Why is there no discharge after childbirth? Discharge after childbirth. Discharge after childbirth - when urgent medical attention is needed

As soon as the long-awaited baby was born, the mother tries to surround him with care from all sides, sometimes forgetting that her body also needs increased attention. At this time, the hormonal background, the tone of the uterus, the abdominal wall are restored, and any deviations from the norm can become life-threatening. How to determine if everything is fine in the body of a woman who has given birth to a child?

In the first months, much can be judged by lochia. So called postpartum discharge from the genital tract. How much is the discharge after childbirth? What is considered normal? Is yellow discharge after childbirth harmless? How to understand what problems need to be treated by changing the number or duration of lochia?

Normal lochia

There are certain standards by which to judge whether lochia is normal or if it indicates a need for urgent medical attention. The characteristics of the discharge should correspond to the period that has passed since the birth.

In the early days, when the woman is still in the hospital, the condition of lochia should be monitored by a doctor. But if he didn’t pay attention to something, it’s better to ask again than to leave the problem unnoticed. And after discharge, the entire responsibility for observing how the postpartum discharge changes falls on the woman in labor herself. Therefore, she also needs to be able to distinguish between the norm and pathology, to know how long lochia should go and at what intervals their appearance will change.

Duration and quantity

To understand how much discharge goes after childbirth, you need to figure out why they appear. First, the remnants of the placenta and waste products of the fetus depart, then blood and lymph are released from the damaged inner layer of the uterus. Its recovery lasts approximately 40-50 days. Accordingly, the same amount of time - from 6 to 8 weeks - continues lochia after childbirth.

The intensity of the discharge depends on how much time has passed since the birth:

The first two hours, when the woman in labor must still be in the maternity ward under the close supervision of a doctor, are especially dangerous. There are many secretions, in relation to body weight they are approximately 0.5%, but not more than 400 ml. Large losses will certainly affect the general condition.
Another 2 or 3 days of lochia continue to be plentiful - 300 ml in 3 days. At this time, it is better to use lined diapers, rather than pads, so that it is easier for the doctor to assess the volume of lochia.
The next week, the amount of discharge is approximately the same as during menstruation. Every day their volume is gradually decreasing. For hygiene purposes, it is more convenient to use ordinary pads with a high degree of moisture absorption, rather than diapers. But it is strictly contraindicated to use tampons.
When the first month after childbirth has passed, lochia should still be observed, but they are already very scarce.
After 8, in extreme cases, 9 weeks, the allocation of lochia should stop.

How long the discharge lasts after childbirth depends on the severity of the body's ability to recover, the woman's nutrition, and the daily routine. They should not be too long (lasting more than 9 weeks) or too short (less than 5 weeks).

Color, smell and texture

The appearance of the discharge also depends on how long the lochia goes after childbirth and on their composition.

The norm of qualitative characteristics of postpartum discharge:

The first few days they are liquid, bright red, with the smell of blood. This is due to the fact that they contain a large percentage of pure blood. Small blood clots and mucus may occur. Such lochia is considered normal for only a few days.
By the middle of the first week, they should change color and become brown. The smell of lochia at this time is similar to normal menstruation.
When a month has passed after the birth, the lochia becomes slimy, cloudy, grayish in color. Over time, they become smaller, and the color approaches transparent.

Towards the end of the postpartum period, the discharge is very scanty and mucous, the same as that of any healthy woman before pregnancy.

Signs of pathology

Any deviation from the parameters described above may indicate the presence of serious problems. Throughout the postpartum period, there is a risk of bleeding, infection of the genital tract or uterine cavity. In order to prevent the development of severe complications, it is important to know how many lochia are normal and consult a doctor at the first suspicion of pathological changes.

Possible deviations from the norm:

Reducing or increasing the duration of the release of lochia.
Abrupt cessation or increase in volume.
Allocations ended, and after a while they began again.
Color change.
The appearance of an unpleasant odor.
Change in consistency.

A doctor should be consulted in any case, even if only one characteristic has changed, for example, only the color has changed.

quantitative changes

The most common complication of the early postpartum period is the development of bleeding. In this case, it is felt that the diaper gets wet very quickly, you may feel a little dizzy. In this case, there is no pain. This condition can be caused by blood diseases or too weak uterine contractions. In order for stronger contractions to begin, drug therapy (an injection of a dose of Oxytocin) is necessary.

Deviations from the norm in a later period:

If the remains of the placenta for some reason did not come out completely immediately after childbirth, bleeding may develop in a more distant period. Its sign will be a sharp increase in the volume of secretions.
The abrupt cessation of lochia, especially if not even a month has passed since the birth, may be a sign that something is preventing them from coming out. It can be a back bend of the uterus, a spasm of the cervix, a neoplasm. In any case, this can lead to infection of the endometrium and the development of endometriosis.
If lochia has not ended after 8 or 9 weeks after childbirth, you need to undergo an examination to find out why the endometrium is not recovering at the right rate.

Often, women in labor are happy when lochia quickly ends. But in fact, with normal recovery processes, the healing of the uterine mucosa occurs after at least 40 days. If lochia stops earlier, this should be alarming, not encouraging.

Color or odor changes

The color of lochia can suddenly change if some undesirable processes occur in the uterine cavity or in the cervix. Often, at the same time, especially if yellow discharge appears after childbirth, an unpleasant odor is felt. No matter how harmless such deviations may seem, any of them is a bad sign and cannot go away without medical attention.

Possible options for color change:

Bloody discharge after childbirth is considered normal only in the first few days. If a week has passed after the birth, and they remain bright red, this is already a pathology, a sign of a violation of the healing of the epithelium or problems with hematopoiesis. If the lochia has already changed color, but then turned red again, there is a high probability that bleeding has opened.
Black color scares women in labor the most. But it is relatively harmless, as it speaks of changes in the composition of the blood caused by the restructuring of the hormonal background.
Yellow discharge after childbirth occurs when bacteria enter the uterine cavity and the development of endometriosis. A weak yellow tint of discharge after 2 weeks belongs to the varieties of the norm. Yellow discharge after childbirth is often accompanied by an unpleasant putrid odor.
Green discharge after childbirth, mucous or purulent lochia is a sign that the infectious process is progressing, the inflammation is already running. In such a situation, there is a risk of developing sepsis. This is due to the fact that the infection can very easily enter the bloodstream through the endometrium, which has not yet recovered.
The white color of the lochia, especially if they have become curdled, indicates an infection with a candida fungus. This discoloration may be accompanied by itching and burning in the genital area.
Brown discharge after childbirth usually appears 3 or 4 days after childbirth and stops when 3 weeks or a maximum of a month have passed after childbirth. If more than a month has passed, and the brown discharge after childbirth has not become light, this may indicate a delayed regeneration of the endometrium.

Each of the changes listed above is dangerous for the health and even the life of a woman, so you should immediately consult a doctor. Remember, the baby needs a healthy mother who monitors both his condition and her own.

Allocations after 2 months

When 2 months have passed after childbirth, there should be no postpartum discharge. At this time, the risk of bleeding is already very low, especially if the postpartum period was successful and the discharge had stopped a long time ago. But what then does the discharge at this time mean?

