How much and what are the correct discharges after childbirth. Lochia after childbirth: features of the recovery of the female body Lochia after childbirth how long and what

Pregnancy and childbirth require a number of serious changes and expenditures of internal resources from the body. Therefore, it is not surprising that the return to the normal state takes some time. The first task is to return the uterus to its original state. It is with the recovery mechanisms that the discharge after childbirth is associated

What is the nature of discharge after childbirth

Almost immediately after childbirth, processes begin in the mother's body aimed at getting rid of the already unnecessary attributes of pregnancy. First of all, there is a rejection of the placenta, accompanied by a rupture of the vessels that connected it with the uterus. Further, during involution, the uterus will have to shrink to its previous size, expelling excess fluids.

In order to avoid the possible development of inflammatory and other adverse processes in the postnatal period, as well as to notice their first manifestations in time, it is important to understand what normal discharge after childbirth is. In the first 2-3 days, there is a particularly abundant release of scarlet blood from the genital tract. This happens regardless of the way the woman was born. Simple pads usually cannot cope with such volumes - you have to use special diapers or postpartum pads. However, they should be changed as often as possible, since during this period the risk of developing inflammatory processes and the penetration of pathogens is very high - this is facilitated by damaged tissues, open blood vessels and a weakened state of the mother's body. In the following days and weeks, the nature of the discharge changes.

What should be the discharge after childbirth

It is difficult to put the dynamics of postpartum discharge into any specific framework of norms or put it on a schedule. But conditionally, they can be tracked by averaged stages:

• 2-3 days after birth - very abundant light red discharge. During this period, the woman is under the supervision of specialists from the maternity hospital;
• On the 4-6th day, by the time of discharge, spotting after childbirth becomes noticeably less abundant and acquires a brownish tint, often containing clots and mucus. They can be aggravated by lifting weights, physical exertion, contractions of the abdominal muscles (during laughter, coughing, sneezing);
• After 1.5-2 weeks, yellow discharge appears after childbirth - at first brown-yellow, which eventually becomes lighter, approaching white. Normally, they can continue for another month.

Not only the color and abundance changes, but also the consistency of the liquids - for example, the mucous discharge after childbirth replaces the watery one in a week. Such they can be until the final completion of the involution of the uterus.

The cause for concern is more drastic changes, such as discharge with a smell after childbirth, with a specific color (bright yellow, greenish), curdled (as with thrush), accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen, as well as itching, chills, fever, deterioration in well-being. Such symptoms, individually or in combination, indicate complications - most likely, inflammation of the walls of the uterus. In this case, you need to seek help from a gynecologist.

Length of discharge after childbirth

Of course, every woman wants to get rid of pads and constant discomfort as soon as possible. Yes, and the lack of sexual activity in recent months needs to be made up for, and in the presence of even minor secretions, such activity is extremely undesirable and not very pleasant. But everything has its time, especially such important processes as the recovery of a woman in labor, and this period also requires attention. It is very important to monitor how much discharge goes after childbirth - significant deviations from the norm may indicate a problem. The timing of the involution of the uterus is very individual and depends on a number of features of the female body and the course of childbirth. On average, everything “heals” in about a month, but residual manifestations can be observed even 5-6 weeks after the birth of the baby.

If by this time the discharge has not stopped, you should contact a specialist, because such a protracted recovery process has reasons that should be clarified. And in itself, prolonged blood loss does not bode well. A sudden increase in the intensity of bleeding is an extremely dangerous symptom - in this case, you should immediately call a doctor. On the other hand, too rapid and sudden cessation of discharge after childbirth also requires a visit to a specialist. Most likely, the body just rehabilitated very quickly, but there is a small chance that the blood simply accumulates in the uterus, unable to go outside for some reason.

