Heavy discharge after childbirth. Bleeding and discharge in the postpartum period

Bleeding after childbirth is normal, as long as it occurs without pathologies. By and large, these are blood cells and epithelium from the walls of the uterus. Bleeding after childbirth in a woman is explained by the fact that it is very severe physiological process, in which ruptures and multiple microtraumas very often occur. After the placenta has been delivered, the uterus remains great amount unnecessary epithelium, blood vessels. They are the ones that leave a woman’s body during the postpartum period.

Some people tolerate this bleeding after pregnancy calmly and painlessly, while others sometimes need qualified assistance. It is quite natural to have copious bleeding in the first hours after childbirth; up to 500 g of blood can come out. But the woman must be constantly monitored. After a certain time, they subside. In a month this should disappear to almost nothing.

Causes

Many women worry about how long bleeding should last after childbirth. The normal duration of bleeding after childbirth lasts up to 60 days. There are cases that a woman’s bleeding subsides after two weeks after childbirth.

In the first 2 hours after birth profuse bleeding may be due to:

– it is liquid and literally “flows like a stream” without even trying to curl up;
Rapid labor is also a cause of severe blood loss;
If the placenta is accreta and interferes with involution.

If the blood does not stop coming out after 2 months, then this is serious reason consult a doctor for diagnosis and treatment.

The reasons for this bleeding may be the following:

Dysfunction of the uterus, in which it contracts little. Or does not try to get rid of unnecessary organic material at all;
Fibroids and fibroids are also a cause;
The body of the uterus is greatly stretched during multiple pregnancy;
Large baby;
Prolonged labor during which stimulant medications were used;
It could also be the negligence of a midwife or doctor;
Not all of the afterbirth came out and caused an inflammatory process;
Endometritis;
If there was premature expulsion of the placenta, or tight attachment and so on.

After a woman gives birth to a child, her body must independently cleanse itself of everything unnecessary. That is, particles of the uterine mucosa come out with the blood, and if they come out abundantly at first, this is great - it means the process of self-cleansing is underway.

Over the entire period, which is approximately 6-8 weeks, a woman on average loses from 500 to 1500 g of blood.

Women after childbirth feel aching pain in the lower abdomen - this process occurring in the body of the uterus is called involution - contraction of the uterus.

When a woman in labor puts her baby to her breast, she produces the hormone oxytocin, which causes the uterus to contract. Therefore, in women who breastfeed, involution occurs faster than in women who do not breastfeed. And if involution occurs slowly, it means that perhaps the young mother has hormonal or immune disorders. Perhaps there are pieces of the placenta left in the uterus, and this provokes a slowdown in uterine contractions.

Some women in labor claim that in the first days it is difficult to even get out of bed, since after pregnancy they literally “flow like a stream.” This suggests that when getting out of bed, the muscles tense, and as a result, I push out everything unnecessary from the uterus. Because of this, it is not recommended to move a lot and put pressure on the stomach so that the woman’s bleeding does not increase. True, doctors advise sleeping on your stomach for the first time after childbirth, but under no circumstances should you pull it over.

Norm

You can argue for a long time about the norms of blood secretion, but you need to take into account that each woman is individual. Most doctors say that heavy bleeding no more than five days should pass after childbirth. If you have bleeding if they drag on and do not decrease in abundance, then you need to consult a doctor.

Some women copious discharge are considered quite normal even after a two-week period, one condition - keep an eye on your red blood cells - by doing a blood test. There are times when the blood discharge turns brown. This means that there are few red blood cells; in general, this is not dangerous for the body.

If your blood comes out bright red for a very long period of time, then this is a sign that something is wrong. It is considered normal for blood discharge after childbirth if the first days your discharge is bright and thick, and later it becomes Brown color, and just “smears”. Then, the discharge may change color to yellowish. This is also normal and does not pose a health hazard. This is explained by the fact that it is becoming less and less, and the “daub” is decreasing.

If bleeding resumes after a certain period, special medications must be used.

Because due to large blood loss, the patient may experience hypotension and pale skin. Bleeding after the baby’s pregnancy can be stopped either with medications, you can do an external muscle massage and put on an ice heating pad, or in a surgical way - by suturing perineal tears and removing the remaining placenta by hand.

If the uterine ruptures are significant, this can even lead to complete removal uterus. Whatever the surgical actions, they are always accompanied by the introduction of special drugs that restore blood loss, either infusion or blood.

