Does the forty-day period begin from the day of birth, or from the time the bleeding that preceded birth by three days started? And is prayer obligatory after the forty days, even if the woman has not seen purity, especially with blood resembling menstruation appearing at the end of the postpartum period?

The legally recognized period of postpartum bleeding (nifas (definition)) begins with the discharge of blood two or three days before childbirth. The maximum duration for postpartum bleeding, according to most scholars, is forty days. If the bleeding continues beyond forty days, and it coincides with her regular menstrual period, then it is considered menstruation (hayd). Otherwise, it is considered irregular bleeding (istihada), and the woman is then considered ritually pure.