Postpartum Haemorrhage That Lingers Past the First Week
Heavy bleeding in the first 24 hours after delivery gets clinical attention. The bleeding that continues at week two or three, soaking more than one pad per hour, passing clots the size of a small lemon, rarely does. Women are told this is the body "cleaning itself." It is not always that. Secondary postpartum haemorrhage, defined as abnormal uterine bleeding between 24 hours and 12 weeks after birth, can signal retained placental tissue or uterine infection. A 2019 study published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found that secondary postpartum haemorrhage affects approximately 1 to 3% of all deliveries and frequently goes undiagnosed because women self-manage at home. The standard advice, rest, eat well, drink jeera water, does not treat retained tissue. An ultrasound does.
