The postpartum period is a time of recovery for the female body. Bloody discharge after childbirth is part of this stage. We'll talk about why they happen and how long they should last below.

After the baby is born, there are still accumulations of blood, mucus, particles of dead tissue and placenta in the uterus. Everyone calls it lochia, they are the ones that must leave the woman’s body.

In addition, the uterus itself is damaged during childbirth. An open wound remains on it from the detached placenta with many damaged vessels.

It is from blood oozing from a healing wound and lochia that postpartum discharge consists. This is a completely natural process of cleansing the body., which you don’t need to be afraid of. In the first hours it is most active and intense. Since the muscles of the uterus begin to contract, trying to take on a natural shape, and push out everything unnecessary.

It will not be possible to completely avoid bleeding after childbirth, since the placenta in any case, detaching from the uterus, damages it. But gradually the amount of discharge should decrease. If this does not happen or the bleeding increases, it is necessary to urgently seek medical help.

To avoid worsening your condition, follow these recommendations:

• roll over onto your stomach from time to time, this will help the uterus cleanse itself faster;
• Empty your bladder every 2–3 hours, even if you don’t feel like it, since a full bladder prevents the uterus from contracting;
• periodically apply a cold heating pad to the lower abdomen for 10–15 minutes, this helps to narrow the blood vessels;
• avoid any physical activity;
• breastfeed, as this leads to contraction of the uterus and its rapid cleansing.

The first days after childbirth are especially dangerous. Firstly, all the lochia have not yet come out, which is a favorable environment for the proliferation of microbes. Secondly, the wound on the uterus is open and can easily become infected.

To avoid complications You need to follow simple hygiene rules:

• On the first day, use sterile diapers instead of pads. Then you can switch to regular pads that you are used to, just take the maximum number of drops. Such pads need to be changed 8–9 times a day.
• After visiting the toilet, wash your perineum with warm water, directing the stream from top to bottom. You need to use baby soap. Only the outer surface can be washed.
• You need to take a shower every day, but never a bath.
• You can use any ointments for healing only with the permission of a doctor.
• It is strictly forbidden to wear tampons instead of pads. This will not only delay the release of lochia and increase the possibility of infection, but can also damage the vagina.

How long does discharge last after childbirth?

How long and how many days does the discharge last after childbirth? It is quite normal for blood discharge after childbirth lasts up to 2 months. Therefore, there is no need to panic. For some women, the recovery process ends by the sixth week, but such cases are rare. You should seek medical help if the discharge lasts more than 2 months. This may indicate complications.

It is difficult to accurately draw up a single schedule of secretions, since this physiological process is tied to the individual characteristics of the body. However, there are certain average rates of discharge after childbirth:

• First 3–5 days– intense light red discharge. At this moment, the woman is under constant medical supervision. The amount of discharge can reach up to 400 ml per day.
• 5–6 days– the amount of discharge noticeably decreases, they acquire a brown tint. May contain blood clots and mucus. They intensify with physical activity. During this period, if there are no pathologies, the woman is discharged.
• 11–14 days– discharge after childbirth acquires a brownish-yellow color, which gradually lightens to white. This process can take up to a month.

At the same time, the discharge should not be accompanied by pain, fever or itching.

Pathological discharge, its cause and when it’s time to see a doctor

Let us list the situations in which you need to seek medical help:

• Discharge stops before the fifth week. This may be a consequence of uterine spasm. In this case, lochia cannot leave the body, which leads to infectious complications.
• The color of the discharge remains bright red after the first 5 days. This may indicate a clotting disorder or new bleeding.
• After the discharge turned brown, it turned red again. Indicates intrauterine bleeding.
• Discharge after childbirth has acquired a putrid or sweetish, unpleasant odor, which may be caused by the development of an infection in the uterine cavity.

For any of the above violations urgently need to consult a doctor. Delay can lead to serious consequences, including death.

Share with us your experience, what hygiene products you used after giving birth, and how quickly the recovery process went. Our readers are very interested in the real experiences of mothers and their tips for those who have yet to go through this!

Lochia is a physiological secretion of the postpartum uterus and consists mainly of blood and necrotic tissue. How long does lochia last after childbirth? This question interests many women who have given birth to their first child.

