bleeding after giving birth what you need to know

Young mothers are often unaware of the post-pregnancy phenomenon. This might not hold true in all cases, but is applicable to most others. Postpartum brings a lot of surprises, some of which you might like (for example the new bundle of happiness that the entire house is in love with!), some of them you might not like (cleaning up all the time and going through an enormous physical change).

Whatever be the case, change is inevitable and you have to go through with it. The least you can do is be aware of the things that you are going to be up against and be fully prepared.

Bleeding after giving birth is one of those changes or challenges that you need to be acquainted with. Here is all that you need to know.

1. It’s Normal

Yes. All women bleed after delivery and it is absolutely normal. Your doctor might tell you about this, but at times they might forget to give you a heads up about the same. During the course of pregnancy, your body’s blood level increases by almost 50 percent. After delivery, when the placenta is torn from your uterus, some blood vessels may take time to heal, resulting in the bleeding. It is also your body’s way to get rid of all the toxins and redundant tissue.

2. Time period

Generally, mothers go through a 10-day bleeding period, postpartum. In some cases, it might also get extended to as long as four weeks. The blood flow might be heavy initially and may reduce each day. In the first couple of days, you might notice more of blood and tissue, while towards the end of the ten day period, there might be lesser blood flow.

3. How to manage postpartum bleeding

In the beginning, use heavy-duty sanitary pads. Later on, you can switch to something that will help you with a lighter flow. Do not use tampons for at least the first six weeks. It is also advisable to go to the loo often, even if you don’t really feel like it. This will make sure that your uterus does not have to bear with any undue pressure.

4. Hygiene

This is one of the most important aspects. Make sure that you keep your genitals clean and bacteria-free. One of the reasons you should abstain from using a tampon during postpartum bleeding is to prevent introducing any bacteria in your already recovering uterus. Other than this, use a good quality soap and refrain from sharing personal hygiene items with your baby or anyone else in the house.

5. Medical help

Bleeding might be a natural phenomenon, but you also ought to know when to be concerned about it. Heavy bleeding, wherein your pad soaks wet within an hour, or if you have discharges of large clots, you need to contact your doctor immediately. It might be a sign of late postpartum hemorrhage and you must not ignore it.