After a woman has given birth to a child, her menstrual cycle is quickly restored. If she breastfeeds, ovulation is suppressed. But when the child is bottle-fed from the very beginning, periods can resume after 2-3 months. Therefore, mucous spotting 2 months after the birth of a child can be a normal menstruation.

If a woman is breastfeeding, the discharge that has reappeared does not look like a period, or there are any other reasons to doubt that there are no problems, it is better to consult your doctor. Such cooperation will help to successfully recover after pregnancy and happily raise a baby.

Isolation of blood after childbirth is a normal phenomenon, if only it proceeds 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 this is a very difficult physiological process, in which ruptures and multiple microtraumas very often occur. After the placenta has passed, a huge amount of unnecessary epithelium and blood vessels remain in the uterus. It is they who leave the body of a woman in the postpartum period.

Someone endures this bleeding after pregnancy calmly, painlessly, while someone sometimes needs qualified help. Quite naturally, abundant bleeding after childbirth during the first hours, 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, it should almost disappear.

The reasons

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 times when a woman's bleeding subsides after two weeks after giving birth.

In the first 2 hours after childbirth, heavy bleeding may be due to:

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

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

And the reasons for this bleeding can be the following:

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

After a woman gives birth to a child, her body must independently cleanse itself of everything unnecessary. That is, particles of the mucous membrane of the uterus come out with blood, and if they come out abundantly at first, this is fine - it means that the process of self-purification is underway.

For the entire period - this is about 6-8 weeks, a woman on average loses from 500 - 1500 g of blood.

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

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 are breastfeeding, involution passes faster than in non-breastfeeding women. And if involution occurs slowly, it means that the young mother may have hormonal or immune disorders. Perhaps pieces of the placenta remained in the uterus, and this provokes a slowdown in uterine contraction.

Some women in labor claim that the first days are difficult to even get out of bed, because after pregnancy they literally “flow like a stream”. This suggests that when getting up from the bed, the muscles tense up, and as a result, I push out all that is superfluous from the uterus. Because of this, it is not recommended to move a lot and put pressure on the stomach so that the bleeding in the woman does not increase. True, doctors advise the first time after childbirth to sleep on your stomach, but in no case should you overtighten it.

Norm

You can argue for a long time about the norms of blood excretion, but it must be borne in mind that each woman individually is individual. Most doctors say that heavy bleeding after childbirth should last no more than five days. If your bleeding is prolonged, and does not decrease in abundance, then you need to consult a doctor.

Some women consider their abundant discharge to be quite normal even after a two-week period, one condition - follow the red blood cells - by doing a blood test. There are times when the discharge of blood turns brown. And this means that there are few red blood cells, in general, it is not dangerous for the body.

If for a very long period of time the blood comes out of you bright red, then this is a bell that something is wrong. The norm of blood discharge after childbirth is considered if the first days of your discharge are bright and thick, and in the future it becomes brown and simply “smears”. Then, the discharge may change color, to yellowish. This is also normal and does not pose a health risk. It is explained by the fact that it is getting smaller, and the "daub" is decreasing.

If bleeding after a certain period resumed, you need to use special drugs.

Since, due to a large loss of blood, the patient may experience hypotension, and pale skin. Bleeding after a baby's pregnancy can be stopped both with medicines, you can do an external muscle massage and put an ice heating pad, or in an operable way - by suturing perineal ruptures and removing placental remnants with your hands.

If the rupture of the uterus is significant, then this can even lead to the complete removal of the uterus. Whatever the operable actions, they are always accompanied by the introduction of special drugs that restore blood loss, or blood is poured in.

Sexual relations after childbirth

After childbirth, doctors recommend not to live sexually for one and a half to two months, so that the woman recovers. Indeed, during sexual intercourse, it is easy to introduce an infection into a weakened and exhausted woman's body, since the uterus at the moment is a continuous non-healing wound, and the infection can lead to inflammatory complications and endometritis, and this is already dangerous for the health of the woman in labor.

The next fact is that early intercourse causes pain to a woman, due to gaps that heal slowly and the physiological dryness of the vagina. Nature so conceived that a woman does not want intimacy for the first time after delivery. So that a complication does not begin, and the next, unwanted pregnancy does not occur.

If you rush to start sexual intercourse, you can provoke an increase or return of bleeding. This can also contribute to untreated cervical erosion.

When to see a gynecologist

You should go to the gynecologist if:

Allocations continue for more than two months;
If in they they intensified;
If there is pain;
If after a short period of time the bleeding starts again.

The reason for going to the doctor may be an unpleasant smell from the discharge. In general, there should be no smell during bleeding after childbirth, if it is present, then perhaps there is some kind of infection in the uterus. It could be caused by ruptures during labor, and more specifically, improperly done processing.

After 30 days have passed after delivery, you need to come to the gynecologist for advice. Do not follow the fortune-tellers, and do not heal yourself, otherwise this can lead to sad consequences.

Prevention

In order not to bring the infection, you must follow the rules of prevention and personal hygiene:

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

Every woman who has given birth at least once in her life knows that after the completion of childbirth, serious changes begin in the body. This is also accompanied by discharges of various kinds: bloody, brown, yellow, etc. Newly made mothers are very frightened when they see these discharges, they begin to worry that an infection has entered their body, bleeding has begun, etc. However, this is normal and cannot be avoided.

The main thing is to ensure that the discharge does not exceed the norm, and that there is no pain, otherwise you will need the help of a gynecologist.

How long does discharge last after childbirth?

How long does discharge last after childbirth? In general, postpartum discharge is scientifically called lochia. They begin to appear from the moment of rejection of the afterbirth and usually persist for 7-8 weeks. Over time, the lochia is allocated less and less, their color begins to become lighter and lighter, and then the discharge stops.

However, it is impossible to answer with accuracy the question of how long the discharge lasts after the end of childbirth, since it depends on several factors:

The physiological characteristics of each woman are different, including the ability of the body to quickly recover after childbirth.
The course of the pregnancy itself.
Intensity of uterine contraction.
The presence of complications after childbirth.
Breastfeeding a child (if a woman is breastfeeding, the uterus contracts and clears much faster).

But, on average, remember, the discharge lasts about 1.5 months. During this time, the body is gradually recovering from pregnancy and childbirth. If the lochia ends a couple of days or weeks after giving birth, you should seek help from specialists, as your uterus does not contract properly, and this is fraught with serious complications. The same applies to the situation when the discharge does not stop for quite a long time, which may indicate bleeding, polyps in the uterus, inflammation, etc.

Discharge one month after childbirth

Abundant discharge in the first month is quite desirable - this is how the uterine cavity is cleaned. In addition, microbial flora is formed in the lochia after childbirth, which can later cause all kinds of inflammatory processes inside the body.

At this time, it is necessary to carefully observe personal hygiene, because a bleeding wound can be infected. Therefore it follows:

Wash your genitals thoroughly after going to the toilet. It is necessary to wash with warm water, and outside, not inside.
every day to swim, take a shower, a bath after childbirth can not be taken.
in the first weeks, days after childbirth, use sterile diapers, not sanitary pads.
for a certain time after childbirth, change pads 7-8 times a day.
Forget about using sanitary tampons.

Remember that after a month, the discharge should become a little lighter, because soon they should stop altogether. Keep up your hygiene, and don't worry, everything is going according to plan.

