Quick Facts
Postpartum Blood Clots
Post means "after," and partum means "pregnancy," so postpartum refers to the time period after you have a baby. It's usually considered the first 6 weeks.
A blood clot (called a thrombus) sometimes forms inside a blood vessel. A clot inside a large vein is called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Usually the vein is deep in your leg or your pelvic area.
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You have an increased risk of getting a blood clot in your veins for 6 or 8 weeks after giving birth
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Blood clots may have no symptoms or your leg may hurt and swell
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Blood clots can break loose and travel to your lung (pulmonary embolism), which causes breathing problems and may lead to death
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Doctors do ultrasound to see if you have a DVT
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Doctors treat DVT with medicine to thin your blood
