Postpartum Warning Signs: What’s Normal and When to Call Your OB/GYN

Bleeding, cramping, headaches, swelling, soreness, and exhaustion can all happen after having a baby. Most of the time, these symptoms are part of the body’s normal recovery. But some of the same symptoms can also be warning signs of postpartum hemorrhage, preeclampsia, infection, a blood clot, or a mental health emergency.

So how do you tell the difference?

I’m Dr. Monica, a board-certified OB/GYN and mom of three. In the video below, I explain what normal postpartum recovery can look like, when to call your OB/GYN, and when a symptom needs emergency attention.

Watch the video: Postpartum Warning Signs: What’s Normal vs. When to Call Your OB/GYN

Important: This article is for general education and cannot diagnose an individual condition. If you have a severe symptom, feel unsafe, or believe something is seriously wrong, seek emergency care. Always tell the medical team that you recently gave birth and explain when and how you delivered.

The postpartum period lasts longer than six weeks

Many postpartum complications are more likely during the first days and weeks after delivery, but pregnancy-related health problems can occur throughout the year after birth. The CDC advises patients and their support people to remain aware of urgent maternal warning signs during this time.

That does not mean every uncomfortable symptom is dangerous. Recovery from pregnancy and delivery takes time. A useful general principle is to look at the direction in which a symptom is moving:

• Normal recovery symptoms should generally become less intense over time.
• A symptom that is sudden, severe, persistent, or worsening deserves attention.
• If you feel that something is wrong, it is appropriate to speak up—even if your symptom does not fit neatly into a checklist.

What can be normal after delivery?

Every recovery is different, and your experience may depend on whether you had a vaginal delivery or a C-section. Common postpartum symptoms can include:

• Vaginal bleeding and discharge, also called lochia
• Uterine cramping, which may feel stronger during breastfeeding
• Perineal soreness after stretching, tearing, or an episiotomy
• Incisional soreness after a C-section
• Mild swelling in both feet or legs
• Breast fullness or engorgement as milk production changes
• Fatigue after pregnancy, labor, surgery, and disrupted sleep

Postpartum bleeding may initially resemble a heavy period and should gradually become lighter. It can temporarily increase after activity or breastfeeding, but it should settle again with rest and continue trending downward overall.

Similarly, cramping and soreness should slowly improve. You may have a harder day after doing more, but the broader pattern should be progress rather than steady deterioration.

Postpartum bleeding: when is it too much?

Some bleeding after both vaginal and cesarean delivery is expected. What is concerning is a sudden, substantial increase—especially bleeding that does not slow with rest.

Seek prompt medical care for warning signs such as:

• Heavy or gushing vaginal bleeding
• Soaking through one or more pads in an hour
• Passing clots larger than an egg or passing tissue
• Feeling faint, dizzy, weak, clammy, or unusually unwell with the bleeding
• Bleeding that had been improving but suddenly becomes much heavier and stays that way

You do not need to wait for an exact pad count if you are gushing blood, feeling lightheaded, or believe something is seriously wrong.

Postpartum preeclampsia can happen after delivery

Delivering the baby does not immediately eliminate the risk of preeclampsia. Postpartum preeclampsia can develop even when blood pressure was normal throughout pregnancy. It most commonly occurs soon after birth but can develop up to six weeks later.

Call your OB/GYN promptly if you develop:

• A severe or persistent headache that does not improve
• Blurred vision, flashing lights, spots, or another change in vision
• Sudden swelling of the face or hands
• New shortness of breath
• Pain in the upper abdomen, especially on the right side
• Nausea or vomiting together with other concerning symptoms
• A home blood-pressure reading of 140/90 mm Hg or higher

Seizure, severe difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or another rapidly worsening symptom requires emergency care.

Know the symptoms of a postpartum blood clot

The risk of a blood clot is elevated after delivery, especially during the first six weeks. A clot can form in a deep vein—most often in a leg—and may travel to the lungs.

