How to Deal with Post Birth Bleeding

If you're having an elective c-section and are smugly anticipating not dealing with bleeding after the birth - don't. Whether you have a natural birth or a c-section, you will have to deal with several weeks of bleeding after the birth. This bleeding is called lochia, and is your body's way of expelling all the placental tissue, mucous, and clots that are left in your uterus. Clots are normal, but if you're still passing large clots more than a week after the birth, you should speak to your doctor. Another important thing to note is that you will need to sanitary pads throughout this process – tampons are not recommended. You will also want to buy special maternity pads, which are larger and more absorbent, to deal with the heavy flow.