If the discharge continues a month after the birth and they are plentiful, have an unpleasant odor, mucous membranes, then urgently see a doctor! Do not over tighten, it can be dangerous for your health!

Bloody discharge after childbirth

A large amount of blood and mucus is released from a woman immediately after she has given birth to a baby, although it should be so. All this is due to the fact that the surface of the uterus is damaged, since there is now a wound from the attachment of the placenta. Therefore, spotting will continue until the wound on the surface of the uterus heals.

It should be understood that spotting should not be more than the permissible norm. You can find out about this very easily - with excessive discharge, the diaper or sheet under you will be all wet. It is also worth worrying if you feel any pain in the uterine area or if the discharge jolts in time with the heartbeat, which indicates bleeding. In this case, seek medical advice immediately.

Lochia will gradually change. At first it will be a discharge that is similar to the discharge during menstruation, only much more, then it will turn brownish, then yellowish white, lighter and lighter.

Some women bleed after giving birth, but at first they think it's a safe bleeding. To avoid bleeding, you must:

Go to the toilet regularly - the bladder should not put pressure on the uterus, thereby preventing its contraction.
Always lie on the stomach (the uterine cavity will be cleared of the contents from the wound).
Put a heating pad with ice on the lower abdomen in the delivery room (in general, obstetricians should do this by default).
Avoid strenuous exercise.

Brown discharge after childbirth

Brown discharge is especially frightening for most moms, especially if it causes an unpleasant odor. And if you read everything about medicine, and gynecology in particular, then you know that this is an irreversible process that should be waited out. At this time, dead particles, some blood cells, come out.

In the first hours after the end of childbirth, the discharge may already acquire a brown tint, along with large blood clots. But, basically, the first few days of lochia will be purely bloody.

If the recovery period for a woman passes without complications, on the 5th-6th day, the discharge will become brownish. An interesting fact is that brown discharge ends much earlier in those mothers who breastfeed their children. The reason for this is as follows - lactation favors the fastest contraction of the uterus.

At the same time, brown lochia lasts longer for those women who had to do it.

However, if there is a sharp purulent smell with brown discharge, pay close attention to this. After all, the possible cause of this phenomenon is an infection introduced into the body. Therefore, in this case, immediately seek medical help.

yellow discharge after childbirth

The discharge acquires a yellowish tint approximately on the tenth day after the birth has passed. The uterus is gradually recovering, and yellow discharge only confirms this fact. At this time, it is important to breastfeed the baby, and also do not forget to empty the bladder on time. Thus, the yellow discharge will stop faster, and the uterus will return to its original prenatal state.

However, if immediately after the birth of the baby you notice that you have discharge of a bright yellow color or with a green admixture, you should tell your doctor about this. After all, such lochia can be caused by the fact that inflammatory processes are going on in the woman's body. In addition, discharge of this color is usually accompanied by high fever and discomfort in the lower abdomen.

It is possible that suppuration has occurred in the uterine cavity, so you should seek help from a gynecologist who will refer you to an ultrasound scan.

Remember that yellow discharge caused by an infection tends to have a strong, purulent odor. To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to observe personal hygiene, as well as be under the supervision of a doctor.

But in general, yellow discharge is a common occurrence and they only confirm that everything is proceeding properly.

What do mucous, green, purulent or smelly discharge after childbirth say

It should be understood that abundant purulent discharge, green lochia are not the norm for a woman's body after childbirth. In most cases, such discharge is caused by endometritis, which occurs as a result of inflammatory processes inside the uterus.

The contraction of the uterus, in this case, occurs rather slowly due to the fact that lochia remained in it. Their stagnation inside the uterus and can lead to negative consequences.

Mucous discharge, if they do not exceed the norm, can be observed throughout the entire month or one and a half months after the end of childbirth. The nature of these secretions will change over time, but they will still, to one degree or another, appear until the inner lining of the uterus is fully restored. It is worth worrying only if the mucous lochia has acquired a purulent, unpleasant odor. If you experience these symptoms, you should consult a gynecologist.

Always remember that postpartum discharge will occur without fail. You should not raise an alarm about this. Although your doctor should be aware of how the recovery period after childbirth proceeds. Write down the date the discharge started, then note when it changed to brown or yellow. Record on paper how you feel at the same time, whether there is dizziness, fatigue, etc.

Duration of discharge Composition of lochia Color of postpartum menstruation Number of discharge Odor of lochia Interruption in discharge Lochia after caesarean section

After the baby is born, the placenta separates from the uterus, which provokes the rupture of numerous vessels that connected them together. This is how bleeding is formed, along with which the remnants of the placenta, already dead particles of the endometrium and some other traces of the intrauterine life of the fetus come out.

Such discharge after childbirth in medicine is called lochia. None of the newly-made mothers will be able to avoid them. However, there are a number of questions they raise. The more a woman is aware of their duration and nature, the less the risk of avoiding complications that often occur against the background of such postpartum "menstruation".

Particular attention during this period should be paid to personal hygiene. To avoid possible infections and an unpleasant smell, because a girl always wants to remain attractive, she should be very careful and attentive to the washing cosmetics that you use.

The choice of hygiene products should always be treated more carefully and do not neglect reading the composition. After giving birth, your body goes through a period of adaptation and recovery, and therefore many chemicals can only aggravate the condition and prolong the recovery period. Avoid cosmetics that contain silicones and parabens, as well as sodium laureth sulfate. Such components clog the body, penetrating into the blood through the pores. It is especially dangerous to use such products during breastfeeding.

To be calm about your own health and the health of your child, as well as to always remain beautiful and attractive, use washing cosmetics only from natural ingredients, without dyes and harmful additives. Mulsan Cosmetic remains the leader in natural cleansing cosmetics. The abundance of natural ingredients, development based on plant extracts and vitamins, without the addition of dyes and sodium sulfate - makes this cosmetic brand the most suitable for the period of breastfeeding and postpartum adaptation. You can find out more on the website mulsan.ru

The duration of the discharge

Each female body is very individual, and the timing of its recovery after the birth of a child is also different for everyone. Therefore, there can be no unambiguous answer to the question of how long the discharge after childbirth lasts. However, there are limits that are considered the norm, and everything that goes beyond them is a deviation. It is on them that every young mother should be guided.

Norm

The norm of postpartum discharge established in gynecology is from 6 to 8 weeks.

Tolerances

They range from 5 to 9 weeks. But such a duration of discharge after childbirth should not be reassuring: despite the fact that doctors consider this a slight deviation from the norm, it is necessary to pay attention to their nature (quantity, color, density, smell, composition). These descriptions will tell you exactly whether everything is in order with the body or it is better to seek medical help.

Dangerous deviations

Lochia should be alert, the duration of which is less than 5 weeks or longer than 9. It is imperative to detect when the postpartum discharge ends. It is equally bad when it happens too early or too late. These terms indicate serious disorders in the body of a young woman that require immediate laboratory testing and treatment. The sooner you see a doctor, the less dangerous will be the consequences of such prolonged or, conversely, short-term discharge.

You need to know! Many young mothers are happy when their postpartum discharge is over within a month. It seems to them that they “got off with little blood” and can enter the usual rhythm of life. According to statistics, in 98% of such cases, after some time, everything ends with hospitalization, because the body could not be completely cleansed, and the remnants of postpartum activity caused an inflammatory process.