Sexual relations after childbirth

After giving birth, doctors recommend not to be sexually active for one and a half to two months so that the woman can recover. After all, during sexual intercourse you can easily introduce an infection into a woman’s weakened and exhausted body, since the uterus is in this moment is a continuous non-healing wound, and infection can lead to inflammatory complications and endometritis, and this is already dangerous for the health of the mother in labor.

The next fact is that early sexual intercourse causes pain to a woman, due to ruptures that heal slowly and physiological vaginal dryness. Nature intended it this way that a woman does not want intimacy for the first time after childbirth. So that a complication does not begin, and the next, unwanted pregnancy does not occur.

If you rush into sexual intercourse, you may cause bleeding to increase or return. Untreated cervical erosion can also contribute to this.

When to contact a gynecologist

You should go to a gynecologist if:

The discharge continues for more than two months;
If in them they intensified;
If pain is present;
If after a short period of time bleeding starts again.

A reason to go to the doctor may be bad smell from discharge. In general, there should be no smell during bleeding after childbirth; if it is present, it means that there may be some kind of infection in the uterus. It could have been caused by ruptures during labor activity, and more specifically, incorrectly done processing.

After 30 days have passed after delivery, you must visit a gynecologist for a consultation. Don’t follow fortune tellers and don’t heal yourself, otherwise it can lead to dire consequences.

Prevention

In order to avoid infection, you must follow the rules of prevention and personal hygiene:

Take a shower every day warm water using soap or intimate hygiene gel;
For the first time after childbirth, use sterile diapers as pads;
If bleeding is heavy, change pads often (up to 8 times);
And lastly, do not use tampons under any circumstances, even at the end of this period.

The inevitable lochia after childbirth is a wound discharge from the uterus. After pregnancy female body is restored, and the injured walls of the uterus heal. As a result, the organ begins to recover and becomes the same size as before pregnancy. Its upper surface heals, and the area where the vaginal wall attaches to the placenta tightens. Thus, the cause of lochia that appears after childbirth is:

restoration of the uterine cavity;
cleansing of membranes.

The uterus shrinks and throws out tissues it does not need, which have become toxic. The discharge is similar to menstrual discharge, but consists of different substances. These are fragments of the lining of the uterine cavity, ichor, remnants of the placenta, mucus from the cervical canal, and blood.

Lochia consult hygiene products
menstrual cycle resumption
Development Complex degree consequences

Immediately after delivery, the entire surface of the uterus is covered big wound. Therefore, blood clots and blood may be released. There is no need to worry, because in this way the body cleanses itself and restores itself.

If the lochia differs from those that should be normal, this indicates postpartum complications. Yes, the first few days after birth a woman is in the hospital, so doctors monitor the duration of lochia. But then she is discharged home, so she will have to independently monitor the nature of the discharge.

Normally, postpartum lochia lasts 6-8 weeks. Permissible deviations– 5-9 weeks. Otherwise, you need to consult a doctor. You can look at photos of lochia to know what they look like after childbirth.

Duration of uterine recovery

We found out how long lochia lasts on average after a childbirth, but they come in several varieties. Their duration also depends on this.

They appear during the healing process inner surface uterus

The active phase lasts about three weeks. During this time, several types of discharge are observed.

Reds. It takes about 3-4 days after the baby is born. They cause discomfort to a woman because they are very abundant. The color of the discharge is bright scarlet, since the remains of non-viable tissue contain a large number of erythrocytes - red blood cells. Clots of brown blood may also be released. The discharge should end on day 4. In this case, a woman changes one pad per hour. If you have to change it more often, you need to call your doctor. After childbirth, the gynecologist usually advises the woman about how long the lochia lasts, so to the expectant mother not difficult to navigate.
Serous. Lasts from 4 to 10 days and is not as abundant as red ones. The color of the discharge is pinkish-brown or brown, since the secreted substances contain big number leukocytes. Usually, red clots no longer appear, and only bloody-serous discharge is observed.
White. They do not cause discomfort to the woman and last for 20 days. Normally, discharge should be without bloody clots, strong smell. They are yellowish or whitish in color, almost transparent, of a smearing nature.

If after giving birth you know how long it will take for the lochia to come out, you will immediately understand when you need to contact a specialist for help. The volume of discharge begins to decrease over time, and already at week 3 it does not cause discomfort, therefore it is almost unnoticeable and very small in volume. Usually, by the 6th week, glassy mucus with bloody patches is released from the cervix, at which point the body completes its restoration. At the same time, the duration of the discharge does not depend on whether it is your first pregnancy or your second.

