How much discharge usually goes after childbirth. Reminder for a young mother

Postpartum recovery is a special state of a woman, when organs and systems return to their normal, “non-pregnant” state. Normally, it should take place without medical assistance, 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 should be their duration, type, color, intensity, smell at each moment of time.

Discharge after childbirth (lochia) is due to the 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 is inclined to agree, and calls the average period of 42 days. More "blurred" boundaries from 5 to 9 weeks. Everything that lasts less or longer than the indicated periods is a pathology.

The task of a woman 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.

The alarm should be beaten if the discharge after childbirth:

Ended in less than a month
Last longer than 2 months
Send green
Have become curdled white
Have purulent inclusions
Acquired an unpleasant odor (putrefactive, sour)
Increased sharply in volume
Secondary bleeding

An indicator of a woman's health in the postpartum period is normal (up to 37) body temperature. If it is elevated or you think that “something is not right” with your discharge, go to the gynecologist. It's better to worry too much for nothing than to miss the problem.

The healing process of the uterus

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

from 1 to 7 days after birth - red discharge
2-3 weeks after childbirth - brown discharge
The final stage - white lochia

The established dates are indicative, since they depend on the body, the complexity of childbirth, the method of delivery, breastfeeding. An individual consultation can only be given by your gynecologist when studying the anamnesis.

First lochia

The cleansing of 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 gaps are found, then there is a suspicion of incomplete separation of the placenta. The uterine cavity is cleaned to remove the remains of the placenta.

The first two hours after childbirth, the woman is monitored in the delivery room. Its purpose is to prevent bleeding. To do this, they stimulate the contraction of the uterus by injection, and put ice on the stomach. The discharge is profuse, mostly blood.

How long does bleeding last after childbirth? Intense lochia of bright red color ends in 3-4 days. At this time, the blood is still poorly coagulated, 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, as is the pungent smell of blood. Alertness should be caused by large clots that exceed the volume of a chicken egg. There are lochia after childbirth so plentiful that the pad is changed once an hour.

Second phase

The second stage of cleansing the uterus lasts up to 3 weeks. The secretions consist of ichor, mucus, remnants of dead cells with a small admixture of blood. The volume is comparable to the usual monthly or less. Color - brown. The smell is similar to musty, but without putrid or sour.

End of the recovery period

After the third week, before stopping, the lochia brightens to white-transparent or yellowish. Made up of mucus. By quantity they are characterized as smearing. During this period, a woman can switch to daily pads.

Lochia after cesarean

Recovery after a caesarean section goes through the same stages, but more slowly. With such a delivery, a scar is added to the wound in the uterine cavity on its wall, which delays healing. Longer discharge after childbirth.

Pathological conditions

Discharge after childbirth ended early

Allocations after childbirth stop earlier if the woman in the maternity hospital was subjected to cleaning. With such an intervention, an artificial cleansing of the uterine cavity from the remnants of the placenta, dead endometrium, and waste products of the child occurs. This may speed up healing somewhat.

In other cases, the disappearance of lochia before day 35 does not indicate a strong, quickly restored organism, but an early closure of the cervical canal. With such a pathology, the discharge loses its natural outlet and accumulates in the uterine cavity.

It should be understood that lochia is composed of dead tissue. If you do not carry out a gynecological cleaning, 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 for various reasons: chronic infections, colds, poor hygiene, decreased immunity. Allocations acquire a characteristic "fishy" smell, greenish color, change the consistency. After a while, a high temperature and pain in the lower abdomen are added. Without proper treatment, inflammation of the uterus is fraught with infertility.

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

Bleeding

The appearance of blood in the lochia after the first week always indicates pathology. If you are in the hospital, inform the doctors about it. 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 prescriptions
Compliance with hygiene requirements
Sufficient physical activity
Abstinence from sexual intercourse

Breastfeeding is a natural "reducing agent". With frequent attachment of the child, the woman's uterus receives powerful oxytocin stimulation.

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

What happens normally?

The uterus continues to contract, while the woman may feel light contractions, especially during breastfeeding, when the baby sucks intensively. Immediately after birth, the uterus weighs 1 kg. Over the next six weeks, she takes her normal weight - 50-60 g. After this, the discharge becomes less intense. Postpartum discharge, called lochia, lasts 5-6 weeks after childbirth until the uterus returns to its normal size and the wound formed at the site of the separated placenta heals. In the first 2-3 days they are bloody in nature. During this period, the main component of lochia is the blood from the vessels that have torn at the site of attachment of the placenta, so the discharge is intensely red. Increased discharge when standing up and other movements is a normal process.