Deviations from the norm can be acceptable and dangerous. But in any case, they can have serious consequences for the health of a young mother in the future. Therefore, every woman should monitor how long the discharge after childbirth lasts, comparing their duration with the norm established in gynecology. If in doubt, it is better to consult a doctor in a timely manner. Much depends not only on how many days they last, but also on other, already qualitative characteristics.

Lochia composition

To understand whether everything is in order with the recovery of the body after childbirth, a woman should pay attention not only to the duration of lochia. Sometimes it fits into the norm, but their composition leaves much to be desired and may indicate serious problems.

Fine:

the first 2-3 days after childbirth there are spotting due to bursting blood vessels; then the uterus will begin to heal, and there will be no more open bleeding; usually in the first week you can observe discharge with clots - this is how the dead endometrium and the remnants of the placenta come out; after a week there will be no more clots, the lochia will become more liquid; no need to be scared if you observe mucous discharge after childbirth - these are the products of intrauterine vital activity of the fetus; mucus should also disappear within a week; 5-6 weeks after the birth of the baby, the lochia become similar to the usual smears that occur during menstruation, but already with coagulated blood.

So bloody discharge after childbirth, which scares many young mothers, is the norm and should not be a cause for alarm. It is much worse if pus begins to mix with them, which is a serious deviation. You should consult a doctor if the composition of lochia differs in the following characteristics:

purulent discharge after childbirth indicates the onset of inflammation (endometrium), which requires immediate treatment, its cause is infectious complications, which are most often accompanied by fever, pain in the lower abdomen, and lochia is distinguished by an unpleasant odor and a greenish-yellow color; if mucus and clots continue to go longer than a week after childbirth; watery, transparent lochia is also not considered the norm, because it can be a symptom of several diseases at once: it is a fluid from the blood and lymphatic vessels that seeps through the vaginal mucosa (it is called a transudate), or it is bacterial vaginosis - vaginal dysbacteriosis, which is characterized by abundant discharge with an unpleasant fishy smell.

If a woman knows which discharges after childbirth are considered normal, depending on their composition, and which ones indicate abnormalities, she will be able to seek advice and medical help from a gynecologist in a timely manner. After passing tests (usually a smear, blood and urine), a diagnosis is made and appropriate treatment is prescribed. To understand that not everything is in order with the body will also help the color of lochia.

The color of postpartum menstruation

In addition to the composition of lochia, it is imperative to pay attention to what color they are. Their shade can tell a lot:

the first 2-3 days, normal discharge after childbirth is usually bright red (blood has not yet clotting); after that, brown discharge occurs within 1-2 weeks, which indicate that the postpartum recovery of the uterus occurs without deviations; the last weeks of the lochia should be transparent, slight turbidity with a slight yellowish tint is allowed.

All other colors of lochia are deviations from the norm and may indicate various complications and diseases.

yellow lochia

Depending on the shade, yellow discharge can indicate the following processes taking place in the body:

pale yellow, not very abundant lochia may begin by the end of the second week after childbirth - this is the norm and should not cause concern for a young mother; if bright yellow discharge with an admixture of greenery and a putrid odor has gone already on the 4th or 5th day after the birth of the baby, this may indicate the onset of inflammation of the uterine mucosa, which is called endometritis; if after 2 weeks there is a yellow discharge, a fairly bright shade and with mucus, this is also most likely a symptom of endometritis, but it is not so obvious, but hidden.

Endometritis is useless to treat on its own, at home: it requires serious antibiotic treatment, and in severe cases, surgical removal of the damaged, inflamed uterine epithelium is performed to cleanse the mucosa in order to give the upper layer of the membrane the opportunity to recover faster.

green slime

Green discharge, which is much worse than yellow, can also indicate endometritis, because it means an already running inflammatory process - endometritis. As soon as the first droplets of pus appear, even if only slightly greenish, you should immediately consult a doctor.

White discharge

It is worth starting to worry if white lochia has gone after childbirth, accompanied by symptoms such as:

unpleasant smell with sourness; curdled consistency; itching in the perineum; redness of the external genitalia.

All this indicates genital and genitourinary infections, yeast colpitis or vaginal candidiasis (thrush). In the presence of such suspicious symptoms, it is imperative to contact a gynecologist so that he takes a swab from the vagina or a bacterial culture. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, appropriate treatment will be prescribed.

black bleeding

If black discharge occurs in the postpartum or lactation period, but without any additional symptoms in the form of an unpleasant, pungent odor or pain, they are considered normal and are dictated by changes in the composition of the blood due to the restructuring of the woman's hormonal background or hormonal failure.

Useful information. According to statistics, women mostly turn to gynecologists after childbirth with complaints about black discharge, which scares them the most. Although in fact the most serious danger is the green color of lochia.

Red color

Lochia should normally be red only at the initial stage, in the first few days after the birth of the baby. The uterus during this period is an open wound, the blood does not have time to clot, and the discharge acquires a blood-red, rather bright shade. However, after a week it will change to a brownish-brown color, which will also indicate that healing occurs without deviations. Usually, the discharge becomes cloudy gray-yellow, closer to transparent, a month after childbirth.

Every young woman who has become a mother should clearly and clearly understand what color the discharge after childbirth should be normal, and what shade of lochia will give her a signal that she needs to see a doctor. This knowledge will help to avoid many dangerous complications. Another characteristic of postpartum menstruation may alert during this period - their abundance or scarcity.

Number of selections

The quantitative nature of the discharge after childbirth can also be different and indicate either a normal recovery of the uterus, or some deviation from the norm. From this point of view, there are no problems if:

in the first week there are abundant discharges after childbirth: the body is thus cleansed of everything unnecessary: blood vessels that have done their job, and obsolete endometrial cells, and placental remains, and products of intrauterine life of the fetus; over time, they become less and less: meager discharge, starting from 2-3 weeks after childbirth, is also considered the norm.

A woman should be alerted if too little discharge is observed immediately after childbirth: in this case, the ducts and pipes could become clogged, some kind of blood clot could form, which prevents the body from getting rid of postpartum debris. In this case, you should definitely consult a doctor and undergo an appropriate examination.

Even worse, if abundant lochia does not end for too long and go for 2-3 weeks, or even more. This suggests that the healing process is delayed and the uterus cannot fully recover for some reason. They can only be found out during a medical examination, and then eliminated through treatment.

Smell lochia

Women know that any discharge from the body has a specific odor that can only be eliminated through good hygiene. In the postpartum period, this characteristic of lochia can do a good job and report problems in the body in time. Pay attention to how the discharge smells after childbirth.

In the first days they should come with the smell of fresh blood and dampness, after this time a shade of mustiness and charm can be observed - in this case this is considered the norm. If there is postpartum discharge with an unpleasant odor (it can be putrid, sour, pungent), this should alert. Together with other abnormalities (color, profusion), this symptom may indicate inflammation or infection of the uterus.

If you think that postpartum discharge smells very bad, do not hope that this is temporary, will pass soon, or is the norm. In order to avoid complications, the most correct decision in this case would be to consult a doctor at least for a consultation.