Prevention of postpartum complications

A great responsibility lies with the doctors taking delivery - after the rejection of the placenta, it is important to make sure that this process was completed successfully. Within two hours after childbirth, a woman should be given the opportunity to rest, recover. But already moving to the postpartum ward, it is important not to neglect hygiene. It is highly desirable to take a shower on the same day, despite weakness, with which a nurse or nurse can help. Lying on your stomach creates optimal pressure, "adjusting" the uterus - it is recommended to adopt this technique as early as possible. 4.5 out of 5 (135 votes)

The postpartum period is a difficult time in a woman's life, which is overshadowed by prolonged vaginal discharge. What discharge is considered physiological and what indicates the need to see a doctor - read in this article.

Lochia- specific vaginal discharge after childbirth, which are natural process and consist of blood, mucus and endometrium. Such secretions indicate the reverse development of the uterus, its contraction and return to prenatal condition.

Why is there discharge after childbirth?

During pregnancy the uterus is growing, its functions and appearance change. When the difficult and important moment of childbirth is left behind, her “mission” is fulfilled and this organ returns to its usual state, gradually shrinking and shrinking. However, during these contractions, remnants are expelled from the uterine cavity. blood, membranes and mucus.

Immediately after childbirth, heavy bleeding begins

In addition, in the place where the placenta was previously attached to the uterus, there remains open bleeding wound, which gradually heals. Until the moment of complete healing of the wound surface and the return of the uterus to the prenatal state, lochia continues.

What is the discharge after childbirth?

In the first hours after childbirth, bloody discharge from the vagina has bright red, which is explained by slight bleeding due to physiological damage in the uterus and birth canal during delivery. Over the next few days, this bleeding may be absolutely unchanged, in bloody secretions can be observed small clots.

After the lapse of first week postpartum discharge can change its intensity. In addition, more and more is mixed with bloody discharge slime from the cervical canal, so that the shade of the discharge will become a little lighter and they will not resemble bleeding.

Typically, departure big clots at this stage is not the norm and it is better to talk about it with a gynecologist.

In the future, the woman in labor will note that the discharge becomes less and less: at first they will resemble menstruation, later they will change their shade to brown, will go into a daub. Through two to three weeks lochia can become yellowish shade (but not purulent!), then white, and soon it will come out of the vagina altogether clear slime, talking about the completion of the involution of the uterus.

When does discharge end after childbirth?

Duration of postpartum discharge each woman is individual. As a rule, experts talk about the average duration of such discharges, which is 40 days, but this indicator is far from being true for everyone.

A variant of the norm is the duration of the discharge, which is from 30 days to two months. There are known cases of a two-week duration of lochia, but these are rather few exceptions to the rule. Most women talk about numbers 30-40 days, claiming that during this time any vaginal discharge completely stopped.

What does purulent discharge after childbirth mean?

• It is very important to keep track of what color and smell have discharge after childbirth. Since the uterine cavity is a wound, and the discharge is an excellent breeding ground bacteria and infections there is a huge risk of infection
• If this happens, then the discharge will definitely tell you about it with an unpleasant odor and the presence of purulent impurities
• About the inflammatory process in the uterus, along with purulent discharge, will also indicate temperature increase. It is important not to confuse it with the process of lactation, when a slight increase in temperature is considered physiological.
• If, however, you suspect infection of the endometrium then you should immediately seek the help of a specialist, because in the early stages this may indicate remnants of the membranes in the uterine cavity and the need to clean

Video: Purulent vaginal discharge

Why does yellow discharge occur after childbirth?

Approximately through 10-14 days after childbirth, the discharge becomes yellowish. Don't be afraid, it's a normal process. uterus recovery. These highlights only indicate that involution happens naturally and naturally.