Then, until the end of the first week after childbirth, the discharge becomes dark red with a brown tint, then yellowish-white, due to the admixture of a large number of leukocytes. From the 10th day, the discharge is watery, light, and an ever-increasing amount of mucus is mixed with them. The discharges become more and more scarce and by the end of the third week they almost stop, soon disappearing completely. The total number of lochia in the first 8 days of the postpartum period reaches 500-1400 g; they have a specific smell of rotten leaves.

When is medical intervention required?

Pathological, that is, requiring medical intervention, are the following situations:

Postpartum discharge is absent due to spasm of the internal os of the cervix or blockage of the cervical canal by pieces and membranes (in the event that not all membranes came out during childbirth) and blood clots.
The temperature rises to 38-39 ° C, but the general state of health can be quite satisfactory. This condition is called a lochiometer. With rare exceptions, it is not an independent disease, it is just one of the manifestations of metroendometritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane and walls of the uterus).
Discharge from the uterus remains bloody until the 5-12th day after birth. Body temperature rises to 38-39°C. Sometimes there is chills at the first rise in temperature. The pulse quickens to 80-100 beats / min. The general well-being of the puerperal does not significantly suffer. A woman has soreness of the uterus, which persists for 3-7 days. When examined in the blood, the number of protective blood cells of leukocytes and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) increases, the uterus is slightly enlarged. Such symptoms indicate a mild course of postpartum endometritis - inflammation of the inner lining of the uterus.
Discharge from the uterus becomes brown from 3-4 days and later becomes purulent. On the 2-4th day after childbirth, the patient of the maternity hospital is worried about headaches, weakness, pain in the lower abdomen. There is a violation of sleep, appetite, heart rate increases to 90-120 beats / min. Body temperature often rises to 39 ° C and above, accompanied by chills. Examination reveals an increase in the number of leukocytes and ESR in the blood. Examination reveals tenderness and enlarged uterus. Such phenomena are characteristic of a severe course of endometritis.

Thus, in most cases, pathological postpartum discharge is a manifestation of postpartum inflammation of the uterus.

Factors contributing to the occurrence of endometritis

During pregnancy, especially towards its end, and in the early postpartum period, women experience a decrease in the body's immunological defense, which is a favorable factor for the development of inflammatory complications in the postpartum period. The restoration of immunological protection to a normal level occurs only by the 5-6th day of the postpartum period during delivery through the natural birth canal, and after a cesarean section - by the 10th day. In puerperas after caesarean section, an additional risk factor for the development of postpartum inflammatory complications is surgical trauma, which entails a more significant decrease in immunological reactivity and its slower recovery than after vaginal delivery.

There are several factors that increase the likelihood of postpartum endometritis.

These include:

malnutrition;
bad habits;
infectious and inflammatory diseases;
inflammatory kidney disease;
diseases of the organs of internal secretion;
violation of fat metabolism;
diseases of the bronchopulmonary system of an inflammatory nature;
anemia (decrease in the amount of hemoglobin);
immunodeficiency states;
inflammatory diseases of the female genital organs;
the presence of sexually transmitted diseases;
prolonged use of an intrauterine contraceptive before pregnancy;
a large number of instrumental interventions for abortions and spontaneous miscarriages;
previous caesarean section. Features of the current pregnancy can also have a negative impact on the possibility of postpartum endometritis.

These features include:

anemia;
preeclampsia (a complication of pregnancy, often manifested by edema, increased blood pressure, the appearance of protein in the urine);
exacerbation of chronic infectious diseases during pregnancy;
acute infectious diseases suffered during pregnancy;
colpitis and cervicitis (inflammation of the vagina and cervix);
polyhydramnios;
the threat of termination of pregnancy;
surgical correction of isthmic-cervical insufficiency (sutures on the cervix);
low location or placenta previa - such an arrangement of the placentawhen the latter closes the exit from the uterus.

Features of the course of childbirth can also affect the possibility of postpartum endometritis. The risk of complications increases 3 times with the duration of the birth process and the anhydrous period of more than 12 hours. Other risk factors during childbirth include: large blood loss, manual examination of the uterus after childbirth, weakness of labor activity, repeated childbirth, polyhydramnios, multiple pregnancies - in a word, all situations in which infection in the uterus and poor uterine muscle contraction after childbirth are possible. Caesarean section is also a serious risk factor for the development of postpartum endometritis. A predisposing factor for the occurrence of endometritis is also a delay in the uterus of parts of the placenta, fetal membranes.

