Postpartum bleeding; Lochia or Hemorrage?

[MidgeMommy]

I haven't delivered yet, but my DH asked a good question during one of his panic attacks the other day. : So here it is,

How do you tell the difference between postpartum hemorrage, and the shedding of the uterine lining?

Is the uterine lining different in some way? Or the hemorrage more noticeable? I thought lochia/uterine lining would look more like menstrual blood, and be more brown/older, but I have heard of women passing clots, which were supposed to be indicative of pp hemorrage, and wouldn't those look similar?

I realize it's kinda a gross topic, but I would HATE to go to the hospital thinking I was hemorraging and have it turn out to be uterine lining. Talk about a stupid reason to transfer. (I am UC-ing.)

[ccohenou]

Everyone bleeds after birth, it will probably be red for the first few days, and there may be some big old clots. If the amount is large and abnormal, that's a hemorrhage. I think the guideline the mws gave me was that if you're soaking a large pad all the way through in (<30 mins, <1 hour), you need to get help/attention. As for immediately after the birth, I don't know how one would assess whether there was too much blood. I think if I had been on my own right after birth, I would have gone to the hospital because IMO I bled a lot. But that was a plus for having the mw...I could say "This bleeding is freaking me out, is it too much?" and she said "It's more than usual but it's okay," and we stayed home.

Maybe the ladies of the UC forum would have suggestions for assessing your own postpartum bleeding.

[redhen]

I felt like I was bleeding a LOT following my DD's natural hospital birth but I was totally fine.... I was really suprised how much blood there was though, and I had a heavy flow for several weeks. I am UCing this time around and will have herbs on hand to help stop excessive pp bleeding, but I will probably base "excessive" on how I feel.