What it is
Your calf hurts, or one leg is swollen, or you are short of breath and cannot think why. This page is about blood clots after birth, because the weeks after birth are the riskiest time for them.
A clot that forms in a deep vein of the leg or pelvis is a DVT, deep vein thrombosis. If a piece breaks off and travels to the lungs, it is a pulmonary embolism, or PE. A PE can be fatal within hours. Pregnancy makes blood clot more easily. That change lasts about six weeks, and it is strongest in the first three. About one or two in every thousand mothers gets a clot. The risk is higher after a cesarean, a hemorrhage, twins, age over 35, high body weight, smoking, bed rest, or a family history.
What's typical
A DVT usually shows in one leg, often the left. The calf or thigh aches or feels tight, the leg swells, and it may be warm or red. A PE comes on suddenly: shortness of breath, chest pain that is worse when you breathe in, a racing heart, a cough that may bring up blood, or feeling faint.
In the hospital, you may have had compression boots, early walking, or daily blood-thinner shots if your risk was high. Both legs swelling softly and painlessly is normal fluid, not a clot.
What's known
ACOG, the CDC, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists all describe the postpartum period as the peak window for clots and list the same signs. Treatment is a blood thinner for several months, and it is compatible with breastfeeding. Providers would rather check ten sore calves than miss one.
What helps
- Walk early and often, even laps around the kitchen. Moving calf muscles is the best clot protection there is.
- Pump your ankles up and down when you are stuck in a chair feeding.
- Wear compression socks if you were given them, for as long as you were told.
- Know your own risk. If you had a cesarean, a hemorrhage, or clot shots in the hospital, take a sore calf seriously.
When to call someone
- Now (911): sudden shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing up blood, a racing heart, or fainting.
- Now (go in today, do not wait for morning): one leg that is swollen, painful, warm, or red, or calf pain that does not feel like a normal ache.
- At your next visita family history of clots, or plans for another pregnancy. Ask about your risk and what changes next time.
Who helps
Tools: Postpartum Prep Checklist
Related
- Cesarean recovery, week by weekPostpartum: Your Body
- Swelling after birthPostpartum: Your Body
- Postpartum warning signs: the one-page listPostpartum: Your Body
- Postpartum preeclampsia: the warning signsPostpartum: Your Body
- Heavy bleeding after birth (hemorrhage)Birth and the First Days
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Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Patient FAQ on preventing deep vein thrombosis
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Venous thromboembolism (blood clots) and pregnancy
- Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists — Reducing the risk of venous thrombosis in pregnancy and after birth: patient information
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