Lochia: What's Normal and When to Get Help

The Office on Women's Health says lochia is the tissue and blood that lined your uterus during pregnancy ¹. MedlinePlus says you may have bleeding from your vagina for up to 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery ², and that it slowly becomes less red, then pink, and then a yellow or white discharge ².

Key takeaways

• MedlinePlus says you may have bleeding from your vagina for up to 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery ².
• MedlinePlus says the bleeding slowly becomes less red, then pink, and then a yellow or white discharge ².
• MedlinePlus says it is not uncommon to have an increase in red bleeding around 7 to 14 days, when the scab forms over the spot where your placenta was shed ².
• MedlinePlus says bleeding heavier than 1 pad per hour, or clots bigger than a golf ball, is a warning sign to contact your provider ².
• The NHS says you may notice the bleeding is redder and heavier when you breastfeed, because breastfeeding makes your womb contract ³.
• The NHS says not to use tampons until after your 6-week postnatal check, because they could increase your chance of getting an infection ³.

Urgent: postpartum bleeding warning signs

**MedlinePlus says to contact your provider if your bleeding is heavier than 1 pad per hour, or you have clots that are bigger than a golf ball ². MedlinePlus says to contact your provider if discharge from your vagina becomes heavier or develops a foul odor ². MedlinePlus says to contact your provider for a persistent fever over 100 F (37.8 C) - though swollen breasts may cause a mild rise in temperature - or a tender, reddened, or warm area on one breast, which may be a sign of infection ². MedlinePlus also says to contact your provider if bleeding is still heavy, like your menstrual period flow, after more than 4 days - apart from the expected increase around 7 to 14 days for a day or so - or if bleeding or spotting returns after having gone away for more than a few days ². In the UK, the NHS says to tell your midwife, health visitor or GP straight away if you have sudden or very heavy blood loss and feel faint or have a rapid heartbeat, a high temperature with a sore and tender tummy, pain, swelling or redness in the calf of one leg, chest pain or difficulty breathing, or a headache with vision changes and vomiting ³. The NHS says that if you are losing blood in large clots, you should tell your midwife, because you may need some treatment ³.**

**A quick, honest note:** we're not medical professionals - everything here was researched by us from the public sources listed at the bottom of this page, and it isn't professional advice. Read our full note ↓

How long does lochia last?

MedlinePlus says you may have bleeding from your vagina for up to 6 weeks after a vaginal delivery ². The NHS says the bleeding will carry on for a few weeks, and that it "will gradually turn a brownish colour and decrease" ³. The Office on Women's Health says lochia is the tissue and blood that lined your uterus during pregnancy, and that it becomes lighter in flow and color until it goes away after a few weeks ¹. The Office on Women's Health describes lochia as "heavy and bright red at first, becoming lighter in flow and color" ¹.

What color should lochia be?

MedlinePlus says lochia changes color over time ². In its words, the bleeding "will slowly become less red, then pink, and then you will have more of a yellow or white discharge" ². The Office on Women's Health says lochia is "heavy and bright red at first, becoming lighter in flow and color" ¹. MedlinePlus says that "early on, you may pass some small clots when you first get up" ². MedlinePlus says it is not uncommon to have an increase in red bleeding around 7 to 14 days, when the scab forms over the spot where your placenta was shed ². The NHS says you may notice the bleeding is redder and heavier when you breastfeed, because breastfeeding makes your womb contract, and you may also feel cramps similar to period pains ³.

When is postpartum bleeding a warning sign?

MedlinePlus says one warning sign is bleeding that is heavier than 1 pad per hour, or clots that are bigger than a golf ball ². MedlinePlus says another warning sign is discharge from your vagina that becomes heavier or develops a foul odor ². MedlinePlus says to contact your provider if bleeding is still heavy, like your menstrual period flow, after more than 4 days - apart from the expected increase around 7 to 14 days for a day or so - or if bleeding or spotting returns after having gone away for more than a few days ². MedlinePlus says a persistent fever over 100 F (37.8 C) is another warning sign, though swollen breasts may cause a mild rise in temperature, and that a tender, reddened, or warm area on one breast may be a sign of infection ². The NHS says that if you are losing blood in large clots, you should tell your midwife, because you may need some treatment ³. The NHS says to tell your midwife, health visitor or GP straight away if you have sudden or very heavy blood loss and feel faint or have a rapid heartbeat, a high temperature with a sore and tender tummy, pain, swelling or redness in the calf of one leg, chest pain or difficulty breathing, or a headache with vision changes and vomiting ³.

Can I use tampons during postpartum bleeding?

The NHS says not to use tampons for postpartum bleeding until after your 6-week postnatal check, because they could increase your chance of getting an infection ³. The NHS says the bleeding will carry on for a few weeks and will gradually turn a brownish colour and decrease ³.

Frequently asked questions

How long does lochia last?

MedlinePlus says you may have bleeding from your vagina for up to 6 weeks ². The NHS says the bleeding will carry on for a few weeks, gradually turning a brownish colour and decreasing ³.

What color should lochia be?

MedlinePlus says the bleeding will slowly become less red, then pink, and then a yellow or white discharge ². The Office on Women's Health says lochia is "heavy and bright red at first, becoming lighter in flow and color" ¹.

When is postpartum bleeding a warning sign?

MedlinePlus says to contact your provider if bleeding is heavier than 1 pad per hour, or you have clots bigger than a golf ball ². The NHS says that if you are losing blood in large clots, you should tell your midwife, because you may need some treatment ³.

Can I use tampons during postpartum bleeding?

The NHS says not to use tampons until after your 6-week postnatal check, because they could increase your chance of getting an infection ³.

A note from us

We're the team behind Yael & Michal. We are not doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, or psychologists, and nothing here is professional advice.

Everything above was researched by us from public, reputable sources - we name and link every one of them below - and summarized as carefully as we could, as a free resource for other mothers. We do this because we wished something like it had existed for us.

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Sources

1. Office on Women's Health (womenshealth.gov) - Recovering from birth. https://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/childbirth-and-beyond/recovering-birth (retrieved 2026-07-10).
2. MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) - Vaginal delivery - discharge. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000628.htm (retrieved 2026-07-10).
3. NHS (National Health Service, UK) - Your body after the birth. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/labour-and-birth/your-body/ (retrieved 2026-07-10).