Whether you've given birth vaginally or via c-section you'll experience bleeding after
giving birth. This bleeding is called lochia and it's a mixture of mucus, tissues and
blood that your uterus or womb gets rid of to replace and renew its lining after childbirth.
Before I talk more about lochia I'll just introduce myself. My name's Anja and I'm a
hypnobirthing practitioner. My youtube channel is here to support you through pregnancy, birth and
motherhood so if you like this video, please consider subscribing and clicking the bell
icon so you don't miss my weekly videos. I bring out a new one every single Tuesday :)
Bleeding after birth can last for a while. For most women it lasts between 24 and 36 days
but some ladies can experience postpartum bleeding for six to seven weeks after birth.
On day one after giving birth expect your lochia to be heavy and for blood to be red or brownie red.
Make sure that you've got plenty of heavy duty, highly absorbent maternity pads to place in
comfortable maternity underwear and you should expect to soak through a maternity pad every two
to three hours at first. You may also notice blood clots coming out into your maternity underwear as
well. If you do notice any blood clots, make sure that you check the size of each one
because it's recommended that you contact your maternity care team straight away
if you notice a blood clot that's larger than the size of a golf ball.
Two to six days after giving birth lochia should be darker brown or
pinkish red. The flow should be lighter and any blood clots should be smaller.
From seven days after giving birth your lochia should gradually get
less and less but it's really important that you don't engage
in any exertive or strenuous activities which could increase the blood loss.
From 11 to 14 days postpartum, your lochia will gradually get lighter and lighter. Any blood will
be darker brown or pinkish and you may also notice that some sanitary pads are hardly stained at all.
Between weeks three and four, lochia is usually paler in colour
possibly creamy white and between weeks five and six
you may only notice a little bit of spotting or staining in your underwear every few days.
In the first two weeks after giving birth even a little bit of gentle exercise or
vacuuming your living room can increase blood loss so it's really important that you ask
friends or family members to do any tidying or cleaning tasks for you.
Lochia will always be heavier in the mornings because as you sleep at night the bleeding
will pool at the bottom of your birth canal then, when you stand up, it will all come out in one go.
Just be aware of that and make sure that you do have maternity pads in your underwear overnight
and when you get up in the morning. Please contact your care team straight away if your lochia gets
heavier rather than lighter over time. Again, like I said, if any blood clots are larger than the size
of a golf ball, if you notice any sharp or intense pains in your abdomen or pelvis, if any lochia has
an offensive or really strong potent smell or if you feel feverish, faint, dizzy or generally unwell.
And a few final points... please only use sanitary pads in your underwear to absorb the postpartum
bleeding. Never insert any tampons or menstrual cups. Also you should abstain from having sexual
intercourse with your partner for at least six weeks after giving birth because you're
going to be at risk of getting infections, germs and bacteria in your birth canal and your womb
which all need to heal up and recover after birth. Please make sure that you are using some kind of
contraception when you are sexually active again because you can get pregnant really easily after
giving birth even if you're breastfeeding and your periods haven't started again. Thanks so much for
watching this video today! I hope it's helped you to understand what to expect with regards
postpartum bleeding after you've given birth. If you've got any questions about lochia, pop me
a message in the comments section beneath this video and I'll get back to you as soon as I can :)
Whilst you're here, why not check out my really affordable hypnobirthing mini course!
You and your partner can work through this flexibly around your home life and work life
and it's your essential guide to a really calm and positive birth experience -
the link is in the video description below. Take care and see you in my next video :)