Childbirth, heavy bleeding - How common is it?

Your chances of having heavy bleeding after childbirth depend on where you live. It's less likely to happen in developed countries than in poorer countries.

There hasn't been much good-quality research to show how many women in Western countries get heavy bleeding after giving birth. Research from the US has found that about 1 in 25 women who deliver their baby through their vagina get heavy bleeding afterwards.[1] This is probably also true for women in other Western countries, but we can't say for certain.

It's more common for women to get heavy bleeding in poorer and less developed countries. When women from around the world were included in studies, researchers found that about 1 in 10 get heavy bleeding after delivery.[2]

In poor countries, women may have many children, or they may not get a lot of care during and after childbirth. These things may make them more likely to bleed heavily after their baby is born.

References

Maughan KL, Heim S, Galazka SS. Preventing postpartum hemorrhage: managing the third stage of labor. American Family Physician. 2006; 73: 1025-1028. Available at http://www.aafp.org (accessed on 20 February 2008).
World Health Organization. The world health report 2005: make every mother and child count. Available at http://who.int/whr/2005 (accessed on 26 February 2008).

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.