Break in secretions

It often happens that the discharge after childbirth ended and started again after a week or even a month. In most cases, this causes panic in young mothers. However, such a break does not always indicate deviations from the norm. What could it be?

If scarlet, fresh bloody discharge has started 2 months after childbirth, it can either be the restoration of the menstrual cycle (in some women, the body is capable of such a quick recovery, especially in the absence of lactation), or rupture of the sutures after heavy physical or emotional stress, or some then other problems that only a doctor can identify and eliminate. If the lochia has already stopped, and then suddenly returned after 2 months (for some, this is possible even after 3 months), you need to look at the qualitative characteristics of the secretions in order to understand what is happening with the body. Most often, this is how the remnants of the endometrium or placenta come out, which something prevented from leaving immediately after childbirth. If the lochia is dark, with mucus and clots, but without a characteristic putrid, pungent odor and in the absence of pus, most likely, everything will end without any complications. However, in the presence of these symptoms, we can talk about an inflammatory process, which is treated either with antibiotics or through curettage.

Since a break in postpartum discharge may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process in the uterus, do not delay visiting a doctor. After the examination, he will accurately establish whether this is a new menstrual cycle or a deviation from the norm that requires medical intervention. Separately, it is worth paying attention to the lochia after artificial birth.

Lochia after caesarean section

Those who have had a caesarean section should understand that the nature of the discharge after an artificial birth will be somewhat different. Although this will concern only their duration and composition. Here are their features:

the body recovers after a caesarean section in the same way as after a natural birth: blood and dead endometrium come out with secretions; in this case, there is a greater risk of catching an infection or an inflammatory process, so you need to regularly carry out hygiene procedures with special attention; in the first week after artificial birth, bloody discharge is abundant, with the content of mucous clots; normally, the color of lochia in the first days should be scarlet, bright red, and then change to brown; the duration of discharge after artificial childbirth is usually delayed, since the uterus in this case does not contract so quickly and the healing process takes a long time; it should be borne in mind that blood after a cesarean section should go no more than 2 weeks.

Every young mother should understand how important the full recovery of the uterus after childbirth plays in her health. How it passes can be understood by lochia. It is necessary to track their duration, the timing when the discharge stops and starts again, their qualitative characteristics. There can be no accidents here: color, smell, quantity - each symptom can be a timely signal for visiting a doctor, identifying a problem and undergoing appropriate treatment.

WHAT AND HOW MANY DAYS DISCHARGE GOES AFTER BIRTH

Serious changes in a woman's body begin immediately after childbirth. In large quantities, the hormones necessary for lactation - prolactin and oxytocin - begin to be produced. With the release of the placenta, the level of estrogen and progesterone hormones decreases. In the first hours postpartum discharge are bloody. Doctors are faced with the task of preventing the onset of bleeding. Often, at this moment, a heating pad with ice is placed on the woman’s stomach, and urine is excreted by a catheter. Intravenous drugs are given that cause uterine contractions. The volume of secretions cannot be more than 0.5 liters of blood. Sometimes bleeding increases if the muscles do not contract well, as well as with a serious rupture of the birth canal. Discharge from a woman after a past birth,

which are called lochia, last another 5-6 weeks. They will end after the uterus returns to its usual size before the start of pregnancy. The wounds that formed at the site of the placenta should also heal. What discharge after childbirth occurs in women? At first, they are bloody in nature, this happens in the first 2-3 days. The cause of discharge after childbirth is called the healing process of the inner surface of the womb. In particular, in the place where the placenta was attached to the wall of the uterus.

How long the uterus shrinks in women to its previous size before pregnancy depends on the woman's body, in which the self-purification process begins (it is freed from the remnants of the amniotic membrane, blood clots, mucus and other excess tissue elements). The process of reducing the womb is called by specialists the involution of the uterus, or its restoration. The release of the uterus in due time from rejected tissues means that there are no complications in the woman who has given birth. It is very important to pay serious attention after childbirth, how long the lochia lasts, and their color.

