Bleeding after birth, called lochia, is heaviest in the first few days and then fades over several weeks. It usually moves from bright red to pink or brown, and finally to a pale discharge. Bleeding that gets heavier instead of lighter, soaks a maternity pad within an hour, or smells offensive is not part of that pattern and needs urgent advice. This is health information to help you notice changes, not a substitute for your midwife or doctor.

What the bleeding is

After the placenta separates, the place where it was attached inside the womb (uterus) has to heal. The bleeding is that healing, plus the lining the womb no longer needs.

It happens after every birth, including a caesarean. A caesarean does not skip this stage.

How it usually changes

Days one to four. Red, fairly heavy, often with some clots, similar to a heavy period or heavier. It usually eases each day.

Days five to ten. Pinker or browner, and lighter. Small clots may still appear, especially first thing in the morning.

Weeks two to six. Brown, then cream or pale yellow, and much lighter. It can stop and start.

Bleeding often increases briefly when you stand up after lying down, after feeding, or on a day you did more than usual. That is common and not the same as bleeding that keeps rising.

Clots, colour and smell

Small clots in the first days are usual. A clot larger than a plum, or several large clots, needs urgent advice.

Lochia has a smell, usually described as similar to a period. A strong or foul smell, especially with a fever or tummy pain, can point to an infection and needs same-day care.

Bright red bleeding returning after it had settled to brown is worth reporting even if the amount is small.

Heavy bleeding after birth

Heavy bleeding after birth can be serious and can happen days or weeks later, not only on the day. CDC lists bleeding that soaks through a pad in an hour, or clots the size of an egg or larger, among the signs that need immediate care.

Feeling faint, dizzy, breathless, cold or clammy alongside bleeding matters as much as the amount you can see. Get help on those symptoms alone.

When does it stop?

For most people bleeding has settled by around four to six weeks, and NICE's postnatal guidance treats bleeding that is still heavy or that changes pattern as something to assess rather than wait out.

Some light brown or pink discharge beyond six weeks can be normal. Tell your clinician anyway, especially if it comes back after a clear gap.

Is this bleeding, or is my period back?

In the first weeks it is lochia. Once bleeding has stopped for a stretch of days and then returns as a defined bleed, that may be a period. Feeding a baby often delays periods, though it does not delay them reliably or for a predictable time.

Read when your periods come back for what to expect and why the first cycles are often irregular.

Tracking it without turning it into a test

Logging pads used, colour, and any clots gives you something concrete to show. A note that says "four pads on Tuesday, two clots, felt dizzy" is far more useful at an appointment than a memory.

Femio can hold that record. Femio cannot examine you and does not assess how much blood loss is safe, which is a judgement your clinician makes with you in front of them.

When to see a doctor

Contact your midwife, maternity unit or doctor for bleeding that gets heavier rather than lighter, clots larger than a plum, bright red bleeding returning after it had faded, an offensive smell, a fever, or tummy pain that is getting worse. Seek emergency care for very heavy bleeding, or for any bleeding with faintness, breathlessness or chest pain.

If you are unsure how heavy is too heavy, phone and describe it. That is exactly what maternity services expect.

Seek care now: Contact local emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department if you soak a maternity pad in an hour or less, pass clots the size of an egg or larger, or feel faint, dizzy, breathless or clammy with bleeding. Do not wait for a routine appointment.

Frequently asked questions

How long does bleeding after birth last?

Usually a few weeks, fading in colour and amount. Around four to six weeks is common, and lighter discharge can last a little longer.

Do clots always mean something is wrong?

No. Small clots are common in the first days. Large clots, or many of them, need urgent advice.

Is bleeding different after a caesarean?

The bleeding still happens and follows a similar pattern. Wound pain and lifting limits are the parts that differ.

Can breastfeeding change the bleeding?

Feeding makes the womb tighten, which can bring cramps and a brief increase in flow. That is expected.

Could heavy bleeding later be my period?

It might be. Heavy bleeding is still worth reporting, and heavy periods explains what counts as heavy once cycles return.