In case of complications, you should consult a doctor

When to see a doctor

If you know exactly when the lochia discharge should end after childbirth, track possible violations will be simpler. You need to make an appointment with a doctor in the following cases.

The discharge lasts too long or its amount has become quite large. Such bleeding is possible due to the fact that parts of the placenta remain in the uterus, so it cannot contract normally. In this case, the woman will have to remove the remaining placenta in the hospital. The procedure is painless due to intravenous anesthesia.
The bleeding has stopped, although you know exactly how many days after the last birth the lochia should go. Stopping discharge indicates a possible accumulation of lochia in the uterine cavity. If they are not removed, there is a risk of developing endometritis.

Endometritis develops if, after childbirth, lochia is excreted with pus and has an unpleasant, pungent odor. A woman notices a deterioration in her health:

lower abdomen hurts;
the temperature rises.

In this case, you need to urgently call a specialist or call ambulance. Sometimes they appear from the vagina curdled discharge. This may indicate the appearance of candidiasis. If left untreated, there is a risk of developing a severe infection.

It doesn’t matter how long lochia lasts after the first or second birth. If severe bleeding occurs, you should immediately call an ambulance. In this case, the woman is indicated for hospitalization.

Only careful attention to your health, monitoring of discharge and timely response to its changes will help to avoid serious complications. It is better to play it safe and consult a doctor once again than to subsequently be treated for unpleasant sores.

Do not ignore the rules of hygiene, which are especially important for the successful completion of the postpartum period.

If there is a relapse

Sometimes it happens that after childbirth the lochia first ends and then starts again. If, after 2 months, scarlet discharge from the vagina is observed, the cause may be:

recovery menstrual cycle;
rupture of seams after strong emotional or physical activity.

When you know how long lochia can last after a previous birth, but suddenly they return after 2-3 months, you need to look at their character. Sometimes the remnants of the placenta or endometrium are released in this way. If the discharge is dark in color with clots, but without pus and a sharp putrid odor, everything should end without complications.

In addition, when the discharge goes away and then comes again, there is a risk of developing an inflammatory process in the uterus. Only a doctor can help you here. He will conduct an examination and find out the cause of the incident. You may be experiencing a new menstrual cycle. But in the worst case scenario, medical intervention will be required.

During the nine months of pregnancy, a woman does not have menstruation. And after childbirth, the female body begins a recovery period, during which heavy bleeding appears. What is this: a manifestation of menstruation or a consequence of the birth process?

Postpartum discharge: description, duration, composition

Immediately after childbirth, the woman’s body begins the recovery process, an integral part of which is the release of lochia.

What is lochia

Lochia is a bloody discharge from a woman’s vagina that begins immediately after delivery and continues until full recovery damaged uterine tissue.

After birth, the placenta, which is necessary for intrauterine development the child is no longer needed in the female body, so it begins to flake off. As a result of this process, a wound is formed on the surface of the uterus. It is during this period that the release of lochia begins, helping to cleanse the uterus of excess substances accumulated during pregnancy.

Duration of discharge

The duration of postpartum discharge depends on the following factors:

the weight of the child (large children contribute to severe overstretching of the organ);
amount of amniotic fluid;
number of births;
blood clotting (low clotting means more Long procces recovery);
the presence of complications in the form of chronic foci of infection;
method of delivery;
breastfeeding (while breastfeeding recovery period goes faster).

Before discharging a woman in labor, obstetricians should inform her about the duration of lochia, since it is this factor that shows how the recovery period proceeds. The norm is considered to be the cessation of discharge at 6–8 weeks after birth. An interval of cessation of discharge from 40 to 62 days is considered a minor deviation from the norm. In this case, the young mother must monitor the nature of the discharge.

Lochia lasting less than 5 weeks or longer than 9. If the discharge has stopped is considered a dangerous symptom. ahead of schedule norms, a woman requires mandatory medical checkup to exclude or confirm the accumulation of secretions in the body. Long-term lochia poses an even greater danger. This phenomenon is often uterine bleeding or divergence of postpartum sutures.

Video: how long should lochia normally last?

Composition and character of lochia

How caring mother and the wife monitors the composition of food for the family, the woman should also monitor the composition of lochia.

