Table 2.

Overview of respondents’ perceptions of excessive bleeding

Theme	Description	Sample quotes
Related to quantity of blood lost	Methods used to quantify bleeding. This also included the extent to which blood stained or soaked through clothing, pads or surfaces, and comparison of one’s bleeding to previous deliveries or those of other women.	Taniyo: Well, I thought I lost almost 50cL oh (500mL), because I, I stood up, it was dripping like water. …Yes. I was having pad but it was coming out underneath like water, I’m telling you. The pad was soaked, my pant, everything, the ground, the- everywhere was just wet. Not bed oh, now I came down from the bed, everything on the ground was wet … with the blood. Yes. I believe then-… I lost almost 50cL or more than… (FGD 4, urban, bachelor’s degree minimum, 20–34 years group, parity 1–2).
		Rachel: For some, it depends on your delivery. From the 1st to the 2nd to the 3rd to the 4th to the 5th, all, you’ll be able to know the way blood pours for you. The delivery you first started, you’ll be able to mark the blood that poured previously and then the most recent one, the one you’re currently in. Yes, you’ll be able to differentiate it (FGD 6, rural, no/primary education, 35–49 years group, parity 6–10).
Related to rate and duration of blood flow	The perceived force with which the blood was coming out, and whether or not bleeding goes beyond an expected end-point.	Interviewer: But apart from looking at the pad, is there another way a woman will know if she’s bleeding a lot?… Isatu: Yes, you’ll feel it pouring…. Amina: You’ll feel it in your body that it’s rushing. Interviewer: How, like how? Hasiya: Someone will feel it like water, like passing urine. The way it’s coming out (FGD 3, urban, a range of educational levels, 15–19 years group, parity 1–3).
Symptoms related to blood loss	Signs and symptoms signalling much bleeding. Also includes the extent to which the bleeding made women or others scared or worried.	Maimuna: After delivery, the doctors usually ask someone to lie down for at least 6 hours. …When [you] lie down and you need to pass urine or something, they say, ‘Stand up, go ahead and do it.’ If you’ve lost too much blood, the moment you get up, you’ll faint. That way, they’ll know that you’ve lost too much blood…I experienced this with this baby (points to the baby she’s holding). When I came up- I was lying on the bed. Then they told me, ‘you’ve been discharged.’ Then they said, ‘Get up, let’s go.’ I got up and I could see people, but later on I was on the ground. I fell down and fainted (FGD 1, urban, mostly no/primary education, 20–34 years group, parity 3–7).
Birth interventions received and comments from birth attendants	Interventions done by maternity staff and comments from birth attendants.	Respondent: … So after delivering, then I started bleeding. So I have to call them [maternity staff], then they gave me some injections to stop it and some tablets. Interviewer: OK. But now the bleeding, …would you say it was normal or much or small? That’s the bleeding now. Respondent: It’s much. Interviewer: OK why do you say that? Respondent: Because some people, with- you’ll see their bleed[ing] is just small, the blood that will come out is small, some is just normal and some much. Because they have to like inject me and give me some tablets that will stop the bleeding (IDI 17, urban, post-secondary education, 40 years, parity 4).