Most women will stop bleeding between four and six weeks after giving birth. Some women may bleed for longer or shorter than this.
Bleeding often lasts for around for four to six weeks, but could last up to 12 weeks after your baby's born . If you're worried, you can talk to a health professional. Bleeding will start off heavy and red to browny red. It will become lighter in colour and flow over time .
You'll go through three postpartum bleeding stages: lochia rubra, lochia serosa and lochia alba.
Breastfeeding promotes uterine involution, and can help control postpartum bleeding.
It usually happens within one day of giving birth, but it can also happen up to 12 weeks after having a baby. About 1-5% of women experience postpartum hemorrhage.
Don't drink alcohol, use street drugs or use harmful drugs. All of these can affect your mood and make you feel worse. And they can make it hard for you to take care of your baby. Ask for help from your partner, family and friends.
If your postnatal bleeding (lochia) gets heavier or changes colour (becomes pink or red) after activity, you could be overdoing it. You're also likely to feel very tired. Listen to your body. Pace yourself and make sure you get plenty of rest too.
Instead, it's a nurse, midwife or OB pressing on your uterus through your abdominal wall, in order to help it shrink. This is often done in addition to Pitocin (artificial oxytocin), which studies show can also help your uterus shrink quickly.
Some pregnant individuals pass no clots at all. During days 4–10, your flow will be lighter each day and be brownish or pink. You'll need to change your menstrual pad every 3–5 hours or every time you go to the bathroom. After 10 days and until about 2–6 weeks, your flow will be yellowish white.
If the placenta, or pieces of the placenta, stay inside your uterus, you can develop an infection. A retained placenta or membrane has to be removed and you will need to see your doctor right away. If you have major bleeding, this is a medical emergency and you should go to your nearest hospital immediately.
Pain. You may have some pain and cramping after giving birth. This is because your womb (uterus) is contracting and going back to its normal size. These pains usually last for 2 or 3 days after a straightforward vaginal delivery, but may last a little longer if you had a tear or an assisted birth, for example.
Mood Changes and Postpartum Depression
“The baby blues” are experienced by many moms in the first two weeks postpartum, and these feelings can extend for multiple weeks. It's common to feel weepy, cry over the littlest things, and go from feeling elated one minute to sad the next.
Over time, your postpartum belly will lessen on its own. However, there are ways you can improve your postpartum belly at home. Once your doctor says it's OK, try to add exercise to your daily routine. Start with walking and light body weight exercises.
By 3 weeks postpartum you are probably starting to feel more like yourself, and your physical healing is well on its way. You may be tempted to take on more activities, but keep in mind that the more you rest, the more quickly your body will fully heal.
Prepare for the 5-5-5 rule: 5 days in the bed, 5 days on the bed, 5 days near the bed. This gives you a solid two weeks of focused intentional rest. It also helps to get your priorities in order when it comes to those eager visitors. They will get to see the baby, but they don't get to make the rules.
Most people find the first six to eight weeks to be the hardest with a new baby. And, although people may not openly discuss many of the challenges in these early weeks of parenthood (if at all), there are a number of common hurdles you may face at this time.
At 7 days postpartum after a vaginal delivery, you're likely to be sore. Very sore. If your perineum had a tear or you had an episiotomy, the healing time will be even slower. Use our perineal balm to help soothe and speed up your healing.
It may not seem like much, but taking a short walk can help tremendously during your postpartum recovery. “I encourage patients to be getting up and walking around almost immediately after delivery,” Prager says. “Even if it's a 10-minute walk around the block, it can be extremely helpful for the healing process.
The first few weeks after delivery are an important time for you to rest whenever you can. Try and sleep or rest when your baby sleeps. This rest will help you recover. Avoiding heavy lifting: You should avoid lifting anything that's heavier than your baby while you're recovering.
How do I know if my lochia is infected? The biggest sign of infection is foul-smelling or greenish-colored vaginal discharge. Contact your healthcare provider as they may want to check for infection.
Limit your activity to caring for yourself and your baby. If you had an exercise routine during pregnancy, ask your health care provider when you can begin again. You can start the gentle postpartum exercise routine described below the day after you give birth.
The stitches in the skin should heal in 5-10 days. The underlying stitches in your muscle layer will take longer to heal. These won't completely heal for 12 weeks. For the stitches that you can see, make sure to watch for any signs of infection.
In those first few weeks postpartum, your cervix is still somewhat dilated, regardless of whether you had a vaginal delivery or a c-section. There's a theory – though no research has confirmed this – that tub water could travel into your uterus, introduce bacteria, and cause an infection.