Blood clots postpartum- what is normal?

[Amila]

I have had the normal bleeding and such. (I am 30 hours postpartum) Baby's nursing has really picked up and I gave been having more afterpains. Woke up this morning with a pretty big clot that was in my underwear (sorry TMI) It was like the size of a large plum. I haven't had any other clots. Is this cause for concern? Thanks.

[YesandNo]

Not at all. Totally normal.

[Kidzaplenty]

Yeah, totally normal. I had some large ones with my third son. One as large as a grapefruit. I thought it was really strange at the time, but never had a single problem with it.

[kltroy]

Clots up to the size of a golf ball are pretty normal at this point. I was having some larger clots (more like the size of my thumb) for 3-4 days afterwards, esp. after nursing. If you get any that are bigger than a golf ball I would proably give your doc/MW a call and ask about it just in case - it may be nothing but a phone call is free. Sometimes a piece of placenta can be retained and this can lead to excessive bleeding, milk supply problems, and necessitate a D&C.

[mrsfrenchy]

My MW told me it was normal to have clots that were quite large, I just needed to make sure I got all of them out. I had to empty my bladder every 2-3 hours for several days and massage my uterus while I was on the toilet--that helps to get the clots out. Bathroom trips seriously took me a good 15 or 20 minutes the first few days.

As far as afterpains, I think it's normal what you're feeling. I didn't really have any until about 48 hours PP and it freaked me out a little when I did. But they subsided. Now I'm 1 week PP and I still get a few cramps when DD is nursing every once in a while, but not bad at all anymore.

[leafwood]

I had some clots after dd that were egg sized. With ds I actually had to go into the MW at 3 days pp because I had a clot that...um...was sort of "stuck". It was totally scary for me, but they were not phased at all. She explained it was because I was nursing while lying down a lot and the blood was pooling. As long as things are getting out, I think it's fine. Just keep massaging your belly and work those afterpains.

[battymama]

Yeah i had a huge one about 48 hours after, about the size of a grapefruit, but i was expecting it. My midwife thought that there might of been a bit of membrains left over, boy did i feel better after that one was out.

[finnegansmom]

I had large clots for 48+ hours after birth. The kind that I would feel a contraction and run to the bathroom and pass them in the toilet. It was kind of scary. I was in the hospital at the time and the nurses kept wanting me to save them... Umm, all set. I don't think I had any after a week though, just some old blood, etc.

[Full Heart]

I've had blood clots the size of grapefruit before the first few days pp. At a week pp I had a pretty good sized clot with #3. They usually happen after you lay down for awhile and the blood pools.