Composition of lochia

How long do lochia last after childbirth, what is their composition, why do they have this color? Lochia consists of blood that oozes from the area on the uterine wall to which the placenta was attached during pregnancy, areas of the endometrium that have changed and thickened during pregnancy, blood, mucus from the cervix and dead tissue.

Blood enters the lochia mainly from a large area of ​​​​the changed area that remains after the separation of the placenta. Bleeding from this area is controlled by contractions of the uterine muscles. The healing and restoration process of the endometrium takes about 2 weeks.

This is why the bleeding is maximum at first and then gradually decreases. All postpartum discharge occurs within 1.5 months after delivery.

Lochia is sterile for 2-3 days, but after that it is colonized by bacteria, emitting a typical odor, which is normal. The smell from normal lochia should not be confused with the smell of discharge if there is a postpartum infection.

How long do lochia last after childbirth, especially premature birth? The amount of discharge may be light after such a birth, but more than usual after a twin pregnancy or other conditions in which the uterus grows larger than in a normal pregnancy.

Lochia species

Depending on the color, lochia can be of three types:

1. Red lochia after childbirth. How long does this type of discharge last? They last for the first 4-5 days after birth and are red in color - hence the term. They consist mainly of blood, pieces of membranes, decidua, meconium and cervical mucosa.

2. After red lochia, serous ones appear. The initial discharge gradually changes color to brown and then turns yellow over about a week. Serous lochia contains fewer red blood cells, but more leukocytes, separated from the developing endometrium and mucus from the cervix.

3. Lochia alba, or white lochia, is a whitish, cloudy fluid that is discharged from the vagina for about 1-2 weeks. These secretions mainly consist of decidual cells, mucus, leukocytes and epithelial cells, cholesterol, and fat.

How long does lochia last after childbirth? The duration of this period can be from 4 to 8 weeks, but on average it is most often 42 days.

The number of lochia may vary. For some women, painful contractions of the uterus can lead to heavy bleeding with clots, which reduces the healing process.

Breastfeeding stimulates uterine contractions, which leads to an increase in the amount of lochia released. It is the irritation of the nipples and areola that promotes the release of internal oxytocin, which is necessary for contraction of the myometrium and involution of the uterus (restoration of its prenatal size).

Sometimes a sudden change in a woman's position, such as suddenly standing up or bending over, can lead to large amounts of blood being released from the genital tract - this is simply drainage of the collected blood into the vagina and should not be a cause for concern.

However, it should be remembered that the endometrium, to which the placental tissue was attached, as well as some areas of the uterine mucosa are open for a long time, and bacteria can easily enter this wound surface from the vagina. Therefore, you should avoid using tampons. Sanitary pads are the best option for women after childbirth.

For the same reason, you should not have sex during the postpartum period to avoid infection, which is very dangerous for both mother and child.

It is also best to avoid swimming in public pools until the release of lochia has completely stopped.

In the postpartum period, the use of a shower is recommended. This will prevent infection from entering the uterus from the vagina, and will also promote better healing of the sutures after the episiotomy, if any.

Pathological lochia

How long does lochia last after childbirth? What should their intensity be? What are the symptoms of the pathological process? Lochia may be abnormal if infection occurs during this time. An infection may be suspected if:

Lochia continues to remain bright red even after a week;

The discharge suddenly turns bright red. This happens while they have already become pale;

There is an unpleasant odor;

All this is accompanied by fever with chills;

Pain in the lower abdomen increases significantly over time.

There is abnormally heavy bleeding that causes the pad to become wet in 1 hour or less, or there are a large number of clots. This is a sign of secondary postpartum hemorrhage and requires immediate attention.

Lochia after surgical delivery

Many women find that the flow of lochia is significantly less after a woman has had a cesarean section, since the uterine cavity is cleaned during the operation by the doctor after the baby is removed. It is not true. The flow of lochia does not depend on the type of birth - normal physiological or cesarean section. The amount and duration of discharge are the same in both cases.

In the postpartum period, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Rest as much as possible.

2. Avoid excessive walking or standing for long periods of time as this increases blood flow.

3. Do not use vaginal tampons after childbirth, because they can facilitate the proliferation and penetration of bacteria and infection onto the wound surface of the uterine cavity.

4. Avoid sexual intercourse for 42 days.

How long do lochia last after childbirth?