But if such discharges begin in the first week after childbirth or at the right time, but look like pus then you need to see a doctor. This may indicate purulent processes that can begin in such reasons:

• lack of proper hygiene
• remnants of membranes in the uterus
• the presence of blood clots that partially or completely clog the outflow of lochia

After childbirth, it is important to carefully monitor genital hygiene, which consists of the following actions:

• after each visit to the toilet must be washed
• pad should not be used for more than 4 hours
• you can not use tampons and caps to collect secretions - lochia should flow freely from the vagina so as not to be a medium for the active growth of pathogenic microflora
• until the complete completion of lochia and examination by a gynecologist, sexual contacts should be avoided

Following these rules will prevent severe consequences: infection and purulent processes.

Causes of greenish discharge after childbirth

The occurrence of uncharacteristic for the recovery period greenish discharge from the vagina, indicates the presence of a serious disease - endometritis. Its cause is a bacterial infection of the surface of the uterus, which could be caused by poor contractility this organ. This, in turn, leads to the fact that lochia accumulate in the uterine cavity and an inflammatory process begins, flowing into purulent.

Endometritis is also accompanied by additional symptoms:

• rise in temperature
• pain in the lower abdomen
• weakness and discomfort
• bad smell from the vagina and discharge

Treatment of endometritis should include antibiotic therapy, and its untimeliness can lead to infertility or sepsis and, as a result, lethal outcome.

Discharge after childbirth with smell

One of the true symptoms of endometritis in the initial stages is bad smell, which comes from excretions. Of course, the smell of lochia is far from the aromas of vanilla, but putrid, repulsive stench should not come from them.

Any woman will be wary if a liquid with the smell of pus or rot flows from her vagina. If you happen to encounter this, then do not waste precious time, but immediately hurry to the doctor!

A similar smell can also indicate such unpleasant diseases as chlamydia or about other infectious diseases of the genital organs, so you should not wait for the problem to disappear by itself - this extremely dangerous for Your health.

Why is there little discharge after childbirth?

The first week of lochia should be intense. This suggests that the uterus is well reduced and the discharge does not accumulate in its cavity, but goes outside. meager discharge at this time or their complete cessation should be very alert - something prevents the exit of lochia from the uterus.

If in the postpartum period the uterus was poorly examined by an obstetrician, then there is a risk that some part of the uterus remained in its cavity fetal membrane. Even if its size is small and it does not interfere with the current of lochia, then its presence in the uterus can cause purulent processes.

Also block the exit lochiam could blood clot, which was formed in the process of bleeding. If the problem of meager discharge after childbirth lies in this, then on ultrasound the doctor will definitely detect a clot and the uterus will subject to cleaning.

Can there be discharge from the breast after childbirth?

During pregnancy, a woman gets to know the first physiological secretions from the chest, which are called colostrum. It is this incredibly useful natural product that the baby will eat for the first day before production begins. milk. But can any other secretions from the chest?

Other than colostrum and milk, no discharge from the breast not considered normal. If they have greenish color or brightly visible admixture of blood, it is necessary to immediately inform the doctor about this, since the cause of this phenomenon may be neoplasm in the breast, hormonal disorders and even cancer.

If it comes out of the chest purulent fluid, which has an unpleasant odor, and this happens against the background of an increase in temperature, this may indicate the development mastitis- inflammatory process in the breast.

How to prevent severe complications during postpartum discharge?

- a natural process and it should not overshadow the joys of motherhood. In addition, it is also an indicator of how correctly the body and, in particular, sexual organs revert to pre-pregnancy. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor your well-being and watch for secretions, and if you notice any deviation from the norm, you should notify your gynecologist.

You should consult if:

• the intensity of the secretions is such that there is a need more often than once every 1.5 hours change gasket for 4-6 drops
• a week later the discharge still continues to be profuse and blood red
• sharp allotments stopped without going through all the described stages of changing color and intensity
• present in secretions big clots
• smell and color lochia is out of order
• rises temperature
• secretions are accompanied pain and discomfort in a stomach

Take care of your health after giving birth Your task- recover faster in order to give as much attention and care as possible tiny little man which has just come into being.

