how long is normal to bleed postpartum?

[dearmama22]

I am 1 1/2 weeks post partum, I had a natural childbirth and I tore.

I am still bleeding- wearing pads all day long. It's not a ton, like a period sorta.

is this normal? How long should it last for?

[layla983]

I'm pretty sure it's considered normal to last at least 6 weeks. Some people stop sooner, others stopped later. Mine was like yours for about 2 weeks last time, close to weeks maybe, then I'd still have random spotting off & on some days until about 4 weeks, so I wore a liner most of the time just in case until about then.

[thixle]

I believe "average" for lochia is 6 weeks. I'm actually surprised no one prepared you for it. :

[Full Heart]

I bleed 3-4 weeks typically. 6 weeks is common though I know some women get away with only a week or so.

[ErinsJuneBug]

I bled for about 4 weeks, even with a c-section (where they basically do a D&C on you). With a vaginal birth the bleeding may go on a few weeks longer.

If you saturate a pad in 1 hour you need to call your provider because that is not normal.

[karika]

i bled for 5 weeks with dd1, and with dd2 i bled for 7 wks. it stopped once for a 2 days, then resumed lightly and i had a few clots after dd2, like the size of a golfball, but the midwife said as long as it was the only one (at that moment) it was normal. do not resume your vaginal sex life until the bleeding stops and you are sure your cervix has returned to normal (usually via your 6 wk checkup)

[fruitfulmomma]

Yes, that is normal. Usually I am done by 8 weeks, this last time it took about 12. That isn't bleeding all of the time, it usually slows down by 2-3 weeks, but stress or too much activity is going to cause bleeding to get heavier again.

[MoonStarFalling]

I bled for 8 weeks the first time. I was doing WAY too much activity. The more I did the more I bled. I really suggest just resting. The last two times I only bled for a few days.

[dearmama22]

ya, I noticed last night on my jog that i was bleeding a little during it...

[justice'smom]

I bleed for about 8 wks afterward. I'm a heavy bleeder during my cycle though. Not sure if that makes any differnece.

[Full Heart]

Originally Posted by dearmama22

ya, I noticed last night on my jog that i was bleeding a little during it...

Oh my..jogging. Well I would wait on that for a few more weeks. Even if you feel good you can still over do it.

[Devaskyla]

7-8 weeks with both ds1 & ds2. Fairly heavy & bright red for at least 3 weeks with both of them. 11 days pp with ds3 & it's already lighter & less red than the other 2 was at 3 weeks. I still wouldn't even consider going jogging. Trying to get some regular household stuff done is my limit...notice the "trying" part

[Kimmiepie]

I'm glad to see this thread. I'm 4 weeks postpartum and had finally tapered off to reddish/brownish spotting a couple of days ago, and then yesterday I had nothing at all! Then today I had some spotting again. I was starting to wonder if something was wrong because it seemed like a long time. I don't remember how long I bled with my others though. I never really paid attention or kept track before.

[jeliphish]

about 6 weeks

[Susuwatari]

8 weeks for me, I had an infection though, I don't know if it would have stopped earlier without the infection. I was expecting around 6 weeks anyway.

[TwinsTwicePlusTwo]

At least two weeks, sometimes as long as four weeks for me. I bleed relatively lightly during regular periods and am way more active than I should be PP.

[TzippityDoulah]

I bled for my last two for over 10 weeks!!! it was terrible! but I didn't know what to do about it. (it was a few years back) and my OB was not helpful in the least, of course I as also terribly anemic!

this time around I have herbs to help with healing sooner.

6 or 7 weeks is within normal. anything more (unless perhaps it's just spotting) I would talk to a midwife about and see if there is anything you can do to aid healing. it can be really taxing on a body to heavily bleed for long amounts of time.

[momasana]

I only bled for a week and a half.

Reading everyone else's posts makes me realize that that isn't very long. Is there any reason I wouldn't have bled longer? Is it bad that I didn't? I feel kind of silly/dumb for never asking about it.

[Jane]

Jogging?!?! Really? Before your bleeding is over? How's that going?

How long you bleed is really individual - how well your uterus contracts, how well you clot (more is not neccesarily better), how much you rest, and how big your placenta was. Normal is 1 to 6 weeks. Usually it's quite red and bloody at the beginning, tending to period like after that, then there's a lot of just plain clear/browning fluid with some red or brown blood. Some women get through that in 1 week, others do it over 6 weeks.

If you have extra bleeding after activity, that's a sign to rest a little more, as you're disrupting the forming scab in there.

[ThomasWilliams]

Re: how long is normal to bleed postpartum?

My wife had longer term bleeding with her first. It's no big deal, it's not like your body takes a look at the calendar and knows exactly when 6 weeks is so that it can stop. ANY bleeding within 56 days of birth is still considered postpartum bleeding, especially if you are breastfeeding.