The heaviest discharge occurs on the first day. Try not to panic if the bleeding seems to increase when you go home. Simply walking or running for a long time can increase blood flow. If the pad becomes completely wet within an hour, you should lie down and rest. If bleeding continues at the same rate for an hour or more, or if you observe larger clots, then it is extremely important to immediately consult a gynecologist, and if there is heavy bleeding, call an ambulance.

How long do lochia last after the second birth, should it really be shorter? Based on observations and reviews from mothers, after the second or subsequent births, the amount and duration of discharge does not change.

Other signs requiring medical attention:

The discharge remains red for more than 7 days after birth;

There is an unpleasant putrid odor;

You have symptoms of fever or chills.

Late postpartum bleeding

How long does lochia last after childbirth? Reviews from many young mothers confirm that this process takes no more than 1.5 months. Typically, vaginal discharge is pale pink or brown in color in the second week after birth. Don't be alarmed if you notice a bright red discharge that appears occasionally during the first 6-8 weeks. Exercise or increased activity can cause this phenomenon. To stop bleeding and reduce spasms, you need to lie down for a couple of hours. If this does not help, you need to contact an antenatal clinic.

How long does lochia last after childbirth? How not to confuse them with bleeding? Postpartum hemorrhage is the most dangerous. If you lose no more than 600-700 ml of blood after an operative delivery or more than 300-400 ml after a vaginal birth, this is classified as normal blood loss. However, in 1 out of 10 cases out of the total number of all pregnancies there is a complication such as postpartum hemorrhage. It usually starts within 24 hours of delivery (early postpartum hemorrhage), but it can occur at any time within 6 weeks - late postpartum hemorrhage. After childbirth, the most common cause is the inability of the uterus to contract properly, leading to uncontrolled bleeding from the place where the placenta was attached. Sometimes it can be the result of unsutured tears in the vagina or cervix. Late postpartum bleeding can occur as a result of incomplete detachment of placental fragments in the uterus or due to infection. Both of these types of bleeding are dangerous and can lead to the death of the mother.

Every woman preparing to become a mother needs to know how long lochia lasts after childbirth. Here are the characteristic signs of late postpartum hemorrhage:

One pad is not enough for 1 hour;

Lochia does not change in color and intensity for more than 7 days;

There are large blood clots of various sizes - the size of a golf ball or a lemon;

Pain or swelling in the abdomen during the first days after birth;

Bleeding may cause loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or rapid heartbeat.

Treatment and prevention

After delivery, the midwife carefully examines the placenta and all membranes to ensure that they are intact and that no parts are left inside you. After the placenta is separated and released, doctors prevent bleeding by administering oxytocin or methylergometrine intravenously. These drugs stimulate myometrial contraction to reduce bleeding. External massage of the uterus is also necessary for the same purpose. Breastfeeding (if planned) will also stimulate natural contractions. Therefore, early breastfeeding immediately after the baby is born is now widely used.

In the early postpartum period, in some cases, massage of the uterus with a fist is required. If the bleeding does not stop, a procedure called curettage will be needed to examine the uterus and remove any pieces of placenta that were not removed. If the uterus is damaged, that is, there is a rupture in the wall of the fetal sac, laparotomy and hysterectomy may be the necessary method to stop the bleeding.

You should monitor the process, how much lochia is released after childbirth, and how long it lasts. Sometimes, with intense bleeding in rare cases, there is a need for transfusion of components or even whole blood.

Risks

How long does lochia last after childbirth, is its duration always the same when doctors expect large blood loss? The risk of developing postpartum hemorrhage is significantly higher in the following cases:

Multiple births;

Polyhydramnios (excessive amount of amniotic fluid);

Placenta previa;

Induced labor;

The birth of a large baby;

Uterine fibroids, which does not allow uterine fibers to contract symmetrically;

The mother is weakened due to anemia during pregnancy, preeclampsia, or a difficult, prolonged labor;

The mother is taking herbs or drugs that prevent blood clotting, such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or other similar drugs.

When does your period start?