Video: Lochia after childbirth. What do the doctor's say?

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 in the uterus, several mechanisms are triggered, 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 a different nature and intensity, so throughout the month you need to monitor their changes.

Discharge after childbirth: cause and duration

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

Depending on the course of pregnancy, The duration of discharge after childbirth can be different. In the absence of complications from the mother, the normal state of the blood coagulation system and the rapid contraction of the uterus, lochia ceases to disturb the woman one and a half months after childbirth. If the discharge lasts longer or has stopped before a month, then you should go to an appointment with a local gynecologist.

With prolonged discharge, a woman may begin anemia. It leads to weakness and malaise that affects breastfeeding and childcare. When breastfeeding, due to a lack of iron in the mother's body, anemia can also begin in the newborn.

Prolonged discharge indicates poor uterine contractility and the presence of problems in the blood coagulation system. You should see a doctor if discharge after childbirth go longer than the prescribed period 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 first two hours after the baby is born, the woman spends in the delivery room. This period is called early postpartum. A woman should remain under the supervision of doctors, since her body has just undergone a heavy load and her condition must be monitored. Abundant 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. The standard gasket cannot handle this situation. In the maternity hospital, either diapers or special postpartum pads are issued.

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

After two or three weeks, lochia is less disturbing. The discharge will end only after five to six weeks, which indicates the complete involution of the uterus. . As long as there is bleeding after childbirth, sex is highly undesirable from a hygiene point of view.. Sexual intercourse can increase the intensity of lochia, which leads to a worsening of the condition. After the onset of sexual activity, it is necessary to think about methods of contraception, especially in the absence of 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. A woman with any suspicion should consult a doctor in order to find out her condition.

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

Sometimes copious bleeding after childbirth is observed because the uterus cannot fully contract due to muscle fiber weakness. Such 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 to each woman before discharge. This method allows you to evaluate the size of the uterus and the contents in its cavity. If necessary, ultrasound can be repeated after another week. If bleeding has begun, then the method of treatment is curettage of the uterine cavity and the appointment of drugs that have a reducing effect.

Signs of inflammatory discharge after childbirth

The second common complication is inflammation, which begins against the background of prolonged discharge. Blood is considered a favorable environment for pathogenic bacteria. If a woman does not observe personal hygiene or has begun to have sex early, then she is worried about discharge after childbirth with an unpleasant odor. Normal discharge should be brown, but in the presence of bacteria, it becomes greenish and yellow. Become more liquid and plentiful. Usually, in parallel with these symptoms, pain in the lower abdomen, fever, 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, wash regularly, change panty liners often, or avoid using them (when the discharge has become small). Also, don't take a bath. Only showers are allowed. Sexual life of the doctor is prohibited until the complete cessation of discharge. To prevent inflammation, you can periodically wash (but do not douche) with infusions of chamomile or string. It is better not to use potassium permanganate, as it can irritate the vaginal mucosa in high concentrations.

The postpartum period is rarely calm. Breastfeeding and caring for a newborn take a lot of energy. Discharge after childbirth usually does not stop for a very long time, and you should mentally prepare for this. To speed up the process of uterine contraction, it is necessary to put the baby to the breast more often, lie or sleep on the stomach more and empty the bladder regularly. These rules contribute to the rapid involution of the uterus and the cessation of discharge. If all the recommendations of the doctor are followed, the recovery will pass quickly and imperceptibly.

The postpartum period for every woman is overshadowed by the fact that discharge with blood comes from the vagina for quite a long time.

During this stage, the body recovers and gains strength.

During pregnancy, the uterus increases in size and its main functions change.

When the birth has passed and her "mission" has been completed, she returns to her original form, decreasing in size.

During this period, the fetal membrane and blood clots are removed from the uterus.

This is all called lochia, which gradually leaves the female body.

