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When to Call Your Health Care Provider After Birth


If you notice any of the following symptoms during your postpartum recovery, be sure to call your health care provider right away.

Discharge/Bleeding
  • Your lochia has a foul odor.
  • Your vaginal discharge is bright red after the fourth day following birth.
  • You have no lochia during the first two weeks following birth.
  • You have very heavy bleeding that requires more than one sanitary pad an hour and does not lessen in flow.
  • You notice large clumps or clots of blood in your lochia (small clots are normal).

Swelling
  • There is swelling around your cesarean incision.

Pain, Redness
  • You have sharp chest pains.
  • You have continued pain in your belly after the first two or three days following birth.
  • You notice pain or redness around your cesarean incision.
  • You notice pain and tenderness in your legs and when you tense or flex your foot.
  • There is pain, redness, and tenderness in your breast(s).

Fever
  • You have a temperature greater than 101ºF for more than one day.

Other
  • You have a hard lump in either of your breasts.
  • You have pain or burning when you urinate or you have the urge to urinate often.
  • You feel more and more depressed every day.

Note: Depression is discussed in Baby Blues.

Continue to "Taking Care of Yourself After Birth" journey to parenthood


Most recent page update: 9/9/2010
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Childbirth Connection is a national not-for-profit organization founded in 1918 as Maternity Center Association. Our mission is to improve the quality and value of maternity care through consumer engagement and health system transformation. Childbirth Connection promotes safe, effective and satisfying evidence-based maternity care and is a voice for the needs and interests of childbearing families.
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Listening to MothersSM III is the third national survey exploring women’s experiences in pregnancy and childbirth. Commissioned by Childbirth Connection, conducted by Harris Interactive, and funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the survey polled 2,400 women who gave birth in U.S. hospitals from 2011 to 2012. Results show that medically intensive experiences are typical, and evidence-based practices are underutilized. Childbearing women need better support and knowledge to navigate their maternity care.
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