How many days does lochia last after childbirth? How to distinguish lochia from menstruation? When does your first period come? If you are not breastfeeding, your first period may take 1 or 2 months to arrive. But sometimes the waiting period extends to 12 weeks. If you're breastfeeding, your period may take a few weeks to arrive, although many breastfeeding moms note that your period may not come until your baby is weaned. When your first period appears, it may differ from previous prenatal regular bleeding. It may be heavier or longer than normal ones. Or it may stop suddenly and then start with clots. There may also be profuse bleeding. It is necessary to monitor your periods and the amount of blood released. If you need to change your pad more often than every hour and this continues for several hours, call your doctor.

How long does lochia last after childbirth?

The mechanism of childbirth is a serious stress for the body. Fetal rejection is accompanied by a large number of unpleasant and sometimes dangerous phenomena for the woman in labor and for the baby. Possible:

• bleeding;
• incomplete expulsion of the placenta;
• numerous breaks.

A natural component of postpartum recovery is lochia (you can see what they look like in the photo). The contents of the uterus are gradually released, it is cleansed.

It’s worth finding out in advance how long the discharge lasts after childbirth, so that you can be prepared for it and be alert in time if something goes wrong. Note that after an artificial birth (caesarean section), lochia may last a little longer. After the second and third births, the uterus will contract faster.

1. What should they be?
2. Discharge after childbirth: normal
3. Yellow lochia
4. Green lochia
5. Brown and bloody lochia
6. Mucus discharge
7. Purulent lochia
8. White discharge
9. Pink discharge
10. Lochia after childbirth: norm and deviations (by day)

How long does bleeding last after childbirth?

Immediately after childbirth, the inner walls of the uterus are a continuous wound surface. It is easy to understand why so much bloody content is released in the first days after birth. The muscle layer of the uterus contracts, and naturally, under the influence of oxytocin, blood vessels contract, triggering blood clotting mechanisms and stopping bleeding. These are natural consequences of having a baby.

At first, the discharge can be called pure blood - at least that's what it looks like. This is fine. Their duration takes from 2 to 3 days. Everything that begins later no longer seems like bleeding - the nature of the lochia (as postpartum discharge is called) changes.

What kind of discharge should there be after childbirth?

To visualize how long the discharge lasts, how many days it takes, which ones should occur and in what period, let's look at the table. Bloody, bloody, dark brown, spotting, abundant, scanty - how long do they last and when do they stop?

Table 1.

Discharge after childbirth: normal

If a month has passed and nothing comes out of the uterus, you need to go to the doctor, even if you feel well. Has the nature of the discharge changed dramatically? Also a reason to visit a doctor. The normal duration of lochia separation is up to 8 weeks. Doctors say that the discharge goes away within 5 to 9 weeks - this also falls within the normal range. Lochia lasting 7 weeks is normal. Normal discharge after childbirth differs from those considered pathological in several ways.

These include:

• duration;
• character;
• the presence or absence of an unpleasant odor.

Discharge after childbirth with an unpleasant odor

The smell of discharge after childbirth is a significant characteristic of it. If we talk about the norm, then immediately after childbirth the discharge smells like blood. This is natural: the main component is blood. After 7 days, when the scarlet and brown discharge ends, the smell becomes musty.

You should be wary if there is discharge with an unpleasant odor; the reasons for this may lie in the disease. Women rate the smell differently: “Smelly”, “Smells bad”, “Smells rotten”, “Smells fishy”. All these are bad symptoms. Discharge, even light, with an unpleasant odor, is a reason to visit a doctor.

Yellow discharge after childbirth

When the bloody and brown lochia ends, they lighten and gradually acquire a yellowish tint. Normally they have almost no odor. Yellow discharge after childbirth 2 months later, not at all abundant, gradually becoming transparent, doctors attribute it to one of the options for normal healing of the uterus. Discharge of a distinct yellow color, which also bothers a woman with an unpleasant odor or some associated sensations - itching, burning - may indicate a disease.

They can be:

• yellow with a smell;
• liquid like water;
• jelly-like;
• smearing, sticky.

All of them require a medical examination. This kind of discharge can no longer be considered lochia - it is a sign of an infection in the body. Most often in this case they talk about the beginning - inflammation of the uterus. It needs to be treated at the earliest stages, when the temperature has not yet risen and the infection has not covered a large area of ​​the inner layer of the uterus.

