postpartem bleeding for a long time

[mamaonthefarm]

Hi-
I am 4 1/2 weeks post partem and my lochia seemed to have been slowing down last week a little. Now I am bleeding bright red fresh blood again - enouch to need to change a 'light day' type of pad every few hrs or so. Not a ton of blood to qualify for an emergency but enough to make me concerned. I think I bleed for a while with my 3 other kids but can't remember.
Any advice? How long did your lochia with red blood last?

[sanguine_speed]

Are you exclusively breastfeeding?


After my first, I had a period about 5 weeks post-partum, just after my locchia had turned dark and rare.

It's worth getting a quick blood draw to check your hemoglobin however. From experience with a subsequent pregnancy, it is very hard to recover from severe blood loss if you manage to avoid a transfusion (or refuse one). If I'd known, I wouldn't have refused the transfusion .

[Wittyone]

It's pretty common to have a few days worth of bright red bleeding around 5-6 weeks postpartum, even if bleeding had tapered off prior to that. There's very little in the literature about it, so we aren't certain what exactly causes it. It may be a period-like bleed, though if you are exclusively breastfeeding you may not see another period for many months. It may also be a final sloughing as the uterus finishes the involution (shrinking) process. From the amount you describe I'd not be concerned at all if you are otherwise feeling well (not pale, weak, exhausted). Just be aware your fertility could be returning!

[mamaonthefarm]

nak Thanks for the replies
Yep, exclusively breastfeeding.
I'll just watch it

[Plarka]

I have this too, and I don't know if it's normal either. After about a week and a half or 2 weeks the lochia tapered off and was not bright red anymore. Then within a day it turned bright red. Not a lot, as you say, but very red still and I'm 4 weeks post partum tomorrow.

[dauphinette]

I was UP/UC so I never knew what was "supposed" to be going on, but I ha this happen as well and it was after severe bleeding during the birth and I have had a really hard time bouncing back from all of the blood loss.
This is probably not what you want to hear, or atleast it's not what I would have wanted to hear, but two years later I am still not back to feeling normal after that much blood loss. I would say it's worth considering getting it checked out.

Good luck!

[jeannineb]

I just wanted to add/ask if you did anything strenuous recently or are you doing too much, too soon? After I had dd and my bleeding had practically stopped for a few days at least, I moved a pile of large rocks by hand. I know, stupid! Bam. Bleeding returned for a few days. It subsided and I didn't have a period for about 8 mo. I think I just over-did and the two were related.