Allocations are constantly changing their character. At first, lochia is similar to the discharge during menstruation, but it is much more abundant. At this stage, this is a good sign, since the cavity of the womb is cleared of wound content. How many days do white lochia last for women? They begin to stand out approximately from the tenth day after childbirth and last about 21 days. The discharge becomes white or yellowish-white, liquid, smearing, without admixture of blood and odorless. How long is the discharge after childbirth in the form of serous lochia? This process is very individual, and is associated with the characteristics of the woman's body. They begin after childbirth on the fourth day. The secretions turn pale, acquire a serous-sanious or pinkish-brown color and contain a huge number of leukocytes. There should be no blood clots or bright red discharge during this period. If suddenly they are available, this should seriously alert the woman to consult a doctor for advice. Timely contacting specialists will help resolve the problem found faster. Newly born mothers are often concerned about the question how long does discharge last after childbirth. The normal discharge is their duration of approximately 1.5 months. During this period, the mucous membrane is restored in the uterine cavity. After a caesarean section, the discharge lasts longer, because the uterus, which was injured, decreases more slowly. So, at the end of the first week, the lochia will already be lighter, and the second week is characterized by their transformation into mucous membranes. Until the end of the first month after birth, lochia may contain a small amount of blood. How long the allocation will go depends on a large number of reasons: the course of your pregnancy; the course of childbirth; the method of delivery, in particular caesarean section, after which lochia lasts longer; the intensity of uterine contraction; all kinds of postpartum complications, including infectious inflammation; the physiological characteristics of the woman’s body and its ability to postpartum recovery; breastfeeding: with frequent attachment the baby to the chest decreases more intensively and the uterus is cleared. CHARACTERISTICS OF DISCHARGE AFTER CHILD (AFTER A WEEK, IN A MONTH)Several weeks after giving birth there is a process of restoration of the endometrium, the mucous membrane of the uterus. At this time, the woman who has given birth has discharge. To prevent postpartum hemorrhage, for prevention, the bladder is emptied immediately after childbirth with a catheter and ice is placed on the lower abdomen. At the same time, intravenous injections of drugs, methylegrometril or oxytocin, are administered to the woman, which effectively contribute to uterine contraction. After childbirth, the discharge should be profuse, bloody and amount to 0.5% of body weight. However, they should not exceed 400 ml and not disturb the general condition of the woman. in one week after childbirth is usually compared with ordinary menstruation. Sometimes women even mistake the discharge for menstruation. It must be well remembered that the difference is that the discharge after childbirth is much more abundant than the discharge during menstruation, with blood clots. However, the volume of allocations will decrease every day. After 2 weeks they will be reduced. The discharge acquires a yellowish-white color a week after birth, but may still be mixed with blood. It will take 3 weeks, and the discharge will become more scarce, but spotting. As before pregnancy, discharge becomes 2 months after childbirth. The cessation of discharge for each woman in labor is an individual process. In general, the discharge of discharge is a month after childbirth. Discharge after a woman's childbirth in a month become slimy. This is a sign that gradually the surface of the uterus acquires its normal structure, and the wounds heal. It should be noted that with a sharp increase in the volume of discharge, an urgent need to consult a doctor. There is a potential risk of late bleeding after childbirth, which includes bleeding that occurs two hours or more after childbirth. It is bad if the discharge goes on for a long time. Postpartum discharge should last 6-8 weeks. This amount of time will be required to restore the uterus after childbirth. The total volume of secretions for this period will be 500-1500 ml. Serious attention in the discharge after childbirth should be paid to the following points:- there should not be an increase in the woman's temperature; - there should not be a specific and pungent purulent smell from the discharge; - the volume of discharge should gradually decrease. Of course, the discharge has some kind of smell, but rather it is rotten. This is due to the fact that the discharge of blood lingers for some time in the birth canal and uterus. Follow the rules of personal hygiene, and such a smell will not bother you. When there is an urgent need to see a doctor:- if the discharge is excessively long, or, conversely, ended very early after childbirth; - if the discharge is yellow and with an unpleasant odor; - if the duration of heavy discharge is more than two months after childbirth. Perhaps this is bleeding or some problems in the uterus; - yellowish-green lochia characterize the inflammatory process; - if 3-4 months have passed, and dark and purulent discharge continues.
VARIOUS DISCHARGE (BLOODY, MUCOUS, PURULENT WITH ODOUR) AFTER BIRTH Pregnancy is characterized by the absence of menstruation. However, after the birth of a child, lochia begins, bloody prolonged discharge after a past birth. They are bright red for the first 2-3 days. Bloody discharge from a woman who has given birth occurs due to the fact that blood clotting has not yet begun. Ordinary pads can't cope with them, so diapers or special postpartum pads are issued in the maternity hospital. Bloody issues in breastfeeding mothers after childbirth, they end much faster than in non-nursing mothers. Experts and doctors explain this situation by the fact that during feeding, the uterus contracts faster (involution). After childbirth, the uterus with an internal surface weighs about 1 kilogram. In the future, it will gradually decrease in size. Bloody discharge, just, and out of the uterus, cleansing it. After childbirth, women experience mucous discharge for 1.5 months until the inner surface of the uterus is restored. A very dangerous complication in the first week after childbirth is bleeding. It can occur if remnants of the placenta remain in the uterine cavity, attached to the endometrium. In this case, the myometrium does not have the ability to fully contract. This leads to heavy bleeding. The doctor should carefully examine the placenta after its separation from both sides. This allows you to identify the problem before the onset of symptoms. Many symptoms indicate that there are some disorders in the woman's body. It is especially necessary to be wary if the discharge unexpectedly began to intensify, there was heavy bleeding, or the discharge began to have a sharp unpleasant odor, and also if the woman found curdled and purulent discharge. Sometimes, against the background of prolonged discharge, inflammation may begin after childbirth. Mucus and blood are a beneficial environment for pathogenic bacteria. In the absence of personal hygiene and the early onset of sexual activity after childbirth, a woman may be disturbed by odorous discharge. Dark discharge, brown in color, is considered normal, however, if there are bacteria, they will become yellowish or greenish. In addition, they will be more plentiful and liquid, and pain, chills and fever may appear in parallel in the lower abdomen. Such cases require emergency treatment, since endometritis leads to infertility in the future. Personal hygiene serves as a preventive measure for inflammation - it is necessary to wash more often using infusions of string and chamomile. Douching in this case is strictly prohibited. Potassium permanganate should also be excluded, since it has an irritating effect on the mucous membrane in a strong concentration. Pungent and purulent smell indicates the presence of an infection, and maybe even endometritis. Very often, this process can be accompanied by severe pain and high fever. Yeast colpitis is also at risk of discharge after childbirth. It can be identified by the characteristic cheesy discharge. Usually, the uterus reaches its normal size by 7-8 weeks. The inner layer of the uterus will look like a mucous lining. If a woman does not breastfeed after childbirth, ovarian function improves, and menstruation appears. COLOR OF DISCHARGE IN A WOMAN After childbirth, the uterus begins its regenerative process, which may be accompanied by blood discharge - lochia. The process is completed when the uterus is covered with completely new epithelium. The color of the discharge in the first 3-6 days is very bright, red. At this time, blood clots and the remains of the placenta may also be rejected. The nature and amount of discharge after childbirth indicate the degree of purification of the uterus and its healing. pink discharge are the result of small detachments of the placenta. After all, blood accumulates under them, then released to the outside. Sometimes such discharge can be accompanied by pulling pains in the lower abdomen, it can also hurt in the lumbar region. The inflammatory process is characterized yellow discharge after childbirth. Purulent discharge indicates the possible development of endometritis, an infectious disease of the uterine cavity. The reason for contacting a gynecologist for advice should be a sharp-smelling, unpleasant green discharge, yellow discharge, yellow-green, greenish discharge. The disease is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, as well as unpleasant pain in the abdomen. Increased secretions after a reduction in their volume or bloody prolonged discharge can be caused by a retention of the placenta in the uterus. This does not allow her to contract normally.

White discharge curdled nature, redness of the genital organs and itching in the vagina are signs of yeast colpitis and thrush. Often, thrush can develop while taking antibiotics. Young mothers are often scared after childbirth brown discharge. Sometimes they come out with an unpleasant smell of blood clots. In conditions of normal recovery after childbirth, which took place without complications, the discharge stops in 4 weeks. By the fourth week, they are already insignificant, spotting. However, they can take up to 6 weeks. Note that breastfeeding women recover faster after childbirth. Their brown discharge ends earlier than non-nursing mothers. Some women are not able to distinguish between normal discharge from the womb and pathological leucorrhoea. Transparent highlights and are normal. However, they are also characteristic of a number of certain diseases. The main source of secretions is fluid seeping through the mucous membrane of the vagina from the lymphatic and blood vessels. This fluid is clear and is called a transudate. The glands of the mucous membrane of the uterine cavity are another source of vaginal discharge. They actively secrete in the second phase of menstruation and secrete mucus. Discharge during gardnerellosis can also be transparent. They are watery, profuse, with a fishy odor. Pathological white discharge is a symptom of an infectious disease. Their consequence is burning, itching, increased humidity in the genital area. As a rule, pathological leucorrhea is caused in women by an inflamed vaginal mucosa. Such infections are called colpitis, vaginitis. The threat is that these diseases are sometimes combined with cervicitis. Cervicitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the cervix. The main symptom of inflammation of the fallopian tubes are tubal leucorrhoea in women. The cause of its occurrence is a purulent substance that accumulates in the fallopian tube. Cervical leucorrhoea appears when the secretion of the glands of the cervix is disturbed. As a result, mucus secretion increases. Similar white discharge can be found in women with general diseases (disruption of the endocrine system, tuberculosis) and gynecological (polyps, cervicitis, cicatricial changes that occurred due to uterine rupture). Uterine leucorrhea are the result of pathologies of the uterus. They are also caused by neoplasms - fibroids, polyps, cancer. You should not think that such complications in a woman who has given birth can go away by themselves. You should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Sometimes even hospitalization is required. Women can contact the antenatal clinic or the maternity hospital, where you can come at any time of the day or night within 40 days from the date of birth. WHEN NORMAL DISCHARGE IS ENDED AFTER BIRTH IN A WOMAN Normal discharge after childbirth can be bloody and profuse. Don't worry, after a few weeks everything will be back to normal. There may be further discomfort in the genitals. This process is natural, since the genitals during childbirth are significantly stretched. They will be able to acquire their normal shape only after some time. When stitches are applied after childbirth, experts are not recommended to make sudden movements in the first days. Thus, you injure the sutured muscle tissue. After childbirth, the placenta also departs, which indicates when the childbirth process ends. After the birth of a child, a woman is given a drug to stimulate the release of the placenta. After that, abundant discharge is possible. There is no pain, but bleeding can lead to dizziness. Be sure to call your doctor if you experience heavy bleeding. Two hours after birth, no more than 0.5 liters of blood should come out. In this case, the child and mother are transferred to the ward. Tips for the rate of various discharges after childbirth:- Discharge after childbirth includes the dying epithelium of the uterus, blood, plasma, ichor and mucus. They are aggravated, as a rule, with pressure on the abdomen or movement. Allocations last an average of a month, and with a caesarean section, this process takes a little longer. At the very beginning, they are similar to menstruation, however, over time, the discharge will brighten and end. This is the norm for such discharge after childbirth; - after a few days, the discharge will become dark in color, and there will be less of them; - after the end of the second week, the discharge will become brown-yellow and come in a more mucous state.

