You’ve read about post-partum bleeding, now here’s how to prepare for it.
Usually, maternity pads are used after giving birth to manage bleeding, but some women also use them during labour, when travelling to hospital, or to stop any leaking once their waters have broken. If your waters break before labour starts, call the hospital and use a maternity pad so the nurses can check the colour of your waters.
Probably more often than you think. Aim to purchase three to four packs of 10 maternity pads before your baby is born. You need at least two packs in your hospital bag, as you’ll bleed the most straight after your baby is born and you may need to change your pad every hour or two. This will reduce to every three to four hours over the next few days, and will continue to reduce as the weeks go by, so you’ll need to keep some in stock at home too!
It’s best to throw them away in a sanitary bin or with household waste. The great news is that Lil-Lets maternity maxi pads are individually wrapped so you can put your used pad into the wrapper of your new pad and throw it away. You could use a nappy sack, sanitary bag, or wrap in some toilet tissue. Just don’t try flush it.
It’s up to you! For the first few days and weeks, when the bleeding is at its heaviest, it’s probably easiest to use maternity maxi pads as they are specially designed to absorb very heavy bleeding. As your flow becomes lighter, you may want to move to using a Lil-Lets maternity ultra pad as you get back to normal — your choice.
As most of us know, the earliest sign is a missed period but this could also be down to stress or other factors. The easiest and quickest way to answer your question is to take a home pregnancy test, which can be taken from the first day of your missed period. They're usually pretty reliable but if you're unsure, contact your GP and get booked in.
In most cases it's totally safe to have sex when pregnant, though you may want to avoid putting too much pressure on your bump and breasts! If you have a high-risk pregnancy or have had any bleeding then it's worth consulting your midwife or doctor first, just to be on the safe side.
Unfortunately the answer is yes. As the bleeding is mostly the lining of the womb it's totally normal to have vaginal bleeding after a caesarean, just as you would for a vaginal birth.
We would advise against this straight after birth as your vagina needs time to heal and using internal protection could increase the risk of infection. You're best to wait for your 6 week check, where your midwife will inform you if you're okay to use tampons.
Crying at the drop of a hat? Wondering why your favourite foods suddenly make you want to throw up? Chances are, you’re experiencing some of the usual pregnancy symptoms...
Find out moreFrom six weeks after giving birth and onwards: the checkups, your wellbeing and what you should never forget to mention to your doctor
Find out moreHere's everything you need to know about pregnancy related incontinence. First lesson: it is way more common than you might think…
Find out more