The nature of lochia varies depending on its duration. The following scenario is considered normal:

If a young mother notices an admixture of pus in the discharge, she needs to immediately go to the hospital. Purulent discharge indicate the presence of endometrial inflammation. As a rule, this process is accompanied by fever, sharp pain in the lumbar region and uterus, and lochia has an unpleasant odor and a greenish-yellow tint.

The pathology is transparent, watery lochia. In this form, fluid comes out of the blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, which seeps through the vaginal mucosa. When the wound surface heals, part of the plasma and lymph enters the uterine cavity - this situation requires immediate consultation with a doctor.

Characteristics of Lochia

In addition to the composition, postpartum discharge They also have other characteristics that can be used to determine how a woman’s recovery period is going and whether there are any complications. These characteristics include color, smell and amount of discharge.

Color

A woman needs to monitor not only the composition of the lochia, but also their color. Shade of discharge during three days after birth it has a bright scarlet color, since the blood has not yet coagulated. Then, over the course of two weeks, red-brown lochia appear; subsequently, they become lighter and more transparent. By the end of the discharge, the lochia may be slightly cloudy with a yellow tint. A different color of lochia indicates a clear deviation from the norm and may be a symptom postpartum complications and diseases.

Gradually, the color of the lochia fades - from bright red in the first days after birth to pinkish and almost transparent by the 6th week

Postpartum discharge can be the following colors:

yellow - depending on the shade, characterizes different processes in the female body:
- pale yellow, not very abundant lochia, which began at the end of the second week after birth, is normal and should not cause concern for a young mother;
- bright yellow discharge mixed with green and putrid smell, appearing on the 4th or 5th day after the birth of the baby, may indicate inflammation of the uterine mucosa (endometritis);
- bright yellow discharge with mucus that began 2 weeks after birth is usually a symptom of latent endometritis;
green - always indicates the presence in the body bacterial infection. Particularly common are diseases such as gardnerellosis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia. The lesion may be the vagina, uterus or the fallopian tubes. Also green discharge sometimes indicate advanced endometritis. Green lochia, accompanied byburning and irritation in the vagina indicate trichomoniasis. To prevent the spread of infection, if postpartum green discharge appears, treatment must be started immediately;
white - indicates availability genitourinary infections, thrush or colpitis, if the discharge has a cheesy consistency, unpleasant sour smell and are accompanied by itching in the perineum or redness of the external genitalia. In this case, you must consult a doctor;
black - is normal, if the discharge does not have a strong unpleasant odor and is not accompanied by painful sensations. Hormonal changes in the body after childbirth can sometimes manifest themselves in this color of lochia.

Smell

Lochia contains a lot of epithelial tissue and microbial flora, so they normally have a musty smell. If pathogenic processes are present in the body, the smell of lochia changes. A purulent smell of discharge indicates the presence of an infection or the beginning of tissue decomposition in the uterine cavity.

Number of allocations

The abundance of discharge is also an important criterion, reflecting either the norm or pathology in the recovery of a woman’s body after childbirth.

The norm is heavy discharge in the first week after birth. This process indicates that the body is cleansed of everything unnecessary: blood vessels, obsolete endometrial cells, placental remnants, fetal waste products. Starting from the 2-3rd week, the discharge should be less and less.

Based on the abundance and duration of postpartum discharge, you can identify deviations from the norm in time and consult a doctor to avoid unpleasant complications.

If abundant lochia is released longer than expected, the woman must be examined by a gynecologist. The healing process slows down, and it is necessary to find out the cause of this condition.

A sharp reduction in the abundance of lochia indicates the possible formation of lochiometra, which is an early postpartum complication.

Features of the selection process

During the recovery period after childbirth, a woman may experience a break in discharge, its unstable nature after caesarean section, as well as difficulties in distinguishing lochia from menstruation.

Break in discharge

In due time after childbirth, the lochia stops, and the young mother again begins to lead her normal lifestyle. But suddenly the discharge starts again. Why? There are several explanations for this:

scarlet lochia after emotional and physical stress may be a consequence of suture rupture;
discharge may be a manifestation quick recovery menstrual cycle;
mucous lochia of a dark color with clots indicates the release of remnants of the placenta and endometrium, which were previously prevented from coming out.

As a rule, such situations do not require medical intervention. However, the female body after childbirth is vulnerable, therefore, if the nature of the discharge worries or frightens you in some way, you need to seek help from specialists.

