Day 1 postpartum
In short: what happens on day 1 postpartum?
On day 1 postpartum your womb sits at the level of your belly button and starts contracting to shrink, which is why bright red bleeding is normal. Skin-to-skin contact and the first feed in the early hours kick-start milk production and help your womb recover. Passing urine within a few hours and getting up with help speed your recovery.
Day 1 postpartum – animated guide
Day 1: the 40-day postpartum dial, your womb shrinking, postnatal bleeding, your baby’s stomach capacity and weight change (illustrative animation).
What the animation shows
- RING
- Coloured ring: the 40-day postpartum period and its stages; the gaps in the ring mark the weeks
- LOCHIA
- Inner band and pad: the colour of postnatal bleeding (red → pinkish-brown → yellowish-white) and how heavy it is
- BLUES
- Blue arc: days 3–14, when the baby blues may appear
- UTERUS
- Womb: its weight (g) and height relative to the belly button (cm); the dashed line marks the belly button
- STOMACH
- Circle: roughly how much milk your baby can take per feed (ml); dashed rings show day 1, day 3, week 1 and month 1
- FEED
- Drop and nappy: feeds in 24 hours and the minimum number of wet nappies to expect
- WEIGHT
- Graph: your baby’s weight compared with birth weight (%)
- ICONS
- Outer icons: first feed, milk coming in, heel prick test, cord falling off, back to birth weight, 1 month, 6-week check
Stage
First 72 hours
Postnatal bleeding
Red (lochia rubra)
Womb
≈ 1000 g
Milk
Colostrum (first milk)
Baby’s stomach (per feed)
6 ml
Baby’s weight (vs birth weight)
-2.5%
Wet nappies (24 hours)
1
Days until day 40
39 days
What’s happening in your body?
Straight after the birth your womb is level with your belly button, weighs about 1000 g and starts contracting to shrink. Postnatal bleeding is bright red, you may see small clots, and it can briefly increase when you stand up. After a caesarean expect pain and tenderness around the wound; after a vaginal birth, around the perineum.
Your baby today
In the first hours your baby is usually alert and keen to feed, then may fall into a long sleep. Their stomach is only the size of a cherry; 5–7 ml of colostrum per feed is enough. In many countries the first dose of hepatitis B vaccine is given at birth, and at least one wet nappy is expected on day one.
Feeding and nutrition
If possible, hold your baby skin to skin on your chest within the first hour; skin-to-skin contact triggers the rooting reflex and starts milk production. After a caesarean you can also start breastfeeding as soon as you are back on the ward, with a midwife’s help.
Emotions and rest
Tiredness, disbelief and intense happiness can all arrive at once; keep visits short and use this first day to get to know your baby.
Care and hygiene
You may feel dizzy the first time you stand, so always get up with someone’s help and sit on the edge of the bed for a while first. Check your pad often and wipe from front to back after using the toilet.
Tips for today
- Try to pass urine within a few hours of the birth
- Hold your baby skin to skin to help them regulate their temperature and breathing
- Sit on the edge of the bed and breathe deeply for a few minutes before standing
When to seek medical help
Tell your midwife or doctor straight away if bleeding soaks a pad completely every hour for 1–2 hours, you pass clots the size of an egg, you feel faint, or you still can’t pass urine after several hours.
Postpartum day-by-day table
| Day | Topic | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | The First Day After Birth | First 72 hours |
| Day 2 | Colostrum (First Milk) | First 72 hours |
| Day 3 | Milk Coming In and Jaundice | First 72 hours |
| Day 4 | Breast Engorgement | Milk comes in |
| Day 5 | The Baby Blues | Milk comes in |
| Day 6 | Stitch Care and the Toilet | Milk comes in |
| Day 7 | The End of Week One | Milk comes in |
| Day 8 | When Can I Have a Bath? | Healing |
| Day 9 | Sleep and Tiredness | Healing |
| Day 10 | The Umbilical Cord Falls Off | Healing |
| Day 11 | Eating Well After Birth | Healing |
| Day 12 | Yellowish-White Discharge | Healing |
| Day 13 | Caesarean Wound Care | Healing |
| Day 14 | The End of Week Two | Healing |
| Day 15 | Postnatal Depression | Settling in |
| Day 16 | Cracked Nipples and Mastitis | Settling in |
| Day 17 | Visitors and 40-Day Beliefs | Settling in |
| Day 18 | Pelvic Floor and Kegels | Settling in |
| Day 19 | Night Sweats and Hormones | Settling in |
| Day 20 | Can I Go Out With My Baby? | Settling in |
| Day 21 | The Three-Week Growth Spurt | Settling in |
| Day 22 | Tummy, Binders and Diastasis | Settling in |
| Day 23 | Lifting and Driving | Settling in |
| Day 24 | Support From Partner and Family | Settling in |
| Day 25 | Medicines, Tea and Coffee | Settling in |
| Day 26 | Expressing and Storing Milk | Settling in |
| Day 27 | Anaemia After Birth | Settling in |
| Day 28 | Week 4: Is the Bleeding Ending? | Settling in |
| Day 29 | Exercise After Birth | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 30 | Your Baby’s First Month | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 31 | Losing Weight After Birth | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 32 | Sex After Birth | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 33 | Contraception After Birth | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 34 | Hair Loss and Skin Changes | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 35 | Week Five: Building a Routine | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 36 | Preparing for Your 6-Week Check | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 37 | Pelvic Floor and Core Strength | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 38 | Saunas and 40th-Day Bath Rituals | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 39 | What to Watch for After Day 40 | Recovery and day 40 |
| Day 40 | Day 40: The End of Postpartum | Recovery and day 40 |
Frequently asked questions
When should the first breastfeed be after birth?
Ideally within the first hour after birth. Your baby is usually alert then with a strong sucking reflex; after a caesarean you can start as soon as you and your baby are ready.
How much bleeding is normal on the first day after birth?
On day one bleeding can be heavier than a period, bright red and with small clots. Bleeding that soaks a pad completely every hour for 1–2 hours is not normal; report it straight away.
How soon can you get up after a vaginal birth?
Usually within a few hours, with help. Walking early lowers the risk of blood clots in the legs; after a caesarean you first get up when your doctor advises, usually on the same day.
Postnatal care at SoftCare Clinic
Book an appointment with our specialist doctors for a postnatal check, breastfeeding problems, a stitch or wound check, or support with postnatal depression.
The information on this page is general guidance for an uncomplicated postpartum period and does not replace a medical examination. Heavy bleeding, fever, breathlessness, chest pain, or thoughts of harming yourself or your baby are emergencies: call your local emergency number (999 / 911 / 112).
Medical content editor: Op. Dr. Şükrü Sanus