In pregnancy, a bleeding and blood clot discussion may not be high on your list of topics to enjoy with morning coffee. We can guarantee, however, you will be glad you had this information after your baby arrives! After nine blessed months of freedom from worry about ‘Aunt Flo’s’ arrival, suddenly questions about postpartum bleeding and blood clots will top your list.
To save frantic Googling when the time arrives, here are the answers to the most common questions you are likely to have.
Why do women bleed after having a baby?
Postpartum bleeding is from:
- A raw area where the placenta was attached. During pregnancy, the placenta is attached to the wall of your uterus. Once the placenta detaches, it leaves a wound that bleeds until it heals.
- Sloughing of the uterus’ lining. Your body sheds the lining of the uterus in the days after birth. This causes a period like bleeding called ‘lochia’.
- A tear or episiotomy. This type of bleeding lasts only a short time and typically stops once the wound is sutured.
After birth, your uterus will squeeze or contract to control bleeding. If it does not ‘kick into gear’ and begin to contract, your healthcare provider may massage your uterus or give you a special medication. Breastfeeding is a natural way to help this process as it releases a hormone that causes contractions.
Related: Happily After Giving Birth – 10 Things They Don’t Tell You
Typical postpartum bleeding timeline
Day 1-2
For the first few days after baby’s birth, your blood flow will be bright red and about as heavy as your menstrual period.
Day 3-4
By the time your baby is three or four days old, you should begin to see a more pinkish watery flow.
Day 8-10
By 8-10 days after delivery, your flow should be mostly thick and yellowish in color.
How long does it take to stop bleeding after giving birth?
It takes about four to six weeks for the area where the placenta was attached to fully heal. You may, therefore, have a little flow or some spotting until 6 weeks after baby’s birth. For most women, it resolves much sooner.
If you find your bleeding becoming bright red and heavier again after Day 3, it could be your body’s way of telling you that you are overdoing it. Try resting to see if it subsides. Bleeding that stays bright red past the first week is unusual; see your healthcare provider.
Can I use tampons after giving birth?
Unfortunately, tampons should not be used for at least 6 weeks after you have given birth. They can introduce bacteria into your vagina, increasing your chance of getting an infection in your uterus.
Are postpartum blood clots normal?
Dark colored and jelly-like:
Blood can pool and clot inside your vagina when you are lying or sitting. A change of position can cause the clot to pass. Blood clots are usually dark colored and jelly-like in texture. It is common to pass occasional blood clots, the size of a golf ball or smaller.
Clot with stringy whitish bits:
Sometimes a piece of the placenta has been left behind in the uterus. This can cause cramping, heavy bleeding, and blood clots. If you pass a clot with stringy whitish bits you may have passed a piece of tissue. Monitor your symptoms a bit more closely as you will be at a higher risk for heavy bleeding and infection.
Pain, fever and a rotten odor:
Symptoms of an infection in your uterus include pain, fever and a rotten odor to your blood flow. If you aren’t sure if your flow has a bad odor, chances are it doesn’t; it is usually quite obvious! Be sure to get in touch with your healthcare provider if you develop any signs of infection or if you are passing clots larger than a golf ball.
If you soak an entire maxi-pad, from front to back, in less than an hour, you need to seek medical attention immediately (go to the closest emergency room).
More postpartum information
For further reading, here are the answers to the top 10 questions after a vaginal delivery and after a C-section. Please don’t rush your recovery; your body needs time to heal. Try to relax as you recover, listen to your body and enjoy snuggling that new baby!
Online Class: Healing and Recovery from Birth
The answers to the rest of your questions are in our online class Healing and Recovery from Birth. The first 100 people to use the code PREGCHICK50 get 50% off. Enroll before you are exhausted and overwhelmed after delivery! Notify your healthcare provider if any signs of infection appear.
I think more women need to be educated about the signs of infection! I didn’t have a fever, because I was taking ibuprofen for the cramping. But I was so incredibly nauseous and dizzy. I thought it must not be normal, but I eventually wound up at urgent care because my provider didn’t take it seriously!
I bled for 6 full weeks after my third, I’m sure there was more than a week of red blood, but I was never told that’s unusual! But I didn’t have overly heavy bleeding or large clots, so I’m thinking it’s from going 3 years straight of pregnancy and/or breastfeeding with only one period in that time! I’m now at 5+ years straight with #4 on the way, so no idea what to expect in that department!!
Thank you for this. I had delayed postpartum hemorrhage and I didn’t know what to expect (wait, it isn’t normal to be bleeding and passing cherry-sized clots 3 week after?!) I sincerely hope that this helps someone out there who was like me.
I hardly had bleeding after my daughter was born. The bleeding I did have lasted about 2 weeks. It wasn’t until 4 weeks after her birth, that my body decided to start bleeding again but this time with some larger clots than what I was used to seeing. I thought it must have been my period coming back, but decided to call the ob’s office to be sure. I was told all was well and it was normal. The following afternoon I felt some cramp like pains, but also felt the need to go to the bathroom. As I stood up I had a gush that I could not control or try to hold in. By the time I got to the bathroom I had a trail of blood behind me, and the blood had soaked through the pad, panties, and sweatpaints I was wearing. It had dripped all the way down into my slippers. The toilet had blood clots that were the size of an orange. Multiple clots. The blood just continued to pour out like a faucet. It was very scary to say the least. I called my doctor who told me to get to the ER asap. Once I got there, and after being probed by every student attending that afternoon, I wound up getting a D&C and D&E. The final diagnosis was that a piece of placenta was left in my uterus, and the hemmorage was actually my body’s natural way of trying to push it out on its own. Today, about 5 weeks later and almost 8 weeks after birthing, I am bleeding again. I hope to God this is my period. I am a nervous wreck every time I stand or go to the bathroom. Everybody keeps telling me that it is fine but it is really hard to not worry about it happening again.
Yes, I passed a blood clot slightly larger the size of a clementine a week or so after giving birth and I totally freaked out. Called the hospital sure I was having some sort of complication because they mentioned the loonie thing in the hospital when I was leaving and said to call if I passed anything larger. When I called, they said not to worry about it if there wasn’t significant bleeding otherwise. Scary though!
Felt like to me that the after delivery bleeding was my body storing up all nine months of periods and decided to release it all at the same time. Guess the 50% increase in blood volume needs to come out somehow.
I always bleed for 8 weeks and it is pretty heavy like a period almost the whole time, with a few stops in between. Just saying there is a wide range of normal. But with my periods I always have heavy bleeds and they last for a whole week, so maybe that’s why my postpartum bleeding is always so heavy.
I bled for more than a month with all three of my children. I certainly bled red for more than 3 weeks for all of them, as well. Never had any other complications. I was very surprised to read that 8-10 days is "normal." I was still filling huge overnight pads at that point.
An very important topic. I had post partum hemmorage after both deliveries( one a week delayed) I would highly recommend you don’t ignore blood clots. It was because of my swift action after passing a large clot that saved my life. After that passed the bleeding continued so much do that I needed an emergency D&C and transfusions. That didn’t work so I needed an uterine embolisation (crazy!)Though my delayed hemmorage an experience is rare, and I don’t want to scare anyone, it’s important we take our recovery seriously.
Meg, I had them with both boys, one the sz of an orange which came bouncing out when standing up from peeing. Doc said not to worry, but make sure I took iron supplements
A very helpful post! I had a blood clot the size of an apple or so after my son. . . eek! Definitely larger than a loonie, but I thought nothing of it at the time. It that something I should watch for when baby no 2 makes their arrival?