Lochia alba is the third and final stage of postpartum vaginal discharge, appearing as a yellowish-white flow that contains little to no blood. It signals that your uterus is nearly finished healing after delivery. By the time you reach this stage, the heaviest bleeding is behind you, and what remains is mostly mucus, white blood cells, and remnants of uterine lining tissue working their way out.
The Three Stages of Postpartum Bleeding
All vaginal discharge after childbirth is called lochia, and it progresses through three distinct color stages as your uterus heals. The discharge is a mix of blood, amniotic fluid, leftover fetal membranes, bacteria, cervical mucus, and endometrial tissue. What changes over time is the ratio of these components, which is why the color shifts.
Lochia rubra comes first. It starts immediately after delivery and lasts roughly three to four days. This stage is heavy and bright red because it contains the most blood. You may also pass small clots during this phase. Lochia serosa follows, typically lasting from about day four through day ten. The discharge fades to a pinkish or brownish color as the blood content decreases and more mucus and white blood cells appear. Lochia alba is the final phase, beginning around day ten to fourteen and continuing for several weeks. By this point the discharge is yellowish white, light in flow, and free of clots.
What Lochia Alba Looks and Feels Like
During the alba stage, your discharge will be noticeably lighter than anything you experienced in the first week postpartum. Expect a yellowish-white or creamy color. The flow is minimal, more like light spotting than active bleeding. There should be no clots. Some days you may barely notice it on a pad at all.
The discharge may have a mild, slightly stale smell, but it should not be foul or intensely unpleasant. A strong, offensive odor at any point during postpartum recovery can indicate infection and warrants a call to your provider.
How Long It Lasts
Lochia alba typically begins around two weeks postpartum and can continue for several more weeks after that. Most people find the discharge tapers off completely somewhere between four and six weeks after delivery, though some variation is normal. The total duration depends on factors like whether you delivered vaginally or by cesarean, whether you’re breastfeeding (which can encourage the uterus to contract and heal faster), and your individual healing pace.
What’s Happening Inside Your Body
The reason lochia exists at all is a process called uterine involution. After delivery, your uterus needs to shrink from roughly the size of a watermelon back to its pre-pregnancy size, about the size of a pear. As it contracts, it sheds the thickened lining that supported the placenta. New tissue gradually grows over the raw area where the placenta was attached.
By the time you reach the alba stage, most of that wound has healed over and new endometrial lining is forming. The yellowish-white color reflects the fact that the discharge is now primarily white blood cells (which help fight infection at the healing site), mucus, and sloughed epithelial cells rather than active bleeding. It’s essentially the final cleanup phase.
Hygiene During Recovery
Throughout all three stages of lochia, pads are the only recommended option for managing the discharge. Tampons should not be used for at least six weeks postpartum because they can introduce bacteria into the healing uterus and increase infection risk.
Change your pad every time you use the bathroom or have a bowel movement, and at minimum four times a day. Wash your hands before and after each pad change. A squirt bottle filled with warm water is helpful for rinsing the perineal area from front to back after using the toilet, followed by gentle patting dry with clean tissue or wipes. If you delivered vaginally, soaking in a clean bathtub can also support healing, just make sure the tub is well cleaned beforehand.
Signs That Something May Be Wrong
The normal progression of lochia should move steadily from red to pink to yellowish white. If your discharge suddenly reverts to bright red after it has already lightened, that can signal that you’ve been overexerting yourself and the healing site has started to bleed again. Resting and reducing activity usually helps, but if the heavy red bleeding persists or worsens, it needs medical evaluation.
Other signs worth paying attention to during the alba phase include a foul-smelling discharge, fever or chills, increasing pelvic pain, or passing large clots. These can point to a uterine infection (endometritis) or retained placental tissue. Lochia that remains heavy and red beyond the first week, or that suddenly increases in volume after weeks of lightening, also falls outside the expected pattern.
If your discharge has not stopped at all by about six weeks postpartum, mention it at your postpartum checkup. Prolonged lochia is not always dangerous, but it’s worth discussing to rule out retained tissue or incomplete healing.