On the first day you may soak up to one sanitary pad each hour. Over the next several days, the bleeding will slowly get less each day and change colour from bright red to a pink or brown colour and then to a creamy colour. Most women will stop bleeding between four and six weeks after giving birth.
The cycle of lochia is the same for everyone, but the duration of each stage can vary. If you're changing your pad every four hours, you'll need a minimum of six pads a day for the duration of the bleeding, which, on average, lasts four weeks (so it's safe to assume you'll go through 150+ pads).
2 packets of super-absorbent sanitary or maternity pads. 5 or 6 pairs of knickers – you may want to bring some disposable ones. your washbag with a toothbrush, hairbrush, flannel, soap, lip balm, deodorant, hair ties and other toiletries.
Change your pad often.
Each time you use the bathroom or change your pad wash your hands both before and after. Be sure to remove the dirty pad and replace a clean pad, from front to back. Change the sanitary pad after every void or bowel movement, or at least 4x a day. Both lochia and feces are a medium for bacteria.
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.
Most women will stop bleeding between four and six weeks after giving birth. Some women may bleed for longer or shorter than this.
Special maternity pads can help absorb the heavier bleeding while still keeping you comfortable and secure while you recover from delivery. The pads tend to be thicker and more absorbent, holding more fluid than a typical menstrual pad. They also tend to be longer and wider in the back, with wings for added security.
Special maternity pads are used during this time to absorb the heavy bleeding and keep the tired mommy comfortable and secure. While super absorbent sanitary pads can hold up to 10ml of fluid, maternity pads can hold up to 450 ml of liquid.
It is hard to define normalcy of number of pads per day. On total, one to seven normal sized pads or tampons per period are normal.
Severe vaginal bleeding means that you are soaking 1 or 2 pads or tampons in 1 or 2 hours, unless that is normal for you. For most women, passing clots of blood from the vagina and soaking through their usual pads or tampons every hour for 2 or more hours is not normal and is considered severe.
Try taking a warm bath in a clean bathtub, unless your health care provider tells you otherwise. Sitting in a shallow bath with warm water can help soothe, clean and heal your perineum. You can do this twice a day for up to 20 minutes at a time. Use clean, warm water with no soaps, oils or bubble bath.
If you delivered vaginally, you may drive when you feel comfortable and have stopped taking pain medications. If you had a cesarean section, wait at least two weeks before driving. Sitz baths (warm, shallow baths), regular baths, and showers are safe after vaginal delivery and can help with discomfort.
You'll have to wait until your incision has healed and your doctor tells you it's okay, before taking your first bath post-birth. Generally speaking, this can take around three weeks.
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.
There are four main causes of postpartum hemorrhage that account for the majority of cases. Also known as the “Four T's”, these are Tone (uterine atony), Tissue (retained placenta), Trauma (laceration), and Thrombin (coagulopathy).
Depends. Adult diapers. While some new moms prefer using disposable postpartum pads, others like not having to worry about leaking off their pad onto underwear (creating more laundry). Some women will experience bleeding that requires them to use a disposable pad in conjunction with an adult diaper.
Typically, postpartum diapers are worn for the first few days to a week after delivery, when bleeding is at its heaviest. If you plan to give birth in a hospital, they should also provide several postpartum diapers (or mesh undies with a separate pad) to get you through those first days.
Both are beneficial to have on hand, and many moms like to use them together. It is all about preference! It is often best to wear postpartum diapers for the beginning of your recovery and switch to maternity pads after the first week or two.
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.