How many weeks lochia

Vaginal postpartum bleeding, or lochia, is the discharge of blood and mucus that starts after delivery. Postpartum bleeding is normal and natural: Your body is ridding itself of all the extra blood, mucus and tissue it needed during pregnancy.

As a result, you'll experience postpartum bleeding whether you gave birth vaginally or had a C-section. Lochia is typically heavier and often much longer-lasting than your menstrual cycle. It also has some components that you won't find in a basic menstrual period, like mucus and tissue from your uterus, mostly from where the placenta was attached.

The heaviest of the bleeding will last for about three to 10 days after labor and delivery, and then it should taper off to lighter bleeding or spotting. Lochia is typically heavier and dark red in color for up to 10 days after giving birth, and then transitions into lighter bleeding or spotting that can last for four to six weeks after delivery. You'll see the difference in the color as this starts to happen, from red to pink, then brown, and finally to a yellowish white.

For the first six weeks, use only pads, even if you need pads as thick as your baby's diapers. Don't use tampons, which can introduce bacteria into your still-recovering uterus and genital tract.

Choose clothes — particularly underwear — that you don't care too much about. Wearing your favorites immediately after delivery, even if you could fit into them, might not be such a good idea, since stains from spotting after pregnancy will inevitably happen. Finally, take it easy during your postpartum recovery period.

Doing too much too soon can slow down the body's repair work and cause bleeding to start again, or to become heavy once it's started tapering off. You should contact your doctor if you notice any of the following, which could be signs of an infection or another more serious condition such as postpartum hemorrhage :.

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Why am I bleeding? After a vaginal delivery After a cesarean delivery What to do Increased bleeding Calling the doctor Recovery We include products we think are useful for our readers. Postpartum bleeding. It contains: blood pieces of the uterine lining mucus white blood cells Like a period, this bleeding is caused by the shedding and restoration of your uterine lining.

Bleeding after a vaginal delivery. Bleeding after a cesarean delivery. As the bleeding slows, you can transition to a regular menstrual pad. Why your bleeding might increase. But a few things can temporarily increase the blood flow, including: getting out of bed in the morning breastfeeding your body produces the hormone oxytocin while you nurse, which stimulates uterine contractions and accelerates healing exercising straining when urinating or defecating.

When to call your doctor. Also, tell your doctor if you notice: signs of infection, like foul-smelling discharge a fever of Getting back to normal. Parenthood Postpartum Care Post Delivery. Is It Spotting or a Period? Causes, Symptoms, and More. Vaginal Bleeding Between Periods. Recovery and Care After Delivery. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Rachel Liberto, R.

Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. Every woman experiences bleeding after birth as the body expels lochia—a discharge of blood, mucus, and uterine tissue.

This shedding lochia not totally unlike menstruation, notes Dr. Masterson, because it's made up of the same kind of blood and tissue. But lochia happens on a much larger scale because of how big the uterus grows during pregnancy. The discharge after birth also lasts a lot longer than a normal period , and it goes through a few changes before finally stopping. In the first days and weeks after delivery , lochia looks very similar to period blood; it's bright red in color and the flow can be fairly heavy.

You might need to wear thicker maternity pads, and it's possible you may pass a small piece of placenta or what looks like tissue along with the blood. After the first two weeks, Masterson says the color of your lochia will change from red to dark brown and will decrease in volume; eventually, it may become yellow and watery. You may also begin bleeding more irregularly rather than having a consistent flow all the time. Usually, lochia lasts for about six to eight weeks, so as long as you're within that window and your lochia is gradually decreasing in volume, it's probably normal.

If you're bleeding abnormally after delivery, there's several possible reasons. You could have a vaginal tear or bladder hemorrhage meaning the blood isn't actually coming from your uterus , or even a previously undiagnosed bleeding disorder, says Dr.