Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is severe bleeding after giving birth. It’s a serious and dangerous complication that requires immediate treatment. PPH usually occurs within 24 hours of childbirth, but it can happen up to 12 weeks after delivery (postpartum). With PPH, you can lose large amounts of blood very quickly. It causes a sharp drop in blood pressure, which can restrict blood flow to your heart, brain and other organs. When your organs don’t get enough blood flow due to active bleeding, this is called hypovolemic shock which can be deadly. The labor and delivery team needs to find and stop the bleeding as quickly as possible.

Bleeding excessively after giving birth can be scary and traumatic. You probably didn’t expect your birth experience to go this way. It’s important to share any concerns about excessive bleeding after delivery with your pregnancy care provider so they can identify signs of PPH as soon as they occur. With early detection and prompt treatment, most people make a full recovery. Most PPHs occur immediately after delivery.

Postpartum hemorrhage occurs in about 1 to 5 of every 100 deliveries (1% to 5%), and most cases aren’t life-threatening with prompt treatment.