Normal menstrual periods
birthTIPS
The blood that comes away after giving birth is called 'lochia', (pronounced 'loke-ee-ah'). This bleeding comes from the site where the placenta was attached to the uterus, being similar to a large, raw 'wound' that is now healing. It is important to remember that the pattern of blood loss after having a baby is very different to normal menstrual periods. With a period, the uterus is shedding the lining that was built up, (in case it was needed to nourish a fertilised egg). Therefore, the bleeding usually starts off being heavy, and then slowly tapers off to nothing. With the healing uterus after giving birth, it is not uncommon to get bouts of bright bleeding, on and off for a few weeks, in between times of having a minimal pink to brown mucous blood loss.
On average, a woman will lose a further 225 mls of blood during the postnatal period (on top of the blood lost at the birth). It is thought to range from around 150 to 400 mls. Women who breastfeed will tend to lose less blood during this time than women who bottle feed, because breastfeeding stimulates the uterus to contract and shrink at a faster rate, minimising the bleeding.
Bleeding after the birth can become temporarily heavier and brighter, as the uterus shrinks, especially if experiencing
afterpains and/or when breastfeeding. It can also be heavier if you are not resting as much. You may notice an increase in blood flow, or experience a small amount of blood 'gushing' when you get up, after lying down for a while, in the early days. Sometimes there can be a small blood clot passed, if blood has collected and clotted in the vagina while resting.
The blood loss is usually quite heavy for the first few of days after the birth, and you may need to change your pads quite frequently (every one to four hours or so).