Postpartum bleeding (lochia)

How recovery typically progresses

Immediately after

First days

Early postpartum, the first six weeks. Lochia rubra is bright to dark red and heaviest for the first one to four days. It thins to pinkish-brown lochia serosa around days four to ten, then to yellow-white lochia alba from roughly day ten to day 28. Red bleeding that carries on past the first week can point to subinvolution, meaning the uterus is not shrinking back as it should.

Settling in

Early weeks

The months after. Bleeding should be finished. The uterus goes from about 1,000 grams at delivery to 50 to 100 grams by roughly six weeks, and once that involution is complete, so is lochia. New bleeding after it stopped is often the return of periods, but it is worth a call rather than an assumption, especially if it is heavy or comes with pain.

Longer arc

Beyond six weeks

Weaning and the long view. Periods return within six to eight weeks for people who are not lactating, while breastfeeding can push that out several months or beyond a year. That variability is normal. What is not normal at any point is soaking through pads rapidly, passing large clots, or bleeding with fever.

What does the evidence show for postpartum bleeding?

• Bloody vaginal discharge called lochia rubra is heavy for the first three to four days postpartum, then becomes watery and pinkish-brown as lochia serosa, and turns yellowish-white as lochia alba after 10 to 12 days. 1
• A companion description puts lochia rubra at postpartum days one to three, lochia serosa at days four to ten, and yellow-white lochia alba from approximately day 10 to day 28. 2
• Red lochia that persists beyond the first week may indicate subinvolution, meaning the uterus is not returning to its non-pregnant size on the expected schedule. 3
• The uterus shrinks from roughly 1,000 grams immediately after delivery to about 500 grams by the end of the first week and 50 to 100 grams within about six weeks, and lochia tracks that process. 3
• Severe high blood pressure, severe bleeding and infection are the most common contributors to maternal deaths in the first week postpartum, which is why a change in bleeding counts as urgent rather than something to watch. 1

When should I call my provider about postpartum bleeding?

Lochia should move through its stages: blood and decidual debris for the first several days, then a pink or brown discharge, then a whitish one, tapering across 4 to 6 weeks. Red lochia still going past the first week can point to uterine subinvolution and is worth a call. Bleeding heavy enough to soak a pad or more in less than an hour is the threshold named for being evaluated, and fever without an obvious source, with uterine tenderness and vaginal discharge alongside it, is how endometritis presents. Persistent severe vaginal pain, difficulty caring for yourself or your newborn, and thoughts of self-harm or of harming the infant sit on that same urgent list. If you are ever unsure which side of the line you are on, make the call. Obstetric teams handle these check-ins as routine, not as overreacting.