Sometimes, this clot can break free inside the vein and travel to the lung, known as a pulmonary embolism. If a blood clot forms inside a vein after childbirth, the body may not be able to dissolve it. Share on Pinterest Pregnant women and those who have just given birth are at risk of deep vein thrombosis. A woman may need to see her doctor sooner if she experienced any complications or had a cesarean delivery. Women should typically see their doctor or midwife 4 to 6 weeks after delivery for a checkup. Women should not use tampons or put anything in the vagina for at least 6 weeks after giving birth. However, any new bleeding or clots should be checked by a doctor or midwife. The new start of a heavy flow could be a woman’s menstrual period, especially if she is not breast-feeding. 6 weeks after birth: Small amounts of brown or yellow spotting are normal.The flow may change to white or yellow as the uterus works to return to its pre-pregnant state. 2 to 6 weeks after birth: Women may go several hours without any bleeding at all.Some women notice that their flow becomes temporarily heavier or brighter in color after doing physical activity. 11 to 14 days after birth: The blood flow should continue to lighten, and any clots will be very small.However, breast-feeding women may notice a small gush of blood during or after nursing or pumping. The flow should be lighter than it was in the first week. 7 to 10 days after birth: Blood should continue to be mostly dark brownish or a faded pinkish red.If bright red blood continues to flow, women should speak to a doctor, as it may indicate that bleeding is not slowing down properly.
The blood may become brownish or fade to a watery, pinkish red. Clots will be the size of a quarter or smaller. Up to 6 days after birth: Blood flow should gradually become lighter and may be close to a normal menstrual period flow.Any soaking of a sanitary pad within one hour should be brought to the attention of the medical staff, as this can be a sign of serious bleeding. Clots may range in size from large (a golf ball) to small (a quarter). First 24 hours after birth: Bleeding is heaviest with bright red blood.Most women find that their flow of lochia is heaviest in the first 1 to 3 days after birth and gradually gets lighter over the following weeks.Įvery woman is different, but most women can expect: It is made up of blood, mucus, other tissue, and some bacteria. The normal discharge of the uterine lining after childbirth is called lochia. The risk of these clots returns to normal after 18 weeks following delivery.
However, this also puts a woman at higher risk of developing a dangerous blood clot inside a vein.Īccording to the American Heart Association, a woman’s risk of developing one of these clots is more than 10 times higher than normal in the 6 weeks after giving birth.Īnother study shows that this risk may be even up to 22 times higher during this period. When a woman is pregnant, her body makes more blood-clotting factors, which help prevent excessive bleeding during childbirth. In the first 24 hours, when blood flow is the highest, many women pass one or more large clots. Healthy blood can clot or stick together to help prevent excessive bleeding from a cut or an injury.Īs the body sheds the placenta after childbirth, blood may pool inside the uterus and form clots. It is also crucial to know the signs of a dangerous blood clot inside a vein.
While some bleeding and clotting are to be expected, a woman should speak to a doctor about excessive or large clots, unusually heavy bleeding, or any worrisome symptoms. Clots that happen inside the body’s veins - these are rare but can be life-threatening.Clots that are passed through the vagina in the days after birth, which are from the shedding of the womb’s lining and the detachment of the placenta.There are two types of blood clots that women may experience after childbirth: Share on Pinterest With so many changes after childbirth, it can be hard to know what kind of bleeding to expect.