown, pinkish red, or creamy yellow stains, possibly for several weeks, and possibly only on some days. Here's how long postpartum bleeding typically lasts, plus how to safely manage it. Back to Top. In This Article. Continue Reading Below. Read This Next. Vaginal and Perineal Tears After Childbirth. Postpartum Hemorrhage. Postpartum Fitness Tips for New Moms.

View Sources. March of Dimes, Postpartum Hemorrhage , March First Year. Expect the stain on your maternity pads to get smaller and lighter.

You may pass little blood clots. Let your midwife know if you think you might be passing too much blood after a week. After three weeks. Your uterus should now be almost back to its previous size. Cramping or contractions should also be coming to an end. After six weeks. Some women may experience a small amount of brown, pink or yellowish-white discharge up to six weeks after giving birth. It may appear in small amounts daily or just occasionally.

This additional bleeding should only last a few extra days. If you breastfeed, your periods may take longer re-start. Continuing to pass large blood clots. If you pass large clots after the first 24 hours, or you continue to pass blood clots after one week, contact your midwife or doctor straight away. The blood flow increases, rather than decreases. Lochia flow will be heavy in the first few days after giving birth. The amount should gradually decrease over time. If the blood flow suddenly becomes heavier than it was, or continues as a heavy or moderate loss for longer than a week, contact your midwife or GP immediately.

The NHS advises mums experiencing heavy blood loss to keep a stained sanitary towel or any clots they have passed so the problem can be investigated.

A woman can often manage regular postpartum bleeding as if it were a period. Resting, practicing good hygiene, and addressing each symptom individually can help.

If a doctor believes that the bleeding might indicate a problem, they may :. After delivery, the uterine sheds extra tissue and blood that it no longer needs. It also changes its lining and shrinks to its regular size. This process commonly results in postpartum bleeding, which may last about 6 weeks, though it can take longer to finish.

The flow and the color of the blood vary from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy. If the flow is very heavy, however, or if it accompanies pain or other symptoms, a woman should receive medical care right away.

Women may take longer to recover from a cesarean delivery, or C-section, compared with a vaginal birth. In this article, we look at what to expect in…. Many women wonder what to expect from their first postpartum period, as well as when to expect it. In this article, learn about the first period after….

After giving birth, it is normal for a woman to experience bleeding and to pass some blood clots as the uterus contracts and shrinks. Learn what to…. Postpartum recovery involves physical and emotional changes. These may take place in the first 6 weeks after delivery, or they may take longer. What are the recommendations for how long women should wait before resuming sex after pregnancy?