Green discharge after childbirth

Green discharge after childbirth 2 months or earlier is a sign that something is wrong in the body. Lochia of this color is not normal at any stage. Greenish or yellow-green lochia indicates that there is a bacterial infection in the uterus, vagina, or fallopian tubes. If you do not deal with it in time, endometritis may begin - a disease that causes inflammation of the inner lining of the uterus.

They happen when:

• gardnellese;
• gonorrhea;
• chlamydia.

Trichomoniasis often causes discharge of this shade. Trichomonas settles in the vagina, and it is dangerous because if left untreated, the infection rises higher.

The first signs of trichomoniasis:

• green color;
• foamy character;

In addition, the woman will feel a burning sensation in the vagina and irritation. The mucous membranes may turn red. If you start treatment immediately, without delaying, you can quickly cope with the disease and prevent the infection from spreading further.

Brown and bloody discharge after childbirth

Bloody discharge should not last long. Bloody and dark red should end within a few days at the latest. The most dangerous hours are considered to be the first hours after the birth of the baby, when the uterus is still, in fact, a continuous bleeding wound. At this time, bleeding may occur. Doctors carefully monitor the condition of the woman in labor and send her to the postpartum ward, place an ice pack wrapped in cloth on the lower abdomen, give an injection of oxytocin, and put the baby to the chest. Intensive observation lasts 1.5-2 hours.

After a caesarean section, just like after a natural birth, bloody lochia is observed. Only the process of uterine involution may be slower due to the suture, and therefore they may last a little longer. After cleaning the uterus, if the placenta did not come out on its own, there will also be spotting.

Brown discharge after childbirth 2 months later is possibly a pathological reaction of the body. This is how the clotted blood comes out. There can be many reasons - from hormonal imbalance to menstruation that begins to recover (if the mother does not breastfeed), the nature of which may be unusual at first, since the hormonal background has changed. The reason may be .

If two months have passed after delivery and you notice spotting, even if the baby is breastfed, you need to consult a doctor. Either a new menstrual cycle begins, or a serious inflammatory process occurs. Moreover, it may not even be accompanied by pain.

Possible presence of tumors, polyps, appearance. When the discharge stops and suddenly starts again, this is a reason for examination in any case. If it is confirmed that this is menstrual flow, you need to protect yourself. You need to know that with the restoration of the cycle appear. During menstruation, the amount of milk may decrease. You need to be patient and continue breastfeeding. Use supplementary feeding only in extreme cases.

Mucous discharge after childbirth

It is normal to have a small amount of mucus discharge a week after the baby is born. At this time, the mother’s body, or rather the uterus, continues to cleanse itself, and the work of the mucous membranes of the genital organs, which produce mucus, is restored. Over the next week their volume decreases.

Further, the appearance of mucous discharge, when the lochia has almost disappeared, may indicate ovulation. At the same time, they are thick mucous, similar to egg white. If the mother is breastfeeding, but has already introduced complementary foods, ovulation can most likely occur within 2-3 months. In non-breastfeeding women, the process of egg maturation begins again after the second month or even earlier. Pregnancy during this period is extremely undesirable - after all, the body has not yet returned to normal, so it is necessary to carefully protect yourself. Yellow mucous discharge may indicate an infection. Has the mucus discharge increased or acquired an unpleasant odor? Contact your doctor.

Purulent discharge after childbirth

An extremely dangerous symptom is purulent discharge after childbirth, whenever it occurs: after a month, after 3 months, after 7 weeks. Purulent discharge is one of the leading symptoms of inflammation. Possible endometritis or salpino-oophoritis.

In this case, it is often noted:

• weakness;
• fatigue;
• headache;
• lower abdominal pain;
• hyperthermia – increased body temperature.

White discharge after childbirth

White discharge after childbirth is a sign of thrush, which tends to worsen with any fluctuations in immunity. The main symptom of thrush is the curdled consistency of the discharge. There is no point in delaying its treatment: in itself it is not dangerous, but it can provoke the penetration of inflammation along the ascending path, and then a bacterial infection is likely to occur. Untreated candidiasis causes significant discomfort to the mother.