Possible signs of a deep vein thrombosis, or DVT, include:

• Pain, redness, warmth, or swelling in one leg, especially the calf
• One leg that is significantly more swollen than the other

Possible signs of a pulmonary embolism include:

• Sudden chest pain or tightness
• Sudden shortness of breath or difficulty speaking because you cannot catch your breath
• Coughing up blood
• A racing or pounding heartbeat
• Fainting or feeling close to fainting

These symptoms require urgent evaluation. Call emergency services for chest pain, significant difficulty breathing, fainting, or another severe symptom.

Fever and other signs of postpartum infection

Infection can develop in the uterus, urinary tract, breast, a C-section incision, or the site of an episiotomy or perineal tear.

A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is considered a postpartum warning sign. Other possible signs of infection include:

• Foul-smelling vaginal discharge
• Shaking chills
• Increasing pelvic or abdominal pain
• Redness, drainage, pus, or increasing pain around a C-section incision
• Increasing pain or drainage from an episiotomy or tear repair
• Burning with urination, difficulty urinating, or worsening urinary symptoms
• A painful, red, swollen area on one breast
• Confusion, clammy skin, or feeling very ill overall

Call your OB/GYN if you have these symptoms. Do not dismiss the way you feel simply because your temperature is not extremely high.

Postpartum mental health symptoms deserve medical care too

Postpartum mental health conditions are medical conditions—not a personal failure. Hormonal shifts, physical recovery, sleep deprivation, prior anxiety or depression, and the demands of caring for a newborn can all affect mental health.

Contact your OB/GYN or another healthcare professional promptly if you are experiencing:

• Persistent sadness, hopelessness, helplessness, or frequent crying
• Panic, extreme anxiety, or a sense that something terrible will happen
• Loss of interest or difficulty bonding with your baby
• Intrusive thoughts that distress you
• An inability to sleep, eat, drink, or care for yourself normally

Get emergency help immediately for:

• Thoughts of harming yourself or your baby
• Hallucinations or delusions
• Severe confusion, extreme mania, or loss of contact with reality
• Any situation in which you or someone else may be in immediate danger

Postpartum psychosis is rare, but it is a medical emergency. The goal of asking for help is to keep you and your baby safe and get you the treatment and support you need.

A simple postpartum action plan

When you are unsure whether a symptom is normal, ask yourself three questions:

1. Is it sudden, severe, persistent, or getting worse?
2. Is it affecting my breathing, consciousness, or ability to function?
3. Do I feel like something is seriously wrong?

Mild symptoms that are stable or gradually improving can often be discussed at a scheduled follow-up. New, persistent, or worsening symptoms deserve a call to your OB/GYN. Severe bleeding, chest pain, trouble breathing, fainting, seizure, signs of psychosis, or an immediate risk of harm require emergency care.

Your instincts matter. You know when something feels different in your body. If a symptom concerns you, do not hesitate to ask for help or request an evaluation.

Share this information with your support person

The postpartum patient may be exhausted, overwhelmed, or focused on the baby. A partner, relative, or friend may notice a concerning change first.

Share the video with the people who will support you after delivery. Ask them to learn the warning signs, listen when you say something does not feel right, and help you reach medical care when needed.

Watch the full video above, and subscribe to White Coat Mama on YouTube for practical, evidence-based pregnancy, postpartum, and gynecology education from a board-certified OB/GYN.

Sources and further reading

• CDC: Urgent Maternal Warning Signs and Symptoms
• CDC Hear Her Campaign: Supporting a Pregnant or Postpartum Loved One
• ACOG: Three Conditions to Watch for After Childbirth
• ACOG: Preeclampsia and High Blood Pressure During Pregnancy
• ACOG: Summary of Perinatal Mental Health Conditions

Medical disclaimer: This content is provided for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Contact your healthcare professional with questions about your health. If you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, contact emergency services.