What You Need To Know About Bleeding After Pregnancy

The big day has come and gone, and you’re now staring in wonder at your little bundle of joy. Whether you’ve had a caesarean section or vaginal birth, you’ll likely experience some bleeding in the days after your pregnancy. This is normal and is called lochia. Lochia is your body’s way of ridding itself of the excess blood and tissue it generated to create your baby. Here’s a guide on what to expect from normal postpartum bleeding – and when you should consider calling a doctor.

Normal Lochia Or Postpartum Bleeding

Normal bleeding after birth will be bright red and have little to no smell. You may find a few clots, but they shouldn’t be painful or exceed about two centimetres in size. You’ll probably have to wear maternity pads until the bleeding ceases, as tampons could introduce an infection into an area that’s still actively healing. This will apply, even if you had a caesarean section. Expect this to continue for up to six weeks.

When To Call The Doctor

If you’re in hospital and you experience post-partum haemorrhaging immediately after birth, doctors and nurses will ensure that you’re taken care of. However, if you’re at home, then you should contact your primary Gynaecologist in Durban to describe the bleeding immediately. This will most likely happen in the first day after coming home, but could happen even two weeks after that.

If your blood pressure drops, you experience sudden pain, or you feel dizzy and faint, visit your nearest emergency room immediately,

Is Lochia The Same With A C-Section And A Natural Birth?

No, it’s not. While you’ll bleed after both, when you have a caesarean section, the doctors will have swabbed out your uterus and removed the placenta. This means that the bleeding will be less in volume than if you had a vaginal birth.

Everyone is different so you might experience postpartum different a bit different from this. The key is to partner a good gynaecologist in Durban throughout your pregnancy and birth to check that everything’s all right. Contact us today with any queries.

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