Bleeding after a c-section (caesarean): what to expect

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Is my bleeding normal? C-section postpartum care 

How long do you bleed for after a c-section?

How heavy will the bleeding be? 

Use maternity pads

When to contact your midwife or doctor

Is my bleeding normal? C-section postpartum care

It’s usual to have some vaginal bleeding after a c-section (caesarean).  

Speak to your midwife, health visitor or GP if you’re worried about any unusual bleeding, if you have any signs of infection, or if your bleeding gets heavier or comes on suddenly.

How long do you bleed for after a c-section?

You will have some vaginal bleeding (called lochia) for 2-6 weeks after the birth. This is the mucous, tissue and blood that is shed after birth as your womb (uterus) replaces its lining. Bleeding sometimes lasts longer than this, but it should have stopped by 12 weeks.

This bleeding happens after vaginal and c-section births. It mainly comes from where the placenta was attached to the womb.

How heavy will the bleeding be?

The bleeding may be quite heavy for the first day, with you needing to change your maternity pad every 2-4 hours. The blood is either red or brownish-red in colour.

Over the next few weeks, the bleeding should get less heavy and the colour should be a lighter pink or brown.

You may notice the bleeding gets heavier and looks a brighter red colour when you breastfeed, if you choose to feed your baby this way. This is because when you breastfeed, you produce hormones which cause your womb to contract.  

You may get a cramping feeling when this happens. You’re more likely to get cramping pain if you’ve had a baby before.

You may get more bleeding first thing in the morning as blood collects in your vagina when you’re lying down at night. Physical activity can also cause slightly heavier bleeding in the first couple of weeks after the birth. If your postnatal bleeding (lochia) gets heavier or changes colour (becomes pink or red) after activity, you could be overdoing it.

Use maternity pads

Using maternity pads, rather than thinner sanitary pads. Your midwife will ask you about bleeding and if you tell them that it is very heavy, unusual, or you have large clots, using a maternity pad will make it easier for your midwife to see how much blood you have lost. They may also feel more comfortable to wear.

To reduce the risk of infection:

• do not use internal sanitary products, such as tampons and menstrual cups, for the first 6 weeks after birth
• change your pad every 2-4 hours
• wash your hands thoroughly before and after changing your pad.

When to contact your midwife or doctor

Tell your midwife, health visitor or GP straight away if:

• your bleeding gets heavier or comes on suddenly
• you pass any large clots (about the size of a golf ball) after the first 24 hours – it’s normal to pass some clots in the first few days but show them to your midwife if you can and tell them if you carry on passing clots
• you have any signs of infection, such as severe pain, high temperature, shivering or unpleasant smelling vaginal blood or discharge
• you are leaking urine
• you have pain when peeing
• you have any worries about your bleeding.

Read more about your recovery after a c-section here.