How Long Will I Bleed In the Postpartum Time?
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Kaely Harrod 0:01
When you're thinking about preparing for the postpartum time, you've probably already considered what kind of pads you might need to have ready for that time. That's pertinent to today's topic because today I'm answering the question, how long should I expect to have bleeding in the postpartum time?
Kaely Harrod 0:32
Welcome to doula Tips and Tips, the podcast where I answer one question about pregnancy postpartum or lactation. This is a space where it's safe to have questions and we're gonna give you real answers. We're not going to beat around the bush or give you what we want you to know. We're going to answer in an evidence based way. I'm Kaylee Herat and experience doula mama three lactation counselor and a childbirth educator. I started this work in part because of my own lack of answers in my journey of pregnancy and birth. And I'm on a mission for families to be well informed and well supported through this time. This is a space where you will learn about questions that you didn't even know that you should be asking and have answers to ones that you're already asking. The whole purpose here is for you to feel a bit more educated and informed and competent in this journey that often feels very new, and a little bit disconcerting. If you have not already I would love for you to subscribe to this podcast so that you get updates when there are new episodes. or head to our website Herat doula services.com to subscribe to our email updates so that you get notifications when we have a new episode Episodes Episode out. Thank you for joining us today. Hi, and welcome back to Kaylee daily. Today's question is How long should I expect to have bleeding in the postpartum time. Now, I just want to clarify off the top that from the get go that this pertains to both vaginal deliveries and also C section deliveries. Now, as with everything that you ever hear me talk about there is a wide range of normal, right. But typically, people bleed for the first like 28 days or so sometimes up to six weeks. So the longest that a provider would feel comfortable usually with you bleeding is up to six weeks. But 20 days is more kind of typical. Okay, so I want to give you an idea of what to expect what to kind of look for. So the first step in the postpartum bleeding and discharge is actual blood. And this will probably look more like a very heavy period. So how long this lasts for everyone differs, oftentimes, it's about the first week, sometimes a little less than a week. But that like kind of bright red blood that's like dark, like fresh blood. Okay, that's what I'm talking about in the early days. Now some people have this as little as three or four days, some people have it up to like a little longer like up to like, you know, up to 10 or so depending on how how your uterus is healing. Now one factor is that as you progress through the stages of this postpartum bleeding, or the Loki is what it's called, then you want to see that it progresses and doesn't get worse, right, so So once the dark red is gone, you should go to pinkish brownish blood. And once you've gone to that pinkish brownish blood, you should not go back to dark red. Now, occasionally, you will go back to dark red, if you have a lot of activity or if you have you do a bunch of stuff that day. That is a good warning sign actually that you should do less that it was too much that you did that your uterus actually is not ready for that amount of activity. So you should go from that dark red blood to a pinkish brown blood. And that will last for up to a week to two weeks. Now some people have it as little as four days some people have it as as much as 14 depending again on kind of how this is playing out in your body. Okay. We'll be right back after this message from our sponsor. The birth prep blueprint course is a guide from pregnancy to postpartum, giving you the confidence to walk through this journey however it might play out. It is pre recorded on demand content so you do not have to fit your busy schedule around a class or meeting time. You can go back and revisit the lessons as much as you need to, and you can watch or listen to them on your own time. This curriculum has left many families feeling confident and their decisions no Knowing what questions to ask their providers, and knowing when they should be concerned in all of these periods. One of the biggest parts of this work in terms of preparing families and walking through this journey is knowing that you have a guide to rely on. And that's exactly what this class is. Students have told me, they felt like I was walking them along a path to know what to watch for and what to not be worried about. Because you are here as a listener, you will get the opportunity to have a 10% off discount on this class, that code is podcast, it is in the show notes as well, along with the link to use to check out for the class, I do really recommend that you go give it a look, because it is going to make you feel more prepared calm and confident for your birthing experience. Now back to your show. After that, some people are kind of surprised to hear that there's like a whitish yellowish discharge that you have for the remainder of that time. Again, the amount of time varies person to person, anywhere from 10 to 28, or even a little bit longer number of days, okay, so expect to have a minimum of one to two weeks of some kind of bleeding and discharge, and closer to like five to six weeks as a maximum. Now, of course, there's a big range. But what you should be seeing is that generally it follows that pattern of kind of tapering down from the dark red to the brownish pink to the whitish yellow. If at any point it tapers back up to the previous stage that you were in that as a reason to connect with your provider. Now, as you're progressing through what kind of pads and things like that you might