What are signs of postpartum infection?

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 lineSigns of postpartum infection include fever, increasing pain, foul-smelling discharge, and wound or breast redness and swelling; contact your provider promptly for early antibiotics, and seek urgent care for high fever, fast heartbeat, or feeling extremely unwell (possible sepsis).

Postpartum infections can affect the womb, a wound (tear or C-section), the urinary tract, or the breasts. Key signs include fever, increasing pain, foul-smelling discharge, and redness or swelling. Most are easily treated with antibiotics if caught early.

General signs of infection

• A fever of 38C (100.4F) or higher, or chills
• Feeling generally unwell, achy, or shivery
• Increasing rather than improving pain

Signs by site

• Womb (endometritis): Tummy pain, foul-smelling vaginal discharge, heavier bleeding, fever
• Wound (tear or C-section): Redness, swelling, warmth, pain, or pus at the site; the wound opening
• Urinary tract: Pain or burning when you pee, needing to go often, or smelly or cloudy urine
• Breast (mastitis): A red, hot, painful area on the breast with flu-like aches and fever

What to do

Contact your provider promptly if you notice these signs. Early antibiotics usually clear the infection quickly.

Seek urgent care for

A high fever, fast heartbeat, severe pain, confusion, dizziness, or feeling extremely unwell - these can be signs of sepsis, a medical emergency.

Femora helps you track symptoms so you can describe them clearly and act quickly.

Know when it's urgent: when to go to the ER postpartum