• In the place where the placenta used to be, now an open wound is formed, which constantly bleeds and gradually heals.
• Blood will be released from the vagina until the wound surface heals and the uterus returns to the state that it was before pregnancy.

After labor, the discharge is the most active. This is due to the fact that the muscles contract, pushing out everything superfluous in order to take their former shape.

What discharge can be observed after childbirth?

Immediately after childbirth, you can observe red discharge from the vagina in large quantities.

This is due to physiological damage in the uterus during childbirth.

For several days they can proceed in the same way. Sometimes you can even notice blood clots, which are normal.

• A week after giving birth, the discharge may change. During this period, mucus will be mixed with the blood, which is why the discharge has a light color and it will no longer resemble bleeding.
• If at this time women observe large clots, then this should be discussed with a doctor.

Later, the woman in labor will notice that there will be much less vaginal discharge, they will resemble menstruation in their consistency, and later change their color to a brown tint.

After 2-3 weeks, the lochia have a yellowish tint, and later white.

Over time, clear mucus should come out of the vagina, which confirms the completion of the process of uterine involution.

It will not be possible to avoid bleeding after the birth of the baby, because. the placenta detaches from the uterus and damages it.

Over time, the amount of discharge becomes less. If this does not happen, and the bleeding only increases every day, then this is a reason to consult a doctor.

To avoid complications, you need to follow these recommendations:

• it is often necessary to lie on your stomach, because this way the body will quickly cleanse itself of substances it does not need;
• you need to go to the toilet every 2 hours and empty the bladder, which interferes with the contraction of the uterus;
• you can narrow the vessels by applying a cold heating pad for 15 minutes to the lower abdomen;
• you need to limit the amount of physical activity;

Women should breastfeed their baby, because. This process releases a hormone called oxytocin, which causes the uterus to contract naturally.

When feeding, a woman may feel cramping pains in the lower abdomen and notice an increase in the amount of discharge.

How not to get an infection?

The first days after childbirth are considered the most dangerous for a woman. This is due to the fact that all the lochia from the body could not get out, so they can become a favorable environment for the reproduction of the infection.

The wound after childbirth becomes open, so bacteria can easily get into it.

To avoid complications, the following hygiene rules should be followed:

1. During the first days after childbirth, it is better to use diapers instead of the usual sanitary pads. Later you can switch to simple pads, but it is important to purchase those models that have a lot of drops. First they need to be changed 9 times a day.
2. After using the toilet, rinse the perineum with warm water. For washing, you need to use baby soap. And it is allowed to wash only the outer part of the vagina.
3. Every day you should bathe in the shower, not in the bath.
4. You can use ointments only after the approval of the doctor.

It is also forbidden to use tampons instead of pads. They can delay the exit of lochia and increase the possibility of infection.

When does discharge end after childbirth?

A woman has her own duration of discharge.

Experts say that their average duration lasts 40 days.

But this indicator is not observed in all women. The norm is those discharges that last from 1 to 2 months.

• In medical practice, there are cases when lochia came out for only two weeks.
• Most women attest to the fact that their vaginal discharge lasted 30 to 40 days.
• If lochia continues to go for more than 2 months, then this indicates complications.

What does the appearance of purulent discharge after childbirth indicate?

In order for the recovery process to take place without consequences, it is important to monitor your body:

1. Women need to pay attention to the smell and color of the discharge. Due to the fact that the uterine cavity is an open wound in which an infection can multiply, there is a high risk of getting a complication.
2. The presence of infection of the uterus is confirmed by the presence of purulent discharge and an unpleasant odor.
3. An increase in body temperature indicates the presence of inflammation in the uterus. It should not be confused with a slight increase in the body, which is caused by the process of lactation.
4. If there is a suspicion of infection of the endometrium, then you need to consult a doctor. In the first stages, this indicates that particles of the fetal membrane remain in the uterus, which will need to be cleaned. This procedure should not be put on the back burner, as the infection can spread throughout the body.

