bleeding after c/s -- what is "normal"?

[boatbaby]

I am 2 weeks post c/s and as of 2 days ago my bleeding pretty much stopped. I was able to go without a pad for 2 days. Then today - GUSH! I am bleeding very heavily. I managed to clean up and am now flat on my back in bed hoping things settle. Is this normal-ish?

[katelove]

It could be normal, especially if you have been fairly active. I found that I stop/started for the whole 6 weeks pp pretty much based on my activity levels for the previous day or two.

As long as your loss isn't foul-smelling and you aren't soaking a pad in an hour or losing clots then it's probably just a matter of taking it easy. If you're concerned though, and/or it doesn't settle with rest, it's probably worth having a chat with a HCP just to be on the safe side.

[Storm Bride]

My bleeding has always lasted longer than two weeks. However, the fact that it stopped, then restarted as heavier flow, suggests that you've been doing too much. If a c/s recovery is going well, a lot of women tend to feel as though they're closer to "back to normal" than they actually are. IME, this is particularly common at somewhere around the two week mark, as there tends to be a noticeable leap in one's general condition (less pain, more mobility, etc.) at that time, and that leap can be very deceptive.

See what happens with a couple of days of minimal activity/maximum rest (yeah - I know...hahaha). My suspicion is that the bleeding will clear back up again.

FWIW, there's usually another leap in progress at about the six week mark. That one is generally the "fully recovered" one. At that point, you're very unlikely to have any problems, such as onset of bleeding, if you up your activity level (although I still definitely advise easing into increased activity). Walks are always good, though.

[CherryBomb]

I think this sounds normal. I'm also 2 weeks pp c/s and having similar bleeding experience. Every time I think I can safely move to a panty liner instead of a pad, I start to gush!