Thrush is difficult to confuse with other diseases: it manifests itself in addition to the characteristic cheesy discharge with a sour odor, itching and burning, as well as constant irritation in the vaginal area. Why doesn't this discharge go away on its own? The body is weakened, it is difficult for it to cope with the multiplying fungus, the local immunity cannot cope - help is needed. The appearance of discharge with the smell of fish indicates dysbiosis and the appearance of gardnerella. Gardnerella is an opportunistic organism that is constantly present on the vaginal mucosa. But under favorable conditions, its reproduction is not inhibited, and itching and odor appear. Often its reproduction occurs against the background of thrush.

Pink postpartum discharge

Discharge of a pinkish tint may be due to the presence of erosion, minor injuries to the genital tract that occurred during childbirth, or diseases such as the uterus, suture dehiscence. In any case, you should visit a doctor to determine the cause.

Lochia after childbirth: norm and deviations by day

It may be easier for you to understand whether everything is proceeding within normal limits if you refer to the following summary table.

Table 2.

When does the discharge end after childbirth?

A woman must know when the discharge passes after childbirth - then she will be able to detect any problems in time. Normally, this happens after 8, in extreme cases – 9 weeks. Discharge for more than 2 months is rare. Usually by this time doctors lift the ban on sex. At the same time, nothing should be released from the woman’s reproductive tract. Any strange leucorrhoea or blood that appears during or after sexual intercourse is a reason to contact a gynecologist.

In order to reduce the likelihood of infection entering the uterus, a woman should maintain careful hygiene throughout the postpartum period:

• wash yourself daily (you can wash with plain water);
• change pads every 2-3 hours;
• do not use tampons.

Bloody lochia and the duration of its appearance should not be scary; rather, the sudden cessation of discharge and the appearance of an unpleasant odor should be alarming. Be patient a little: it just seems like it’s taking so long. Soon (in a month and a half) your body will recover, you will feel better, and you will be able to calmly enjoy the happiness of motherhood.

Childbirth is a natural process that ends any pregnancy. This may be delivery through the natural birth canal or. Regardless of the method, after the birth of a child and the release of the placenta, several mechanisms are launched in the uterus, leading to its contraction and decrease in size. Since the uterus cannot contract in a short time, all women have discharge after childbirth. They can be of different nature and intensity, so you need to monitor their changes throughout the month.

Discharge after childbirth: cause and duration

During pregnancy, the placenta is firmly attached to the surface of the uterus. This is due to the fact that they have common vessels that provide nutrition to the fetus throughout the entire period. After birth, the placenta separates from the uterus, and the vessels remain open on its surface. Therefore, for the first two or three days, the discharge, which gynecologists call lochia, is very strong. But after a while, the uterus contracts significantly, the vessels are compressed between the myometrial fibers and the bleeding gradually stops.

Depending on the course of pregnancy, The duration of discharge after childbirth may vary. In the absence of complications on the part of the mother, the normal state of the blood coagulation system and the rapid contraction of the uterus, lochia ceases to bother the woman a month and a half after birth. If the discharge lasts longer or stops before a month, then you should go to an appointment with your local gynecologist.

With prolonged discharge, a woman may become anemic. It leads to weakness and malaise, which affect breastfeeding and child care. When breastfeeding, due to a lack of iron in the mother's body, the newborn may also become anemic.

Prolonged discharge indicates poor uterine contractility and problems in the blood coagulation system. You should consult a doctor if discharge after childbirth last longer than expected or their intensity does not decrease. Sometimes lochia stops very quickly. This is also not always a good sign, since the released blood can accumulate in the uterine cavity, which will lead to serious complications.

Normal discharge after childbirth

The woman spends the first two hours after the baby is born in the delivery room. This period is called early postpartum. The woman should remain under the supervision of doctors, since her body has just suffered a heavy load and her condition needs to be monitored. Heavy discharge after childbirth lasts two to three days. They are bright red in color, since coagulation has not yet begun, and the vessels literally gape in the uterine cavity. A standard gasket cannot cope with this situation. The maternity hospital provides either diapers or special postpartum pads.

Usually, a woman and her child, in the absence of complications, are discharged home 5-6 days after birth. By this time, the lochia is no longer so intense and becomes brown in color. They increase with exercise, laughter or coughing, so you should be very careful. Discharge after childbirth is normal may periodically increase or decrease. For example, after breast suction, the uterus contracts more actively and there is much more discharge.

