Postpartum pad surprises and bleeding
Postpartum bleeding is one of the most universal things about birthing a baby.
The bleeding comes from a wound inside of your uterus where the placenta detaches after birth. Your amazing human body, which was created to do this, also needs time to let this wound heal.
Your vaginal bleeding after baby is coming from this wound. Just as your body was created to grow a baby, it was also created to have blood clot to prevent lots of bleeding.
Blood clotting happens when blood sits in one spot for any length of time.
Postpartum surprises on your pad or in the toilet are often in the form of blood clots. When blood hangs out together for anywhere from minutes to hours, it naturally clots.
The first few trips up the bathroom after baby is born you may notice larger clots than you think should be there. Your nurse, midwife or direct patient care provider will be keeping a close eye on the size of these clots, along with the amount of your bleeding.
But when you're home and no one is there to visualize your bleeding and tell you what's okay and what's not, it's hard. Here's an easy size reference for you on postpartum blood clot sizes, most applicable for a few days after birth to around two weeks.
🫐Blueberry: Expected in the early days. Continue to get up to change your pads every 2-3 hours
🍇Grape: Slightly larger than what's expected. Just one isolated clot this size is often okay, but keep a close eye on the bleeding amount and clot size and call your provider if it increases or you feel other symptoms.
🥚Egg: Call your provider ASAP, no matter the time of day. We want you to be safe, and clots of this size could indicate you need closer monitoring.
Size references sometimes go out the window because blood clots are often not a regular shape. We give you these references as a guide for the general area of a blood clot, but if you notice an irregular-shaped clot that is between and grape-ish and egg-ish, its worth placing a call to your provider.
ALWAYS be in constant communication with your OB, midwife or nurse about the bleeding amount and clot amount/size. If they have told you a different size reference for blood clots that are safe vs. concerning, PLEASE listen to them first. They know you and your health history. We are friendly and experienced postpartum nurses, but not your nurses ❤️
Your postpartum nurses Meg and Carly here to prepare you for postpartum and beyond. We want to make sure you have the education you need to care for your own healing body after birth, not just your baby.
Postpartum prep courses occurring virtually and regularly intended to be taken during pregnancy are now open for registration. Our return to work support group is pay what you can and supports that tough back to work transition. Then join us in our online community for the growth, support and empowerment to continue <3
