Childbirth

A woman who delivers a child vaginally, whether living or stillborn, or who suffers a miscarriage after the 40th day from conception, is called a yoledet. This applies even if she experienced no bleeding during delivery (an extremely rare situation), but not after a cesarean section. However, a woman who delivers by cesarean and experiences vaginal blood flow has the status of niddah but is not a yoledet. The laws of a yoledet are similar to those of a niddah, except that if the child is a girl, or, in the case of miscarriage after 40 days but before the sex of the fetus is discernible, there is a minimum of a seven day wait before the seven clean days can begin, as opposed to the normal minimum of five days.