After two to three weeks, lochia bothers you less. The discharge will end only after five to six weeks, which indicates complete involution of the uterus. . While there is bleeding after childbirth, sex is extremely undesirable from a hygiene point of view. Sexual intercourse can increase the intensity of lochia, which leads to worsening of the condition. After the start of sexual activity, you need to think about contraceptive methods, especially if you are not breastfeeding. The first can occur immediately after the cessation of lochia, which means that a new pregnancy will begin very soon.

Pathological discharge after childbirth

The nature and intensity of discharge is influenced by many factors. As a result, it is impossible to say exactly where the norm is and where the pathology is. The duration of lochia is also always different. Therefore, no doctor can immediately say how long does discharge last after childbirth. If there is any suspicion, a woman should consult a doctor to find out her condition.

In the first week after birth, the most dangerous complication is bleeding. It arises for two reasons. The most common situation is when in the uterine cavity there are remnants of the placenta attached to the endometrium. In such cases, the myometrium cannot contract fully, resulting in severe bleeding. After the placenta is separated, the doctor must examine it on both sides. Pay special attention to the part with which it was attached to the uterus. This will help you suspect a problem before symptoms begin.

Sometimes heavy bleeding after childbirth is observed because the uterus cannot fully contract due to weakness of the muscle fibers. This type of bleeding is called hypotonic. Then oxytocin is added to the treatment, which causes the muscles of the uterus to contract.

To prevent complications, doctors prescribe an ultrasound examination for every woman before discharge. This method allows you to evaluate the size of the uterus and the contents in its cavity. If necessary, the ultrasound can be repeated after another week. If bleeding begins, the treatment method is curettage of the uterine cavity and the prescription of drugs that have a reducing effect.

Signs of inflammatory discharge after childbirth

The second common complication is inflammation, which begins against a background of prolonged discharge. Blood is considered a favorable environment for pathogenic bacteria. If a woman does not maintain personal hygiene or begins to be sexually active early, then she is bothered by discharge after childbirth with an unpleasant odor. Normal discharge should be brown, but if bacteria are present, it will take on a greenish and yellow tint. They become more liquid and abundant. Usually, in parallel with these symptoms, pain in the lower abdomen, fever, and chills appear. In such cases, emergency treatment is necessary, since endometritis can lead to infertility in the future.

To prevent pathogens from entering the uterine cavity, you need to wash yourself regularly, change panty liners frequently, or avoid using them (when the discharge has become small). You are also not allowed to bathe in the bathtub. Only showers are allowed. Doctors prohibit sexual activity until the discharge completely stops. To prevent inflammation, you can periodically wash yourself (but not douche) with infusions of chamomile or string. It is better not to use potassium permanganate, as in strong concentrations it can have an irritating effect on the vaginal mucosa.

The postpartum period is rarely calm. Breastfeeding and caring for a newborn takes a lot of energy. Discharge after childbirth usually does not stop for a very long time, and it is worth preparing for this mentally. To speed up the process of uterine contractions, you need to put the baby to the breast more often, lie down or sleep on your stomach more, and empty your bladder regularly. The listed rules contribute to the rapid involution of the uterus and the cessation of discharge. If you follow all the doctor’s recommendations, recovery will be quick and unnoticed.

During pregnancy, changes occur in a woman's body aimed at creating comfortable conditions for bearing a fetus. The birth of a child changes not only the psychological, but also the physical state of a woman. In order to bring all organs to a prenatal state, the body needs time. Recovery of the body begins immediately after childbirth, one of such processes is the postpartum release of lochia.

Lochia is a discharge from a woman’s genital tract that begins immediately after delivery and continues until the damaged uterine tissue is completely restored.

Lochia after childbirth helps cleanse the uterus of excess substances accumulated during pregnancy.

During pregnancy, the child develops thanks to the mother's resources, which are supplied to him through the placenta and umbilical cord.

The placenta is tightly attached to the walls of the uterus. After the birth of the child, it begins to peel off, since there is no point in its further presence in the uterus. After the placenta is rejected, a wound surface remains on the wall of the uterus. During the healing process of the wound, lochia is released.

Lochia after childbirth is a collection of blood cells, plasma and exfoliated endometrial cells. Passing through the birth canal, the contents of the cervical canal and vagina join the uterine secretions. Thus, the reproductive organ returns to its former shape and prepares for a new conception.

