After childbirth: six weeks of bleeding, leaks and skin to look after

What we are talking about

After a birth, vaginal or caesarean, the uterus clears itself for two to six weeks: this is lochia, first red and heavy, then pinkish, then yellowish. At the same time the pelvic floor has been stretched and many women lose a few drops of urine when laughing, coughing or carrying the baby. And if you breastfeed, the breasts leak between feeds, especially in the first weeks.

All of this is normal and temporary. We help you choose the right product for each phase and keep the skin healthy, never make a diagnosis: your midwife and doctor remain your contacts, and the “When to call” paragraph tells you when not to wait.

Six weeks, three phases

Days 1 to 3, heavy flow: a long, thick, soft maternity pad, changed every two to three hours without waiting for it to be full. At night, a Mati underpad under the hips protects the bed and saves getting up to change the sheets. Soft cotton pants or mesh pants hold the pad in place.

Days 4 to 10, moderate flow: the maternity pad remains the reference, or Flexi absorbent pants if you prefer nothing to position, especially at night and on days out.

Weeks 2 to 6, light discharge: a thin pad, 28 cm long, is enough. No tampon or menstrual cup while lochia lasts: that is the general midwife recommendation, so that nothing is inserted into a healing uterus.

Urine leaks on effort: a thin bladder pad by day, which absorbs urine in seconds where a sanitary pad leaves it on the surface. The first nights, if leaks are real, Flexi pants let you sleep without checking.

Breastfeeding: breast pads and air

Breast pads catch the milk that leaks between feeds. The rule is the same as for every product: change as soon as it is damp, not when it is full, because a nipple soaking in a wet pad cracks faster.

After each feed, let the nipple air dry for a few minutes, without rubbing. At night, a breast pad in a soft, wire-free bra avoids stains on the sheets and waking up to change T-shirts.

The skin: washed, dried, never rubbed

The perineum, with or without stitches, is washed with warm water and patted dry, front to back, with a clean towel or a Nateen wipe with a pH close to the skin's. Change the pad at every toilet visit in the first days.

A caesarean scar is kept dry and in the air as soon as possible: a pad that rises too high or an underwear waistband rubbing on it irritates it. Choose soft high-waisted pants, or lower the pad below the scar.

Pelvic floor and mood

Effort leaks most often resolve within a few weeks with pelvic-floor rehabilitation, offered after the postnatal check: a few minutes of contractions a day, without holding your breath, learnt with a midwife or physiotherapist. Meanwhile, a thin pad means you need not give up going out.

Tiredness and tears in the first days are common. Low mood that settles in beyond two weeks, loss of interest in the baby or dark thoughts are not a weakness: talk to the midwife or doctor, right away.

When to call the midwife without waiting

A maternity pad soaked in under an hour, clots bigger than a walnut, bright red bleeding that returns after turning light, fever, foul-smelling discharge, increasing pain in the belly, perineum or calf, a hot red patch on a breast: these are general midwife guidance, not a diagnosis, but they justify a call the same day.