Most women have certain symptoms after birth, and this is normal most of the time. Normal symptoms that women get after birth include:

• Bleeding
• Feeling tired and drained
• Headache, especially if an epidural was used during delivery
• General body aches
• Pain from vaginal or perineal tearing
• Pain similar to contractions, which is known as afterpains
• Sore and swollen breasts

All these signs and symptoms are normal and usually go away on their own after a few days or weeks. If anything you feel concerns you, however, you should call your doctor.

Other symptoms women feel after birth may indicate a serious problem that needs attention. The following are some signs you should not ignore after birth.

Heavy Bleeding
While a little vaginal bleeding after birth is quite normal, heavy bleeding is not. If a pad gets soaked in blood in approximately an hour, then you need to contact emergency services. Other signs that may indicate you need immediate care are noticing large clots, starting to feel faint, or you have an irregular heartbeat. Having no bleeding at all after birth may actually mean something is wrong so you should call your doctor for advice.

Severe Headache
Preeclampsia, which is characterized by elevated blood pressure, can sometimes appear after birth. Call emergency services if you have a severe headache accompanied by vomiting, severe heartburn, swollen ankles, or vision problems.

Signs of Infection
An infection after birth is possible and it requires treatment. Infections can develop if you had a C-section or vaginal delivery. The signs of infection include fever, redness around the incision or perineal tear, pain or burning sensation when urinating, bad-smelling vaginal discharge, or severe pain in the lower abdomen.

Signs in Leg
Developing symptoms in your leg that include pain, swelling, redness, and warmth in your calves may indicate deep vein thrombosis, which is the formation of a blood clot in one of the deep veins in your leg. This requires treatment because the clot may become dislodged and travel to the lungs.

Breathing Problems
Breathing problems after birth are often the result of a clot traveling from the leg to the lung as explained in the previous entry. If you are gasping for air, coughing, or have chest pain, you should contact emergency services.

Feeling Sad
A little sadness or mood problems after birth is quite common due to several factors, such hormone changes. Feeling persistent sadness for more than 10 days after birth may mean you a type of depression called postpartum depression, so you contact your doctor in this case.