Is my postpartum bleeding normal?
Bleeding after birth — lochia — changes colour and flow in a fairly predictable order over four to six weeks. Tell the checker what day you are on and what you see, and it tells you which stage that fits, whether it is typical, and the few signs that are a same-day call.
General information for education, not medical advice and not a diagnosis. Nothing you enter is stored. If something feels wrong, call your midwife, doctor or local emergency number.
How this works
The stage days and the red flags are the ones NHS and ACOG postpartum guidance give. The checker never argues with a red flag: soaking, large clots, fever, faintness or bleeding that returns heavy win over "typical" every time.
Common questions
How long does postpartum bleeding last?
Four to six weeks for most people, heaviest in the first few days and tailing off through pink, brown and then yellow-white. Bleeding after a caesarean follows the same pattern and is sometimes a little lighter.
Why did my bleeding get heavier again?
Doing too much is the usual reason — a brief return of red after a busy day often settles with rest. Bleeding that comes back bright red and heavy, with clots or a smell, is different and needs a same-day call.
Is it my period or still lochia?
A first period rarely arrives before six weeks, and later if you are breastfeeding. Red bleeding that starts after lochia had gone yellow-white, around or after six weeks, with period-like cramps, is more likely a period.
Turn this into a daily plan
MatraBloom builds a short session for the week you are in, asks how you are each day, and reminds you gently. Free on Android.
Get MatraBloom freeKeep reading