want to use varies person to person. Keep in mind that if you're needing some kind of menstrual pad for the first 28, or up to like 40 days, depending on how your body is healing, you want something that is not irritating to your skin. Some people are very sensitive to chemicals. And so they do better with like organic pads, some people are very sensitive to colors and dyes and things and so they do better with pads that do not have like the blue in the middle and that kind of stuff. It really depends on your body, but have something initially at least for the first few weeks, that can hold a much higher volume. Because the blood that happens in the first week should be a much higher volume, as well as a much deeper color. Then as it goes it should taper off in terms of volume. And also in terms of color. Okay. A lot of my clients decide to use postpartum, like underwear, like kind of like adult diapers sort of things. Or, like overnight pads like something like that. Those are some good options. Some folks choose to use like reusable period underwear, if you were to do that probably is not going to be enough unless it is created for the postpartum time. But oftentimes, having a pad with a postpartum or with a period underwear works well because then if you like bleed outside of the pad at all, then the underwear actually are somewhat absorbent on their own. And so that can sometimes be a good game plan for folks. When you go to the bathroom, you're more likely to pass some blood or discharge. So I would plan to have whatever you're using if you're using like a parry bottle if you're using pads, and we'll talk about like products in another episode. But if you're using whatever you're using for like a bathroom, like pad change scenario, right, have that in all of your bathrooms. So if you have more than one bathroom, make a little basket for yourself in each of them, so that you have everything you need right there so that if you needed to go to the bathroom relatively quickly, you don't have to worry about having a bunch of bleeding and then not having a pad or something that you need. Okay. So again, totally normal to have anywhere from one to six weeks of bleeding and discharge. But you do want to keep an eye on the volume and that things don't increase after they've already gotten better. Okay. So this is continuing on in this postpartum series, you're going to start to hear from some experts so I'm super excited to talk with a mental health provider. Hopefully a few other folks I'm working on connecting with like a chiropractor and a physical therapist and different people like that. So so that you can have some information, some questions answered that are outside of my realm of expertise. So stay tuned for those. Those are coming. And as always, I love to hear what your questions are.
Kaely Harrod 10:13
I do plan to dive into a series on fertility and getting pregnant later in 2020, or at the beginning of 2023. And then I'm going to have a variety of other things that I'm covering and so please do check back via Instagram and give me send me a quick message. Let me know what your question is that you would like for me to add to my list so I can make sure that it gets answered this year.
Kaely Harrod 10:50
This has been Kaylee daily doula Tips and Tips. I'm so glad that you were here joining us today. I am not your medical provider. And so all of this information is intended to be educational and entertainment. Please use it as such. And if you have questions about your own medical health, or need recommendations from your own provider, please do speak to them. This is not intended to replace them in any way. We are so happy that you are here joining us in this walk through pregnancy postpartum and lactation. Please take a second to like and subscribe, leave a positive review. That is how other families get to hear about us and get to learn from all the answers that we have here on this podcast. As always, I would really love to connect with you. I love answering questions. I know that you know that because you are here, but I would love to hear what your questions are. So if I have not yet answered them on the podcast, I would love to add them to the list of questions to be answered. please do reach out to me on Instagram or via email Kaely at Herat, doula services.com so that I can answer whatever question you have, and so that I can hear the feedback that you have about the podcast. Until we meet again, I wish you well informed consent filled birth and postpartum experiences
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
How long bleeding may last after birth is a common question. In part for logistical reasons, preparing pads, etc. we want to know that information. In part as a mental preparation to have realistic expectations of what the postpartum time might be like! Lochia is the name of the postpartum bleeding and this episode dives into how long to expect it, what’s normal and how to know if you should be concerned!
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
The postpartum bleeding can last up to 12 weeks, but more often lasts 4-6 weeks
It starts initially with bright red blood at a higher volume
It tapers to dark/browning red
The final stage is a whitish/yellowish discharge
RESOURCES
FREE Ultimate Postpartum Checklist Bundle
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Postpartum Preparation Class:
Understand what to expect to feel/experience in the postpartum period or how to deal with it if you’re already there!
This is the real sh*t that happens TO YOU in the postpartum time and works for you whether this is your first or fifth baby!
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/postpartum-prep-blueprint
CONNECT with Kaely on Instagram
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Kaely Daily is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
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Music by Madirfan: Hidden Place on Pixabay