Lochia after caesarean section

Recovery from a caesarean section can be painful and lengthy. In this case, postpartum discharge continues a little longer than usual. There are several reasons for this:

the uterus contracts more slowly after surgery;
not only the uterine cavity is cleansed and the mucous layer is restored, but also the postoperative wound is healed;
Lactation after cesarean section is often absent.

After a caesarean section, medical correction with drugs such as Oxytocin and Methylergometrine is required. If surgical delivery took place without complications, and in postoperative period If all the necessary manipulations have been carried out, then the lochia in composition, color and smell should not differ from the lochia after natural childbirth.

How to distinguish lochia from menstruation

The main difference between menstruation and lochia is the time of appearance. Lochia is only postpartum discharge, and menstruation begins when the level of the hormone prolactin, which is responsible for breastfeeding, drops in the blood.

The duration of menstruation is approximately 6–7 days, but lochia can be secreted for up to 9 weeks. The color of these secretions is also different. The first lochia after childbirth are scarlet, but gradually become brown, and then begin to turn pink and white. Your period is always red or brown.

After childbirth, a woman needs to take special care of her health. In particular, this applies to postpartum discharge. It is necessary to monitor their duration, color, smell and abundance. Each indicator is important for diagnosis possible deviations from the norm and detection of pathologies.

Reading time: 6 minutes

Pregnancy consists of pleasant chores in preparation for childbirth. When you collect the birth bag, do not forget to put a package in it, or better yet two, sanitary pads. A woman needs them after the baby is born. Bloody, brown, yellow or white discharge after childbirth that lasts for several weeks is normal and means the uterus is cleaning itself after the baby is born.

What is discharge after childbirth

Lochia is the name given to bloody marks that appear immediately after childbirth and will haunt the young mother for another month and a half. At first the discharge will be very copious and bloody. A woman in labor will use one sanitary pad per hour. Over time, their volume will noticeably decrease. Don't be alarmed if you find blood clots or mucus on the pad - this is how it should be. Lochia includes:

blood cells - leukocytes, erythrocytes, platelets;
plasma released from the wound surface of the uterus after separation of the placenta;
remnants of the epithelium located on the inner surface of the uterus;
ichor;
mucus from the cervix and cervical canal.

Why does discharge occur?

Lochia is a discharge that indicates the cleansing of a woman’s uterus. The remains of the placenta and epithelium come out through the vagina under the influence of contractile movements of the walls of the uterus. This process is necessary to restore the menstrual cycle and reproductive function. The first menstruation after childbirth will indicate that the body is completely ready for a new conception, so be careful and take care of contraceptive methods.

How long does the discharge last after childbirth?

The average duration of lochia is 6-8 weeks. At first they come very abundantly throughout the week. During this period, while still in the maternity hospital, the woman needs to take care of the availability of sanitary pads and absorbent diapers. Use night-time pads or maximum amount"drops". On the first day, it is best to use a diaper, and then put it under yourself. Sometimes doctors ask to see a diaper, so they control lochia. When standing up or pressing on the uterus, lochia may gush out of the vagina. This is normal for the first days.

In just a few days or a week, bloody discharge will become smaller. They will no longer be bright red, their shade will look like dried blood. A month after birth, the discharge will be reduced, it will be possible to switch to everyday pads, after another week the lochia will be very scanty, their color will become lighter. Do not use tampons under any circumstances, even if you really need to. It may be dangerous. Postpartum discharge is a great place for bacteria to grow. In a month or a month and a half, the lochia will end. In this case, you will need to visit a gynecologist and undergo an examination.

In order for the lochia to come out well and the uterus to clear faster, the mother needs to adhere to following rules:

After giving birth, apply an ice pack to your lower abdomen for the first two days. Cold promotes contraction and rapid cleansing.
Go to the toilet “little by little” every two to three hours, even if you don’t feel like it. Full bladder prevents uterine contractions and good discharge.
Walk and just move more. This will prevent blood stagnation in the uterus.
Put your baby to your breast as often as possible. At first, during feeding, you may feel slight pain in the lower abdomen and a sharp release of lochia. That's how it should be. The baby irritates the nipple, and the woman’s body releases oxytocin, a hormone that causes the uterus to contract.

What kind of discharge should there be after childbirth?

The color of lochia depends on how long it lasts and how it progresses. At first they have a scarlet color; they contain a lot blood clots and pieces of dead epithelium. After a week, the lochia becomes brown. In this case, the amount of lochia decreases to the volume of menstruation. At the end of the cleansing period of the uterus they have yellow with streaks and splashes of blood.

