Postpartum Week 1
Know warning signs after birth—heavy bleeding, fever, chest pain, or severe headache. Learn when to call your provider.
Pregnancy Timeline
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By the end of the first week, most babies have several wet diapers and soft, yellow stools each day. This is a sign they are getting enough milk or formula.
Vaginal bleeding (lochia) is heaviest in the first days after birth. It slowly gets lighter and changes from red to pink to brown or yellow-white over several weeks. Its normal for bleeding to stop and start again during the first six weeks after birth.
If you are breastfeeding, you may not have a period for a while. If you are formula feeding, your period may come back right away.
Preeclampsia After Giving Birth
Pregnancy is over, but you can still develop serious problems in the first six weeks after birth. Preeclampsia (dangerously high blood pressure) can start after the baby is born. Headaches that don’t get better with medicine, seeing spots or flashes, or having trouble breathing are not normal.
Watch for other signs like very heavy bleeding (filling a pad in less than an hour) or a fever over 100.4°F. Call your care provider or come to the hospital right away with any of these symptoms or any concerns.
Physical Health
Medical Care
