Having one clot may not be anything to worry about. You probably passed a few clots when your baby was just a few days old.
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Passing blood and clots (
lochia) is part of the natural process as your womb (uterus) shrinks back to its normal size. The bleeding is likely to last for about six weeks in all, but will tail off over that time.
Now that your baby is a few weeks old, you may be starting to
get more active, which can encourage more clots to pass. Although this isn’t usually anything to worry about, listen to your body. If you feel tired, take the time to rest when you can. When your baby goes down for naps, put your feet up instead of catching up on all the housework. Drink plenty of water and eat a healthy diet with lots of
iron-rich foods.
You may feel pains before passing a clot. This is caused by your womb contracting, as it gets rid of the clot.
A clot can vary in size, from smaller than a penny, to around the size of a 50 pence piece. Usually, a clot will fall away when you go to the toilet, but it may be caught on your
maternity pad. The larger ones can come as a surprise, as they can look a bit like lumps of liver.
Sometimes, an infection can set in about two weeks or three weeks after your baby's birth. This may be caused by a small piece of membrane or
placenta staying behind in the womb. Starting to pass clots or red blood again may be the first sign of this. Call your
midwife or doctor straight away if you:
- pass clots larger than a 50 pence piece
- pass lots of clots
- start to bleed heavily or persistently
- feel feverish
- feel sharp pains low down in your tummy
You may need to be treated with antibiotics, or have a minor operation to remove the rest of the placenta.
If you suddenly lose a lot of blood, and start to feel faint or dizzy, and your heart is racing or beating irregularly, call 999. These are all signs of shock, and can happen if you have a very heavy bleed.
Find out when it's safe to start using tampons again.
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