It is necessary to follow some recommendations for the prevention of emerging postpartum hemorrhage:- breastfeeding the baby on demand. When breastfeeding, uterine contraction occurs because irritation of the nipples of the breast leads to the release of oxytocin. It is a hormone produced in the pituitary gland, an endocrine gland located in the brain. Oxytocin causes the uterus to contract. At this time, cramping pains in the lower abdomen of a woman may be felt. Moreover, in those who gave birth again, they are much stronger. When feeding, the discharge is also stronger; - timely emptying of the bladder. Immediately after childbirth, on the first day, you need to go to the toilet every three hours, even though there is no urge to urinate. If the bladder is full, then this will be an obstacle to the normal contraction of the uterus; - lying on the stomach. This position will prevent bleeding and delay the discharge in the uterus. The tone of the uterus after childbirth is weakened. The uterus sometimes deviates backward, causing the outflow of secretions. Lying on your stomach, you bring the uterus closer to the anterior abdominal wall. At the same time, the angle between the cervix and its body is leveled, as a result of which the outflow of secretions improves; - an ice pack on the lower abdomen 3-4 times a day. This method will improve the contraction of the uterine vessels and muscles of the uterus.
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INTERESTING FOR WOMEN:

First week after delivery Second week after delivery Third week after delivery

Typically, baby care books are very detailed on how to handle a newborn and give little or no advice to moms about postpartum recovery. New guidance on babies from birth to 6 months fills this gap. We talk about the sensations that a woman can experience in the first three weeks after childbirth, and answer popular questions: after how many days after childbirth will the discharge stop, the stitches will heal, the stomach will tighten and it will be possible to do simple gymnastics.

First week after childbirth

Bleeding after childbirth - this is normal, and it will be more abundant than during normal periods. Use sanitary pads rather than tampons to minimize the risk of infection. If you notice a clot larger than 3 cm in diameter on the pad, tell the nurse about it - this may mean that part of the placenta remains in the uterus.

The so-called postpartum blues (mild manifestations postpartum depression) affects about 80% of women, so be prepared to burst into tears around the fifth day. This should pass when the sharp jumps in hormones stop. Lack of sleep can exacerbate this condition, so if you find the opportunity to even take a short nap during the day, this will already noticeably help.

A temperature above 38°C may indicate an infection, although some women feel chills and fever when milk replaces colostrum around the third day. If you have a high fever, talk to your nurse to see if you're okay.

When the milk comes(usually between the third and fifth day), your breasts may become hard. Relief will bring frequent attachment of the baby to the breast. A warm cloth wrap and a warm bath will also help the milk flow freely and make the breasts softer.

You may also feel painful spontaneous milk flow when, for example, the baby is crying. For some women, this causes a sharp burning sensation in the chest, but it quickly passes, and after the fifth week it will no longer appear at all.

If you had C-section, a small amount of liquid may come out of the seam. This is not something to worry about, but if the discharge continues for more than one day, tell your nurse, because sometimes the stitches can come apart.

If you were made episiotomy(surgical incision to enlarge the vagina for childbirth) or you have had a tissue tear, your stitches will probably hurt all week and you may need pain medication. Paracetamol is safe for nursing mothers. If you need something stronger, try paracetamol with codeine (which is also safe), although it can cause constipation. Pain can be relieved by sitting on an ice pack, or by trying special rubber rings made for women in labor. Such rings can be bought in pharmacies.

Hemorrhoids that appeared during childbirth can also be very painful, and if a woman has had a emorroy and before childbirth, then from attempts he only increased. The good news is that even large knots will disappear on their own within a few months after giving birth. In the meantime, avoid constipation and do not stand for too long, as all this will only aggravate your condition. Ask the pharmacy for some cream that will help reduce bleeding and relieve pain. Sometimes stitches can make it difficult for blood to flow freely, which will increase your discomfort. Try doing pelvic floor exercises and tightening your anus. And be sure to see a doctor if you really feel unwell.

You may feel cramps in the uterus while breastfeeding because hormones stimulate it to contract so that it returns to its normal size. If the pain is very severe, you can also take paracetamol.

Urination will probably sting for a couple of days. Try pouring warm water on yourself while you pee, or you can try peeing while sitting in a warm bath. If the discomfort continues for more than two days, talk to your nurse to rule out a urinary tract infection.

First bowel movement may be painful after childbirth, especially if you have stitches. But the best advice is to just deal with it: it's actually not as bad as you think, and the seams won't come apart. If you have not gone to the toilet for four days after giving birth, drink plenty of water and prune broth.

Second week after birth

There is a possibility that you may unexpectedly urinate. Don't worry, this happens to many women and should be gone by the sixth week. Urinary incontinence when coughing or laughing is also common, but can last up to a year.

Childbirth weakens the pelvic floor muscles that control the bladder, so it's important to do specific exercises. Squeeze the muscles as if you are trying to stop urination, hold them for a few seconds and do 10 repetitions. Do this every time you breastfeed your baby to make sure you get exercise throughout the day. You won't feel any change at first, but keep going anyway and your muscles will soon get stronger.

If you've had a caesarean section, you still need to do these exercises because your muscles have stretched and weakened while carrying the baby, supporting the baby's weight, and also under the influence of pregnancy hormones.

you still have a big stomach, but now it does not look tight, as if it is about to burst. Rather, it looks like jelly, which probably makes you feel unattractive. But you shouldn’t get too upset - remember that your waist is getting thinner day by day, because excess fluid comes out of the body (after pregnancy, you can lose up to eight liters of fluid).

This week the stitches will heal and you won't need to remove them because they will dissolve on their own.

If you are breastfeeding, you may have leaking milk. This will stop within the next few weeks, but for now it may cause some trouble. Use bra pads, and since milk can leak at night, you will have to sleep in it too. To stop untimely release of milk, press the nipples with your palms, but do not do this too often, because this can reduce its production.

Third week after childbirth

If you still have allocation, then this week they should be already insignificant. If this is not the case, talk to your doctor.

You may have had pain in your pelvic region because the distance between your joints widened during pregnancy and childbirth. If the pain persists and is bothering you, then talk to your doctor or midwife - they can refer you to a physical therapist.