This approximate dates, for each woman everything goes individually. The duration of discharge, its quantity and composition are influenced by many factors. For example:

the course of pregnancy;
childbirth;
method of delivery (natural birth or cesarean);
intensity of uterine contractions (the stronger they are, the faster the lochia ends)
structure of female organs;
presence of lactation (with breastfeeding the uterus contracts more actively, and the discharge passes faster);
leakage postpartum recovery(presence or absence of inflammation, infections, etc.).

Discharge after caesarean section

Lochia after cesarean section lasts longer than during natural delivery. This is due to the fact that during the operation they are damaged muscle fibers uterus. As a result, the organ contracts weakly, the lochia comes out longer than usual, but in a smaller volume. The structure of the discharge itself also changes. After surgery, a woman moves less; this ends up with the blood stagnating and coagulating into clots, which are released along with the discharge.

Postpartum discharge ended and started again

If you notice that the amount of discharge has increased sharply or, conversely, it has stopped, then you need to immediately call an ambulance and do not wait until the morning if the problem occurs at night or in the evening. Sometimes there are cases when the discharge ends and then starts again. Endometritis, inflammation, and infection may begin. However, the most common cause is lochiometra.

This is a disease after childbirth, in which the discharge does not come out, but stagnates inside the uterus. This can cause inflammation, infections, and other problems. It’s good if the discharge resumes on its own, without medical intervention. However, if the lochia stops and does not continue during the day, you do not need to sit idly by, you need to call an ambulance. With the help of medications that cause uterine contractions, the cleansing will continue in the usual way.

Pathological discharge during postpartum complications

Lochiometra is not the only disease that can occur to a woman after childbirth. Pathological deviations in discharge indicate that something is wrong with the cleansing of the uterus. It could be:

Discharge with an unpleasant odor. If the lochia has a pronounced purulent yellow or greenish tint, then this indicates an infection in the uterus, i.e. O postpartum endometritis. In this case, you need to call an ambulance or go to the doctor without delay. Associated symptoms – heat, pain in the lower abdomen, weakness.
Watery lochia. They should alert the young mother, because such signs occur when fluid is released from the lymphatic and blood vessels after childbirth, which seeps through the mucous membrane of the uterus, genital tract and vagina. Transparent lochia may indicate dysbacteriosis (gardenellosis), and they will be accompanied by a fishy odor.
White discharge. If you have acquired lochia White color and curd consistency, then this indicates possible infection– colpitis or candidiasis (thrush). In this case, the woman will complain of itching, redness in the perineum, and an unpleasant sour smell. Curd-like discharge will have a similar meaning.
Black discharge. If lochia lasts for normal mode and do not have an unpleasant odor, but at the same time acquired dark color, then you shouldn’t be afraid, it’s not as dangerous as yellow discharge. This shade indicates a change in blood composition and hormonal changes body.
Abundant bloody lochia bright red color can only be in the first few days after birth. If such lochia appears later, you need to immediately call an ambulance without waiting for the morning. A sharp increase in discharge indicates postpartum hemorrhage.

Hygiene rules during the postpartum period

To avoid postpartum complications, it is important to adhere to the following rules after childbirth to restore the body:

Wash yourself every time after using the toilet with special means for personal hygiene or baby soap. This will help avoid infection.
Don't take a bath. This can also lead to inflammation and infection. For the same reason, you should not douche.
Don't skimp on postpartum pads. Change them as often as possible.
Don't use tampons. According to reviews from mothers in labor, this is a sure path to endometriosis.
Dress warmly during the cold season to avoid hypothermia and inflammation.
Don't lift heavy objects. Weight Limit, which you can pick up, is your baby and a camera for happy photos.

Video

Postpartum recovery is a special state of a woman, when organs and systems return to their normal, “non-pregnant” state. Normally it should pass without medical care, but under the scrupulous control of a woman. The main indicator of health is postpartum discharge, which varies depending on the condition of the uterus. It is important to know what their duration, appearance, color, intensity, smell should be at each moment of time.

Discharge after childbirth (lochia) is caused by healing and cleansing of the uterus. The process goes through several stages and is natural. It is popularly believed that a woman “cleanses” for 40 days. Official medicine inclined to agree, and calls average term 42 days. More “blurred” boundaries from 5 to 9 weeks. Anything that lasts less or longer than the specified periods is pathology.