If there is pain in the lower abdomen and severe itching with fever, then you should consult a doctor.

Causes of green discharge after childbirth

If green discharge comes out of the vagina, then this confirms the appearance of a disease - endometritis. The cause of its occurrence is considered to be infection of the uterus, which is caused by its poor contraction.

All this leads to the fact that the selection does not come out. And they accumulate in the body, which causes an inflammatory process.

Endometritis is also accompanied by the following symptoms:

• pain in the abdomen;
• unpleasant odor of discharge;
• rise in temperature;
• discomfort in the vagina.

Treatment of endometritis includes antibiotic therapy. If you run this disease, it is fraught with infertility, blood poisoning and death.

When should you see a doctor?

When the discharge from the vagina will be natural, women need to come for an examination to the gynecologist.

Sometimes there are situations when you need to visit a specialist earlier than this time.

1. If the lochia abruptly stopped coming out during the first days after childbirth or their number decreased significantly, then it is worth visiting a doctor.
2. If there is a delay in the release of contents from the uterus, then this can lead to endometritis. In this case, the necessary environment for the reproduction of the infection appears inside the uterus.

Another variant of events may also occur, when, after the cessation of secretions, their number increased significantly and turned into bleeding.

If a woman is in the hospital, then you need to see a doctor, and if at home, call an ambulance.

The main cause for great concern is the green and yellow discharge with an odor, which is sometimes accompanied by body temperature.

This confirms the presence of an inflamed process in the uterine mucosa. And the appearance of curdled discharge confirms the presence of thrush.

During the first few weeks after childbirth, the woman continues to have lochia - spotting. Lochia after childbirth consist of pieces of mucus, plasma, ichor and dying epithelium. The color and amount of discharge changes - this process depends on the degree of restoration of the uterine mucosa and should correspond to the days of the postpartum period. Now the woman's body is weakened, the birth canal is open and various types of infection can enter the body through them, which will necessarily affect the amount and color of the discharge.

Isolation of blood after childbirth requires constant monitoring by the woman, and in case of any suspicious deviations from the norm, you should immediately run to the gynecologist.

How long does discharge last after childbirth? In the first few hours after delivery, the discharge has a pronounced bloody character. The main goal during this period is to prevent the onset of bleeding. To prevent it, a woman is often placed on her stomach with an ice pack (this is necessary to accelerate uterine contraction), urine is removed using a catheter, and drugs are injected intravenously that promote uterine contraction. The amount of discharge should not be more than half a liter of blood. Bleeding can increase in case of poor muscle contraction or a severe tear in the birth canal.

If the amount of discharge from the birth canal is normally not a concern, the woman is transferred to the postpartum ward. The next few days the amount of lochia will become slightly less, and the color will acquire a darker brownish tint.
The duration of discharge after childbirth is about one and a half months: The uterine mucosa will actively regenerate and the surface of the uterus will heal. They become insignificant, with a rare admixture of blood. By the end of the fourth week discharge becomes white or yellow-white. During the entire postpartum period, the use of tampons is not recommended. Pads with a high degree of absorbency will be the best option in this situation. The chance of bleeding is now low, but still present.

Prevention of bleeding

1. The first few days after childbirth, be on your feet as little as possible.
2. Breastfeeding the baby. When breastfeeding, oxytocin is released, which helps to reduce the muscle mass of the uterus. When a newborn suckles at the breast, blood clots may be slightly larger than usual.
3. Prompt emptying of the bladder. A full bladder does not allow the uterus to contract, respectively, can provoke the onset of bleeding.
4. Periodically put a container of ice or ice water on the lower abdomen. With pressure on the walls of the abdominal cavity, the vessels are pressed down, and the uterus begins to actively contract.

Symptoms and signs that indicate complications and are the reason for contacting a gynecologist:

With careful observance of personal hygiene of the body, sufficient rest and following all prescriptions, the risk of bleeding will be minimized.