When does postpartum bleeding stop?

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 usually stops by 4 to 6 weeks; lingering light spotting can be normal, but heavy, returning, or foul-smelling bleeding at 6 weeks should be checked.

For most people, postpartum bleeding (lochia) stops by around 4 to 6 weeks after birth. Some have light spotting that lingers a little longer, which can still be normal.

A typical end point

By 6 weeks, the discharge has usually faded to a small amount of yellow-white and then stopped. The standard postpartum check-up around this time is a good moment to mention bleeding that hasn't settled.

What can make it last longer

• Doing too much, too soon - activity can restart light bleeding
• A retained piece of placenta (this usually causes ongoing or heavy bleeding and needs treatment)
• Infection

When to check with your provider

See your provider if bleeding is still heavy at 6 weeks, suddenly becomes bright red and heavy again, smells bad, or comes with fever or pain. Note that your first real period can return while breastfeeding or soon after stopping, which is different from lochia.

Femora helps you tell ongoing lochia from the return of your period by tracking your flow over time.

Read more: postpartum periods: when your cycle returns