The woman’s task is to carefully monitor the lochia. Any deviation from the norm is a signal of trouble and is a reason for an immediate visit to the gynecologist.

You should sound the alarm if discharge after childbirth:

Finished in less than a month
Lasts longer than 2 months
Let's go green
Became cheesy white
Have purulent inclusions
Acquired an unpleasant odor (putrid, sour)
Sharply increased in volume
Blood appeared again

An indicator of women's health in postpartum period is normal (up to 37) body temperature. If it is elevated or you think that there is “something wrong” with your discharge, go to the gynecologist. It’s better to worry unnecessarily than to miss the problem.

Uterine healing process

The healing process of the wound cavity of the uterus is conventionally divided into 3 stages:

from 1 to 7 days after birth - red discharge
2-3 weeks after birth – brown discharge
Final stage – white lochia

The established dates are approximate, since they depend on the body, the complexity of childbirth, the method of delivery, and breastfeeding. Individual consultation can only be given by your gynecologist when studying your medical history.

The first lochia

Cleansing the uterus begins immediately after the birth of the child - this is the expulsion of the placenta on the birth table. The obstetrician carefully examines its integrity. If breaks are found, then suspicion arises of incomplete separation of the placenta. The uterine cavity is cleaned to remove the remaining placenta.

For the first two hours after giving birth, the woman is monitored in the delivery room. Its purpose is to prevent bleeding. To do this, uterine contractions are stimulated by injection, and ice is placed on the abdomen. The discharge is copious, mostly blood.

How long does bleeding last after childbirth? Intense lochia of a bright red color ends in 3-4 days. At this time, the blood still does not clot well, and the wound surface remains extensive. By day 4, the lochia darken, acquiring a brownish color.

Clots in the first week (especially after sleep) are considered normal occurrence, like the pungent smell of blood. Large clots larger in volume than egg. Lochia comes after childbirth so abundantly that the pad is changed once an hour.

Second phase

The second stage of uterine cleansing lasts up to 3 weeks. The discharge consists of ichor, mucus, remains of dead cells with a small admixture of blood. The volume is comparable to normal menstruation or less. Color – brown. The smell is similar to musty, but not putrid or sour.

End of the recovery period

After the third week, before stopping, the lochia lightens to a white-transparent or yellowish color. Consist of mucus. In terms of quantity they are characterized as spotting. During this period, a woman can switch to panty liners.

Lochia after cesarean

Recovery after a cesarean section goes through the same stages, but more slowly. With this type of delivery, a scar is added to the wound in the uterine cavity on its wall, which delays healing. Discharge lasts longer after childbirth.

Pathological conditions

Discharge after childbirth ended early

Discharge after childbirth stops earlier if the woman was cleansed in the maternity hospital. With this intervention, the uterine cavity is artificially cleansed of the remains of the placenta, dead endometrium, and waste products of the child. This may speed up healing somewhat.

In other cases, the disappearance of lochia before the 35th day does not indicate a strong, quickly recovered body, but an early closure cervical canal. With this pathology, the discharge is deprived of its natural outlet and accumulates in the uterine cavity.

It should be understood that lochia consists of dead tissue. If gynecological cleansing is not carried out, the contents of the uterus will begin to decompose. This leads to infection or even sepsis.

Inflammatory diseases and fungus

The inflammatory process in a woman who has given birth can develop due to various reasons: chronic infections, colds, poor hygiene, decreased immunity. The discharge acquires a characteristic “fishy” smell, greenish color, and changes consistency. After a while, high fever and pain in the lower abdomen are added. Without proper treatment inflammatory processes the uterus is fraught with infertility.

The appearance of thrush is indicated by itching, a sour smell from the discharge, and a change in the consistency of the lochia to a curd-white consistency.

Bleeding

The appearance of blood in the lochia after the first week always indicates pathology. If you are in a maternity hospital, inform the doctors about this. If you notice blood at home, call an ambulance immediately.

Prevention of complications

Preventive measures in the postpartum period are reduced to:

Compliance with medical orders
Following hygiene requirements
Sufficient physical activity
Abstinence from sexual intercourse

A natural “reducer” is breastfeeding. With frequent latching of a baby, a woman's uterus receives powerful oxytocin stimulation.

And remember! A woman’s attentive and responsible attitude towards her health is the key to happy life her children.