bleeding that requires a person to change a tampon or pad after less than 2 hours.

The CDC recommend seeing a doctor if a person has one of the following: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), menorrhagia is when a person has unusually heavy menstrual bleeding or periods that last for more than 7 days. However, very heavy bleeding or large clots can be a sign of menorrhagia. These small pieces of tissue, or clots, in the blood are not a cause for concern. Healthy period blood can contain visible pieces of the uterine lining. Share on Pinterest A person should see a doctor if they have bleeding that requires a tampon or pad change after less than 2 hours.

Women may also experience irregular periods after giving birth due to changes in hormone levels. Not all women experience lochia after giving birth.

Women who experience very heavy bleeding after giving birth should see a doctor. The duration of lochia varies from person to person, but it usually passes within the first few months after delivery. Over time, the discharge will then become lighter in both color and amount. Lochia typically begins with bright red blood and then transitions to a darker shade as the flow decreases. Lochia is not a cause for concern and is the body’s way of expelling excess blood and tissue from the uterus. Lochiaĭark red or brown vaginal discharge that occurs after giving birth is called lochia, or postpartum bleeding. It is important for women who experience spotting or vaginal bleeding during pregnancy to speak to their doctor or obstetrician. Pregnancyīrown blood or spotting can sometimes also be an early sign of pregnancy that doctors refer to as implantation bleeding.īrown discharge or spotting during pregnancy can indicate a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy, which is when the fertilized egg implants in a fallopian tube instead of the uterus. Brown or dark red blood has not had as long to oxidize as black blood and can appear in a variety of shades. Like black blood, brown or dark red is a sign of old blood, and it may appear at the beginning or end of a period.

Period blot clots