Depending on the stage of the postpartum period, the discharge has a different character:

• Early postpartum period– the first hours after delivery. During this period, the most abundant rejection of bright red lochia occurs. The general condition of the woman is not disturbed. At this time, the woman should be under the constant supervision of doctors. The danger that awaits a woman in the first hours after childbirth is the occurrence of a complication in the form of hypotonic bleeding. The total volume of discharge in the first hours after birth should not exceed 400 ml. To prevent complications that threaten the mother's life after delivery, an ice pack is placed on the mother's stomach. If after childbirth the uterus contracts poorly, the woman in labor is given oxytocin. A few hours after the baby is born, the uterus is reduced in size by half.
• Late postpartum period- occurs a few hours after birth. Despite the fact that the uterus has shrunk by half in the first hours, heavy discharge is observed throughout the week. Lochia after childbirth, the smell of which is very specific (rotten), changes its color and volume every day. After about a week, their color takes on a brownish tint, and the quantity becomes more scarce. After a few weeks the color becomes yellowish, later turning white or transparent. The discharge may increase after being in a horizontal position for a long time and after feeding the baby, which is quite normal, and you should not be afraid of this. After the wound surface is completely healed and the organ is completely restored, lochia will stop.

Norm and pathology

Even in ancient times, lochia was considered to cleanse the body after childbirth. Although lochia appears in all women without exception, its nature depends on the course of labor and the postpartum period and may have some differences. Lochia after childbirth has a certain smell, color and quantity.

It is important to monitor all these indicators, because deviations from the norm may indicate dangerous complications. During the first time after childbirth, obstetricians monitor the discharge, and after discharge, responsibility for her health falls on the shoulders of the woman in labor.

Deviations from the norm:

• Lochiometra is a disease that develops as a result of retention of lochia in the uterine cavity. The disease manifests itself as premature cessation of postpartum discharge. Against this background, the woman begins to experience abdominal pain. The cause may be poor contractility of the organ or a mechanical obstacle to the separation of lochia (blockage of the cervical canal).
• Endometritis is an inflammatory process affecting the endometrium. A common cause of endometritis is lochiometra. As a result of delayed discharge, which contains clots of mucus, blood and exfoliated endometrium, inflammation occurs. The patient is bothered by pain in the lower abdomen, a burning sensation in the perineum, increased body temperature, and discharge of various types (purulent, bloody).
• Bleeding. Pathological bleeding occurs due to poor contraction of the uterus, the presence of tumor formations in the mother, inflammatory processes, protracted labor and medical negligence. Blood loss above normal requires medication or, in extreme cases, surgical intervention.
• Thrush. Symptoms of thrush include the appearance of cheesy discharge, itching in the perineum, and sometimes pain when urinating. The causes of thrush are decreased immunity and infection.
• Parametritis is an inflammation of the parometrium (uterine tissue). Occurs when infection occurs or is a complication of endometritis. Signs of parametritis are a sharp increase in temperature, abdominal pain, and a disturbance in the general condition (dizziness, weakness, headaches).

When should you seek help?

If alarming symptoms appear, you should seek help from a doctor; delay can lead to serious health problems.

What a woman should pay attention to:

• Duration of discharge. Obstetricians in a hospital should inform the mother in labor about how long lochia lasts after childbirth and what its nature is. If the discharge is more or less than the permissible norm, this should alert the woman.
• Change in color, foul odor.
• Resumption of discharge after it has stopped.
• Too much discharge.
• Increased temperature and pain in the lower abdomen.

All of these signs are not normal and require specialist consultation.

Duration of discharge after childbirth

“How long do lochia last after childbirth?” is a question that interests many new mothers.

The duration of bleeding depends on factors such as:

• the weight of the child (large children contribute to severe overstretching of the organ);
• amount of amniotic fluid;
• number of births in history;
• blood clotting (low coagulation – longer recovery process);
• the presence of complications in the form of chronic foci of infection;
• method of delivery.

In mothers who are breastfeeding, the recovery process is completed much faster, and after a cesarean section, lochia usually lasts longer. The acceptable norm for the duration of bleeding is considered to be an interval of 4 to 6 weeks, and in some cases up to 8 weeks.