15 Things No One Told You About Your Postpartum Body

Bleeding

Women are often surprised to find they may bleed for six weeks, says Barbara Negelow, a certified childbirth educator and founder of Ready Birth LLC. "It will eventually go from red to brown, and then pink and creamy yellow the last week."

Megan Hunt, a new mom from Nebraska, says her post-baby discharge, also known as lochia, was much heavier than the "heavy period" it's often compared to. She recommends new moms forget about maxi-pads for the first week or so and wear an adult diaper.

Women who have C-sections still have lochia, but it may be somewhat lighter. If you're saturating more than a pad an hour or if the discharge has a foul odor, call your doctor.