Treatment

Treatment of any form of postpartum endometritis is carried out in a hospital. Patients are given antibacterial drugs, drugs that reduce the uterus, solutions that help eliminate toxins. A nutritious diet with a high content of proteins and vitamins is important.

In some cases, as part of the treatment of postpartum endometritis, surgical treatment of the uterine cavity is required, which includes hysteroscopy (examination of the uterine cavity using an optical device), vacuum aspiration of the contents of the uterus - removal of the contents using a special vacuum device, the tip of which is inserted into the uterus. This is an operation that is performed against the background of general anesthesia and washing the uterine cavity with antiseptic solutions. With a delay in the uterus of parts of the fetal egg and their further infection, there is a risk of toxins and biologically active substances entering the patient's body from the source of infection, contributing to the growth of intoxication and the severity of the disease. In this case, they are removed by scraping or vacuum aspiration (using a special vacuum device). Removal of parts of the placenta is carried out under general anesthesia.

How to avoid problems

In order to exclude, if possible, the influence of factors predisposing to the appearance of endomyometritis, every pregnant woman should be observed by a doctor and follow all his appointments.

If factors contributing to the development of endometritis are identified during pregnancy and during childbirth, a woman is prescribed medications after childbirth that promote uterine contractions.

After childbirth, a woman should follow the rules of personal hygiene: change the pad every 2 hours, urinate (so that the filled bladder does not interfere with uterine contraction). Wash your face after every urination.

As soon as possible (4-6 hours after delivery, 10-12 hours after caesarean section) you need to start getting up, walking.

Before discharge from the maternity hospital, as a rule, an ultrasound examination (ultrasound) is performed. This is necessary in order to:

assess the condition of the uterine cavity, the presence of clots in it, placental remnants;
determine whether the uterus has contracted well, i.e. measure it and compare the resulting dimensions with the size of the uterus, which should be by this time.

The fulfillment of all these conditions will help a woman avoid problems with postpartum discharge, and, consequently, those complications of which they are symptoms.

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 also 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 life 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)

Discharge after childbirth, called lochia, is an important indicator of the state of the female reproductive system in the recovery period. The amount and nature of the discharge is individual for each woman, however, in gynecological practice, there are norms that indicate natural physiological processes. Diagnosis using visual, instrumental and laboratory research methods allows the gynecologist to study the nature of lochia and assess the degree of uterine cleansing after natural childbirth and surgery (caesarean section).

Recovery after natural childbirth

How long does the discharge after childbirth go on, the attending physician tells the patient upon discharge from the maternity hospital so that she can independently observe the restoration of the reproductive system and the healing of the wound surface in the uterus. How long does the discharge last after childbirth and what should be its nature - the main questions that women ask at the first consultation with a gynecologist from the moment the baby is born.

Norm indicators

Normal discharge after childbirth has a duration of 5 to 7 weeks. However, a deviation of 1 week up or down is an acceptable phenomenon. Statistical data indicate that the restoration of the endometrium in most cases occurs within 6 weeks. Allocations up to 6 weeks after childbirth are not considered as menstrual.

The first menstruation, as a rule, occurs 1.5-2 months after the birth of a child in the absence of breastfeeding.

The duration of discharge after childbirth depends on the degree of injury to the reproductive organs at the time of labor. Bloody discharge in this period is a natural phenomenon, it is impossible to avoid it. They represent a wound secret, which consists of mucous exudate, fragments of a non-viable inner (decidual) lining of the uterus, bursting blood vessels and blood. The appearance of lochia is also affected by the presence of cervical mucus and liquid vaginal secretions.

Postpartum discharge changes color, texture and volume as the mucous layer, muscle tone, and previous size of the uterus are restored. The complete absence of lochia indicates the completion of the recovery process of the body after childbirth.

What indicates a deviation from the norm

If the discharge continues longer than the period established in gynecology, their color, smell, consistency has changed, a consultation with a gynecologist is required without fail.

Recovery after caesarean section

The recovery period after surgical delivery lasts a little longer than in the case of a natural birth process (by one to two weeks). But in most cases, it takes up to 6 weeks after labor. The rehabilitation period differs little from the above.

Allocations after caesarean section in case of development of complications differ from natural ones.

