Still bleeding... is this normal?

[Free Thinker]

My babies were born 2 weeks ago, and I am still bleeding moderately, say changing a pad every 4 hours or so (and changing it in the night as well). With my other two children (single births) I was done bleeding by now, and just spotting a bit in a light pinky color. This is getting REALLY old! I am SOO tired of bleeding, and the pads are rubbing blisters on me : How long is normal to bleed in a twin pregnancy and is there anything I can take to help it slow down or heal up quicker? Oh, birth was vaginal, but I did have to have a vaccuum extraction, not sure if that makes a difference, I have no swelling or pain anywhere down there, just this persistant bleeding! It's no longer bright red, it's a brown color, but still a significant amount IMO.

THanks!

[kate3]

Yes, it is normal.
You had a larger uterine volume and two placental sites that are healing.

[MsBlack]

More rest and better nutrition might help. If you have twins, 'more rest' might be hard to come by! But along with the pp's comment on twins, I add that perhaps insufficient rest is contributing to increased and lengthier bleeding.

[Jane]

Normal, unfortunately. What kind of pads are you using? Always pads are known for causing skin problems when used for as many days as post-partum mamas need. I recommend cloth pads/prefold diapers/washcloths/cut-up-flannel for those with sensitive skin - or the natural, no bleach, no gel naturacare variety.

Things to help with bleeding - good iron levels, rest, fruits and veggies.

[MidwifeMB]

Congrats on the vaginal twins!!! Yes, sounds normal to me too. You can add chlorophyll to keep your iron - and energy level - up. I think the more births a woman has, the longer she bleeds. It's in part from running around after the toddlers and picking them up. If it's brown, pretty soon it will get light... then go away... then come back... etc. I tell women to expect on and off bleeding for 4-5 weeks, then sometimes a "period like" bleeding at 5-6 weeks. THEN you're done!

[Free Thinker]

Thanks for the advice, I'm eating as well and I can and sleeping as much as I can (although I am really getting tired). I have a 2 and 4 year old to take care of, too, but I"m trying to find sitters for them a few days a week to get a little bit of a break. I"m using Kotex pads, and had considered getting cloth ones b/c I had the blisters after my other two DC as well, but didn't really want to add to my workload w/ more laundry. I just switched the boys to cloth 2 days ago, so maybe I could use some old PFs the next few days to help? Part of the problem is just the moisture down there, KWIM?

Thanks again!