Postpartum
Jul 11, 2025
Ask a Phia Nurse: What’s actually normal after birth?
Real answers to the things no one warned you about
Heather Realm, RN
Welcome to Ask a Phia Nurse, where we tackle the questions you didn’t know you were allowed to ask—answered by the same team that supports moms every day inside Phia.
Birth is the start of a hundred quiet unknowns. Bleeding, leaking, crying (you or the baby), mood swings, pain, pressure, fear. What’s normal? What’s not? What’s dangerous?
We sat down with one of our Phia RNs to clear things up.
Q: My bleeding stopped, then came back. Should I be worried?
A: Not necessarily. It’s common for bleeding (lochia) to taper off around 2–3 weeks, then flare up a bit—especially if you increase activity. It might turn bright red again, which can feel alarming. But as long as you're not soaking a pad in under an hour or passing clots bigger than a golf ball, you're likely okay.
If bleeding suddenly gets heavy again, especially with dizziness, pain, or foul odor—message us. We’ll walk you through it.
Q: I cry randomly all day. Is this postpartum depression?
A: Maybe. But it might also be postpartum hormonal adjustment—what people call “the baby blues.” That’s normal and affects ~80% of moms in the first two weeks.
The key differences:
Blues come and go, don’t usually interfere with bonding or sleep, and resolve within 2 weeks.
Depression lingers, flattens your emotions, and can make you feel numb, disconnected, or overwhelmed.
We screen you regularly inside Phia and can connect you to a therapist fast if needed. You don’t have to wait until it’s “bad enough.”
Q: My baby only latches on one side. Is that serious?
A: Not usually, but it’s worth checking. Babies can have a side preference due to positioning in the womb, delivery trauma, or mild muscular tightness (like torticollis). Sometimes it’s a latch issue. Sometimes it's you—supply, flow rate, position.
That’s why our IBCLCs do real-time video support, not just send PDFs. We can often resolve it in one session.
Q: Can I work out at 3 weeks postpartum?
A: Depends on your delivery and your body. Gentle walking is fine for most. Anything more intense—core work, running, weights—should wait until your body signals it’s ready. That’s usually after your 6-week check-up, but many people benefit from pelvic floor therapy first.
Inside Phia, we’ll help assess readiness and refer you to postpartum PT if needed. Birth is trauma. You don’t rush trauma.
Q: Do I really have to take my blood pressure every day?
A: Only if we specifically recommended it—usually because you had high blood pressure during pregnancy or delivery.
Conditions like preeclampsia or postpartum hypertension can show up or worsen after birth, even if you felt fine before. They don’t always come with symptoms like headache or swelling, which is why daily tracking helps us catch issues early and keep you safe.
If we didn’t ask you to track it, no need to worry—but always tell us if you feel “off.”
Final note from the team:
Our nurses read every message. Nothing is too small, too weird, or too late. If you’re wondering about it, someone else is too. Ask us anything—we’re here to hold the questions no one else did.
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Mom's the word
From day one, we’ve designed our platform with the highest security standards and rigorous privacy practices, guided by engineers with deep expertise from leading digital health companies. Their knowledge of building securely in regulated industries is woven into everything we create.
Mom's the word
From day one, we’ve designed our platform with the highest security standards and rigorous privacy practices, guided by engineers with deep expertise from leading digital health companies. Their knowledge of building securely in regulated industries is woven into everything we create.
How designers estimate the impact of UX?
Ask a Phia Nurse: What’s actually normal after birth?
Ask a Phia Nurse: What’s actually normal after birth?
Real answers to the things no one warned you about
Real answers to the things no one warned you about
Real answers to the things no one warned you about
Heather Realm, RN
Published in Fintech
Postpartum
Image credit by Yum Yum
Welcome to Ask a Phia Nurse, where we tackle the questions you didn’t know you were allowed to ask—answered by the same team that supports moms every day inside Phia.
Birth is the start of a hundred quiet unknowns. Bleeding, leaking, crying (you or the baby), mood swings, pain, pressure, fear. What’s normal? What’s not? What’s dangerous?
We sat down with one of our Phia RNs to clear things up.
Q: My bleeding stopped, then came back. Should I be worried?
A: Not necessarily. It’s common for bleeding (lochia) to taper off around 2–3 weeks, then flare up a bit—especially if you increase activity. It might turn bright red again, which can feel alarming. But as long as you're not soaking a pad in under an hour or passing clots bigger than a golf ball, you're likely okay.
If bleeding suddenly gets heavy again, especially with dizziness, pain, or foul odor—message us. We’ll walk you through it.
Q: I cry randomly all day. Is this postpartum depression?
A: Maybe. But it might also be postpartum hormonal adjustment—what people call “the baby blues.” That’s normal and affects ~80% of moms in the first two weeks.
The key differences:
Blues come and go, don’t usually interfere with bonding or sleep, and resolve within 2 weeks.
Depression lingers, flattens your emotions, and can make you feel numb, disconnected, or overwhelmed.
We screen you regularly inside Phia and can connect you to a therapist fast if needed. You don’t have to wait until it’s “bad enough.”
Q: My baby only latches on one side. Is that serious?
A: Not usually, but it’s worth checking. Babies can have a side preference due to positioning in the womb, delivery trauma, or mild muscular tightness (like torticollis). Sometimes it’s a latch issue. Sometimes it's you—supply, flow rate, position.
That’s why our IBCLCs do real-time video support, not just send PDFs. We can often resolve it in one session.
Q: Can I work out at 3 weeks postpartum?
A: Depends on your delivery and your body. Gentle walking is fine for most. Anything more intense—core work, running, weights—should wait until your body signals it’s ready. That’s usually after your 6-week check-up, but many people benefit from pelvic floor therapy first.
Inside Phia, we’ll help assess readiness and refer you to postpartum PT if needed. Birth is trauma. You don’t rush trauma.
Q: Do I really have to take my blood pressure every day?
A: Only if we specifically recommended it—usually because you had high blood pressure during pregnancy or delivery.
Conditions like preeclampsia or postpartum hypertension can show up or worsen after birth, even if you felt fine before. They don’t always come with symptoms like headache or swelling, which is why daily tracking helps us catch issues early and keep you safe.
If we didn’t ask you to track it, no need to worry—but always tell us if you feel “off.”
Final note from the team:
Our nurses read every message. Nothing is too small, too weird, or too late. If you’re wondering about it, someone else is too. Ask us anything—we’re here to hold the questions no one else did.