If you are breastfeeding, you may clogged milk duct. It will look like a red spot on the chest. Check to see if your bra is too tight and make sure your baby completely empties the problem breast before you give him another one. A warm bath, wrapping in a flannel cloth and massaging the painful area will help to cope with the problem.

Sucking on your baby will also help, so keep him close to your breast even if it's uncomfortable. Pumping is helpful too. You can try another position during feeding, for example "from the armpit": put the baby under your arm so that his head peeks out from under your armpit just at the chest.

Oh, how I do not like to remember the first month after cesarean. If it weren’t for the doctor, who, after the examination, advised me to wear corrective underwear instead of a bandage, then I probably would have suffered like that. Of course, I had to look for the right one, even look in Switzerland) I found, of course, smart corrective underwear with bamboo fibers) But in general, the main thing that I learned from the situation with caesarean is that you never have to sit and say “oh, maybe it will become easier”. You should always go to the doctor and ask if everything is fine.

The birth of the afterbirth occurs, which means the completion of the birth process. This is accompanied by the release of a large amount of blood and mucus: since the surface of the uterus is damaged, a wound from the former attachment of the placenta remains on it. Until the surface of the uterus heals and the mucosa does not recover, the wound contents will be released from the vagina of the puerperal, gradually changing in color (blood impurities will be less and less) and decreasing in number. These are called lochia.

Immediately after the completion of childbirth, a woman is injected with a drug to stimulate the contractile activity of the uterus. Usually it is Oxytocin or Methylegrometril. The bladder is emptied through the catheter (so that it does not put pressure on the uterus and does not interfere with its contractions), and an ice heating pad is placed on the lower abdomen. This time is very dangerous due to the discovery of hypotonic uterine bleeding, so the puerperal is observed for two hours in the delivery room.

Bloody discharge is now very abundant, but still should not exceed the norm. The woman does not experience any pain, but bleeding quickly leads to weakness and dizziness. Therefore, if you feel that the blood is very strong (for example, the diaper under you is all wet), be sure to tell the medical staff about it.

If the discharge during these two hours does not exceed half a liter and the condition of the puerperal is satisfactory, then she is transferred to the postpartum ward. Now you must monitor your secretions, and for this you need to know what they are and how long they last. Do not be afraid: of course, the nurse will control everything. Yes, and the doctor will certainly come in, including to assess the nature and amount of discharge. But in order to be confident and calm, it is better to know in advance what will happen to you in the first time after childbirth, and what character normal postpartum discharge should have.

What is the discharge after childbirth?

Lochia are made up of blood cells, ichorus, plasma, scraps of the lining of the uterine cavity (dying epithelium) and mucus from the cervical canal, so you will notice mucus and clots in them, especially in the first days after childbirth. With pressure on the abdomen, as well as during movement, the discharge of wound contents may increase. Keep this in mind if you want to get out of bed - you immediately gush. Therefore, we recommend that you first put a diaper under your feet.

Lochia will constantly change their character. At first, they resemble discharge during menstruation, only much more abundant. This is good, because the uterine cavity is being cleansed of wound contents. After a few days, the lochia will become a little darker in color and less in number. In the second week, the discharge will be brownish-yellow, take on a slimy consistency, and after the third week it will be yellowish-white. But blood impurities can be observed for a whole month after childbirth - this is normal.

To avoid bleeding?

Even after the transfer of the puerperal to the postpartum ward, the likelihood of opening bleeding is still high. If the amount of discharge has increased sharply, call your doctor immediately. And to prevent bleeding, do the following:

Roll over on your stomach regularly: this will help empty the uterine cavity from wound contents. Better yet, lie more on your stomach than on your back or side.
Go to the bathroom as often as possible, even if you don't feel the urge. Ideally every 2-3 hours as a full bladder puts pressure on the uterus and prevents it from contracting.
Several times a day, put a heating pad with ice on the lower abdomen: the vessels will contract, which also prevents bleeding.
Do not lift anything heavy - with physical exertion, the amount of discharge may increase.

In addition, in nursing mothers, lochia ends much faster. Therefore, breastfeed your baby on demand - during suckling, the mother's body produces oxytocin, which provokes contraction of the uterine muscles. At the same time, the woman feels cramping pains, and the discharge itself intensifies.

To prevent infection?

Abundant discharge in the early days is very desirable - this is how the uterine cavity is cleansed faster. In addition, already from the first days of the postpartum period, a diverse microbial flora is found in the lochia, which, multiplying, can cause an inflammatory process.

In addition, like any other, this wound (on the uterus) bleeds and can be infected very easily - access to it is now open. To prevent this from happening, you should strictly observe hygiene and follow these recommendations:

Wash your genitals with warm water every time you go to the toilet. Wash outside, not inside, from front to back.
Take a shower daily. But refrain from bathing - in this case, the risk of infection increases. For the same reason, you can not douche.
In the first days after childbirth, use sterile diapers instead of sanitary pads.
Later, change your pads at least eight times a day. It is better to take the ones you are used to, only for more drops. And wear them under disposable mesh panties.
It is strictly forbidden to use hygienic tampons: they retain the wound contents inside, preventing its discharge, and provoke the development of infections.

How much is the discharge after childbirth?

Lochia begins to stand out from the moment of rejection of the placenta and normally will last an average of 6-8 weeks. The intensity of postpartum discharge will decrease over time, lochia will gradually brighten and come to naught. This period is not the same for everyone, as it depends on many different factors:

intensity of uterine contraction;
physiological characteristics of the female body (its ability to fast);
the course of the pregnancy period;
the course of childbirth;
the presence or absence of postpartum complications (in particular inflammation of an infectious nature);
method of delivery (with caesarean section, lochia can last a little longer than with physiological childbirth);
breastfeeding (the more often a woman puts a baby to her breast, the more intensively the uterus contracts and clears).

But in general, on average, discharge after childbirth lasts a month and a half: this period is just enough to restore the mucous epithelium of the uterus. If the lochia ended much earlier or does not stop much longer, then the woman needs to see a doctor.

When to see a doctor?

As soon as the discharge becomes natural, you should visit a gynecologist. But there are situations when a doctor's examination is needed much earlier. If the lochia stopped abruptly (much earlier than they should have) or in the first days after childbirth their number is very small, you should see a gynecologist. The development of lochiometers (delay of wound contents in the uterine cavity) can lead to the appearance of endometritis (inflammation of the uterine mucosa). In this case, the wound contents accumulate inside and create a favorable environment for bacteria to live, which is fraught with the development of infections. Therefore, contraction is caused by medication.

However, the opposite option is also possible: when, after a stable decrease in the amount and volume of the discharge, they sharply became abundant, bleeding began. If you are still in the hospital, call a doctor immediately, and if you are already at home, call an ambulance.

A cause for concern is a yellow-green discharge with a sharp unpleasant putrefactive odor, as well as the appearance of pain in the abdomen, combined with fever. This indicates the development of endometritis. The appearance of curdled discharge and itching indicates the development of yeast colpitis (thrush).

Otherwise, if everything goes well, then one and a half to two months after the birth, the discharge will take on the character of a pre-pregnant one, and you will begin to live an old new life. The onset of the usual menstruation will mark the return of the female body to the prenatal state and its readiness for a new pregnancy. That's just better to wait with this: take care of a reliable method of contraception, at least for 2-3 years.

Specially for- Elena Kichak