4 weeks PP and breastfeeding...

and I've started my period, it seems. I'm bleeding A LOT. It feels like blood just keeps pouring out into the pad. I've read that you should be worried if you fill a pad in an hour..which I am. I have been spotting since my c-section on October 1st..it stopped completely for a couple days..and it was always brown blood and started lightening recently..but I never had heavy bleeding afterward at all. I thought it was kind of weird that I didn't bleed more profusely. I'm having very light menstrual cramps on an off, but there's no pain associated with the bleeding. I don't know if I'm just not used to having a period and the blood seems like a lot to me because of that or what. I really don't want to go to the hospital and have them tell me that it's just my period. O.o I know every woman's body is different, so just because I'm breastfeeding doesn't mean I won't have a period so soon. Any advice? Anyone experience this? Also, sorry for the TMI and thanks!

Lochia can come back

If you are having bright red bleeding, that means that is active bleeding, and you should call your Dr.

Lochia has three stages :
Lochia Rubra: first few days usually dark red
Lochia Serousa: can be brownish/pinkish-/yellowish 1-3 weekish post-partum
Lochia Alba: White/yellowish last stage. (abnormal if greater than 6 weeks)

Mind you if you are exclusively breastfeeding you might go through these stages a lot faster. Also if you are exclusively feeding breast milk and feeding on demand, and not using artificial nipples it is possible but rare to get your period this early. Even more rare is to start your period and be this heavy, only 4 weeks post partum.

It is normal if you are breastfeeding to have a light flow and all of a sudden your flow gets heavy in the beginning weeks after delivery. But, yah, it is not within the normal range to be saturating more than 1 pad in 1 hour, 4 weeks post-partum, and if you are passing clots, or having foul smelling d/c those are all other symptoms to report.

If you don't want to go to your ER. at least call your MD during regular office hours. But if you are experiencing Light-headness, or feelings of weakness, or you're getting out of breath you might have lost a lot of blood, and your body is trying to compensate for that loss.

A lot of women who breastfed take dietary supplements/herbs. Some of these herbs can make you prone to bleeding.