What color should postpartum bleeding be?

Last reviewed June 19, 2026 by Dr. Sapna Jadhav, General Physician. Sources from ACOG, NHS, Mayo Clinic, CDC, NICE, NIH, Cochrane, and peer-reviewed journals.

Bottom linePostpartum bleeding should move from bright or dark red in the first days to pink, then brown, and finally a yellow-white discharge by a few weeks - foul smell or a return to heavy bright red needs a check.

Postpartum bleeding changes color predictably as you heal, moving from red to pink to brown and finally to a yellow-white discharge. This progression is a good sign that recovery is on track.

The normal color sequence

• Bright or dark red (days 1-4): The heaviest phase, as the uterus sheds its lining and the placental site heals.
• Pinkish or brownish red (days 5-10): Flow slows and old blood mixes in.
• Yellow to creamy white (weeks 2-6): Mostly white blood cells and tissue as bleeding finishes.

Colors that should prompt a call

• Bright red, heavy bleeding that returns after it had faded
• Bleeding with a foul smell (a possible sign of infection)
• Greenish discharge, or discharge with fever or pelvic pain

Why color matters

The color tells you roughly where you are in healing. Going backwards - from brown back to heavy bright red - or any foul-smelling discharge is worth checking with your provider.

Femora lets you track the color and flow of your bleeding day by day.