After the first week following the birth of your baby, postnatal blood loss will diminish, becoming more brown or pink in colour. After the second or third week it should become lighter brown or clear, before completely stopping. Your next period may start again within the first 6 weeks if you are bottle-feeding, while if you are breast-feeding it will usually be delayed.

Although the majority of significant postpartum haemorrhage cases occur within the first 24 hours of giving birth, some women will experience delayed postpartum haemorrhage in the initial weeks following labour. It is important to monitor your postpartum bleeding for any changes and to contact your Doctor/Hospital if you notice any of the following:

• You soak a pad in less than an hour
• You notice a foul odour
• You have clots that are the size of golf balls or larger
• You feel faint or dizzy