Post birth bleeding... what's normal and what isn't?

[CobaltRose96]

VERY TMI post coming up...

So, PP bleeding... what's normal and what isn't?

Baby was born on 14th March, so I'll be 5 weeks post partum on Thursday. For the first couple of days after birth I had heavy red bleeding, which then turned into brownish pink discharge. After a couple of weeks this turned back into red bleeding that was similar to a period, but for the past few days it had slowed down and almost stopped. Until today.

Today, I've noticed that I'm getting the brownish pink discharge again. When I wipe after going to the toilet I've noticed quite a few clots on the paper. But they're not red, they're a browny pink colour, almost like they're old? Plus they don't look like blood clots, they look like tissue almost? Gross, I know. 😂

I have been getting some mild stomach pain too. I feel fine though.

This is my first baby so I have no idea if this is normal. Thanks!

Anyone?

I'm only 2 weeks pp, I'm onto the pinky brown discharge atm, I got told off my midwife that the bleeding will come back hellish soon as my first period after delivery and it can be worse than usual..if your concerned about the clots can you bring your 6 week check a few days earlier?

Might be the return of your period?

What kind of birth did you have? With DD1 mine was quite traumatic, 3a tear, etc, etc and I bled on and off for a good 6 weeks after she was born.

DD2 was much easier and I only bled for 3.

So, in my, very limited, experience, it varies hugely.

All sounds within the range of normal. Lochia can last from 2 to 8+ weeks and can stop and start. If it's tailed off and turned brown a recurrence of red bleeding generally means you've been overdoing it. Anything short of very large clots is also normal.

It wouldn't be considered your period unless you've had a break of weeks between bleeding.

Do you still have your triage number? Give them a ring just to be sure cuz you don't want to risk a post partum hemmorage if you retained a bit of placenta. My mum suddenly dropped a few weeks after having me and had to be rushed to hospital for massive blood loss with no obvious warning signs it was going to happen

@oh4forkssake, birth was pretty straightforward although quick for a first baby (went from 3cm - 10cm in two hours and only had to push for ten minutes), and I got a 2nd degree tear. Don't think it's my period as my periods aren't normally like this (browny pink discharge with clots) and I've been bleeding consistently since the birth.

Thanks all. I'll keep an eye on it but it's reassuring to know it's normal!

I bled for 7.5 weeks and it was very stop and start.

Happened to me after my last DC. The bleeding was only very heavy and red for the first 5/6 days then it slowed almost to a stop. I thought it was possibly because I’d had a c-section and counted myself as one of the lucky ones but it returned with a vengeance and was on/off until he was around 8 weeks old.

It can vary so much. I bled bright red for just under a week but continued as a browny pink colour until about 10 weeks pp. It sucked!
I breastfed and thankfully didn't get a period until dd was almost 13 months old so it wasn't all bad.