Lochia aka postpartum bleeding

L O C H I A

If you’re used to having periods, your postpartum bleeding is likely to feel like a heavy period.

The lining of the uterus gets extra thick when you’re growing a little human.
Once they are out, all of that lining needs to come out!

One of our FAQ is about how long Lochia can last and what does it look like…. so here’s a lil’ blog post on it!

Your uterus also grows around 500x it’s original size during pregnancy and….. you guessed it …. it’s gotta contract back down!
This means your bleeding may be accompanied by some mild contractions!

So what is Lochia?

Lochia is the vaginal discharge you will experience after having a baby.

Yep, that is whether you had a vaginal birth or an abdminal birth.

Lochia contains blood, mucus and uterine tissue.

How long does it last?

This can be different for every one, but usually it lasts between 4-6 weeks.

It is still within normal range to experience lochi up to 12 weeks after birth though!

The 3 stages of lochia:

• Lochia Rubra:

  From birth until around 4 days postpartum.

  Dark or bright red blood - flows like a period and you may experience some mild stomach cramping.

  Small clots can be common.

• Lochia Serosa:

  Pink-ish/brown discharge.

  Not as heavy as the previous stage most likely with less or no clots and it usually lasts between 4-12 days post partum.

• Lochia Alba:

  Lasts on average from 12 days post partum until 6 weeks.

  It is usually a light flow, white discharge with little to no blood

Call your midwife if:

• You are soaking a pad within 1 hour

• You feel your contractions are too strong

• It’s all a bit too stinky! Like really offensive

• You are passing blood clots bigger than a 50p coin