Deviations from the norm are indicated by:

renewed scarlet discharge in large quantities;
purulent discharge after childbirth (green), which smells unpleasant;
discharge appeared again after 3 months;
the vaginal secret becomes watery or white;
the volume of secretion is negligible, the discharge is scarce;
clotted blood comes out;
the body temperature has risen;
blood pressure dropped sharply;
pallor of the skin;
weakness;
violation of urination;
thirst for a long time;
severe pain in the lower abdomen, lumbar;
itching and redness of the genitals, postoperative sutures.

After delivery by surgery, women who have given birth sometimes have black blood. In most cases, this is not dangerous and occurs due to changes in the hormonal background caused by labor. A blood test and a vaginal smear will dispel all doubts.

Normal discharge after childbirth ends after 6 weeks. During this period, the uterus is completely cleared. To exclude the development of complications, it is necessary to visit a doctor if any disturbing symptoms appear and follow his recommendations:

sex after childbirth is allowed only after complete healing of the wound surface (security mode - at least 2 months);
the use of a condom in the postpartum period will reduce the risk of infection;
full sexual hygiene prevents the occurrence of complications, changes in the natural microflora of the vagina;
treatment of postoperative sutures with local antiseptics prevents secondary infection and promotes rapid tissue regeneration;
during lactation, the hormone oxytocin is actively produced, which stimulates uterine contractions;
increased physical activity is prohibited until the fourth month;
timely antibacterial and antifungal therapy prevents the development of generalized inflammation of the organs of the reproductive system;
taking iron supplements on the recommendation of a doctor will make up for its deficiency in case of massive bleeding;
vitamin and mineral complexes included in the diet contribute to the regeneration of uterine tissues;
good nutrition is a prerequisite for a quick recovery of the body;
elimination of psychotraumatic factors reduces the duration of the recovery period.

Childbirth is a physiological phenomenon. A timely consultation with a doctor will tell you what normal lochia look like and how to distinguish them from pathological secretions. Compliance with the recommendations of the gynecologist and the security regime of the day contribute to the rapid recovery of the body after the birth of a child.

No matter how much you would like to know exactly how much spotting occurs after childbirth, it is almost impossible to get an unambiguous answer to this question, since this is directly related to the course of the birth itself and the individual state of health. But there are generalized terms that should be guided by. Before you deal with the duration of the discharge, it will not be superfluous to find out why they occur.

Do not confuse postpartum discharge with menstruation

Lochia - the so-called discharge from the uterus, is not just blood. This is a mixture of leukocytes, remnants of the membranes, torn tissue that are present in the uterus after placental abruption. Since its surface is a continuous wound, the discharge immediately after childbirth is especially plentiful. This has its own plus: the more intense the lochia, the less likely it is that blood clots or tissue remains will remain in the uterus, which may require cleaning. How many days after childbirth there are blood discharges, their abundance does not affect. The process of excretion of lochia in the body is regulated by the amount of the hormone oxytocin, which begins to be produced after childbirth, the more it is, the more actively the uterus throws out excess particles of the placenta. Lochia differs from menstruation in its volume: normally, after natural childbirth, a woman loses up to 500 ml of blood in the first hours, while during menstruation this figure does not exceed 100 ml for the entire period. In appearance, the lochia is brighter, the intensity of their color decreases gradually. Although spotting a month after giving birth can already be menstruation, especially if the baby is not breastfeeding. It all depends on physiological characteristics.

What is considered normal

Abundant discharge occurs during the first five to seven days. It is assumed that during this time, pieces of dead endometrium and placenta leave the uterus and the blood that comes out no longer contains them, but is only a consequence of the fact that the involution of the uterus continues. It is not for nothing that the discharge of a woman in labor from the maternity hospital is preceded by an examination by a gynecologist, who makes sure that the uterus does not contain placental particles and has decreased to a certain size, since immediately after childbirth its weight is about a kilogram, and in a non-pregnant state this figure is no more than 100 grams . The condition of the uterus is directly related to what should be the discharge after childbirth at certain intervals. It should be reduced, which indicates the normal course of the recovery process. If this does not happen, doctors stimulate contraction with droppers with oxytocin and other measures. For some, the discharge may become less as early as the third day, while for others it remains intense for a longer time. There is an opinion that the number of births can affect the volume of secretions: with each subsequent uterus, it contracts less and less intensively, respectively, and the blood is released more slowly, because clots may be present in it a week after the birth. At the same time, it is much more important not how much bleeding occurs after childbirth, but how intense they are. The risk of bleeding is present even with a successful delivery, therefore, in the first hours, the woman is under the close attention of doctors. An ice pack may be applied to the abdomen to reduce blood loss.

Lochia should not be too little

If they are absent or insignificant, this may indicate a complication, in medicine called a lochiometer. Blood accumulates in the uterine cavity, and this can happen when it is bent or blocked in the cervical canal. Most often, the complication manifests itself on the 7-9th day after childbirth. You can diagnose the problem on examination: the uterus remains enlarged. But its most important feature is that the discharge is either completely absent or minimal. Therefore, a woman herself needs not only to have information about what the discharge should be after childbirth, but also to be able to correlate her condition with the typical norms prescribed by medicine for the recovery period, since an untimely detected lochiometer can lead to endometriosis. After diagnosing, the disease is treated quite easily by means of bimanual palpation of the uterus with inflection, the introduction of no-shpa and oxytocin, and the expansion of the cervical canal. If such procedures do not bring results, curettage or vacuum aspiration is prescribed.

How discharge changes in the postpartum period

If we talk about the classic course of recovery, then in the chain of what should be the discharge after childbirth, the red blood, saturated in color, is replaced by brown. Although there are times when the first discharge is not too bright, this is due to the large number of red blood cells present in them, which is also a kind of norm. Separate blood clots can be found in the secretions not only in the first week, when they are especially intense. Brown lochia gradually turn pale, become yellowish, and then colorless, more like mucus in appearance. From the beginning of this process and until the complete disappearance of lochia, it can take from 4 to 8 weeks. At the same time, lochia does not stop at once, like menstruation, they gradually fade away.

The duration of the discharge

How long the discharge lasts after childbirth is associated with many factors:

method of delivery (with caesarean section, the discharge is longer due to the inability of the uterus with the scar to fully contract);
the presence or absence of postpartum complications, the latter also negatively affect the recovery process;
the degree of activity (the faster a woman begins to walk, more often lies on her stomach, the better the outflow of blood);
type of feeding.

The latter also has an impact on how many days postpartum bleeding occurs. Contribute to the involution of the uterus hormones produced in the body of a woman when breastfeeding.

The smell of secretions

Discharges from the body, regardless of their source, have their own specific smell and lochia is no exception. In the early days, they smell the same as regular blood. A touch of charm in this fragrance appears a little later, when the discharge becomes brown. Naturally, we are talking about secretions, the owner of which does not forget about regular hygiene.

It doesn’t matter how many days the discharge goes after childbirth, their smell should not cause negative emotions. If it seems that he gives away with rot or something else unpleasant, you should not delay a visit to the gynecologist. By itself, improvement will not come, since the cause of such a smell is not discharge, but the processes occurring inside the uterus. It could be both inflammation and infection.

When to See a Doctor

An examination by a gynecologist a month after childbirth is required. But there are situations when you should not figure out how long the discharge takes after childbirth, and seek help earlier. If the discharge has changed its color from white-yellow or brown again to scarlet, or their number has increased sharply, although several weeks have passed since the birth, then bleeding may have begun. The causes of the latter are varied, it is impossible to treat it at home, and a large blood loss can be fraught with very serious complications. Another reason to visit a gynecologist is if spotting a month after childbirth or earlier acquires a pungent odor or an unusual color: a green tint of mucus indicates an inflammatory process, pus or clots resembling cottage cheese. In the case when two months have passed after the birth, and the lochia does not stop, it is also necessary to do an ultrasound scan and undergo an examination by a specialist. This applies to cases where lochia is accompanied by a sharp jump in temperature, which can be caused by inflammation of the uterine mucosa. Women should remember that complications can occur even after a fairly long period of time after childbirth.

What else to consider

It is important to know not only how many days the discharge goes after childbirth, but also what rules must be followed. The first one concerns personal hygiene. It is advisable to wash yourself after each trip to the toilet, this minimizes the risk of an inflammatory process. For discharge, you can only use pads, not tampons. The latter prevent the exit of blood, due to the stagnation of which inflammation is also possible. For the same reason, it is forbidden to take a bath, replacing it for a while with a shower, or to swim in open water: non-sterile liquid should not enter the uterus. Douching is not allowed during this period. As for intimate relationships, even during childbirth that took place without complications, gynecologists recommend refraining from them until the end of lochia. In addition to the likelihood of infections entering the uterus, physical activity during this process is also undesirable, which can lead to increased bleeding. Therefore, information is useful not only about how many days the discharge goes after childbirth, but also regarding the simple rules of a woman's behavior that help maintain health.