How long does it take for the lochia to be discharged after childbirth? How long does it take for the lochia to be discharged after childbirth?

After giving birth, mothers will have some secretions, which is commonly known as postpartum lochia. The appearance of postpartum lochia is a natural reaction of the body, and mothers don't need to worry. Today, let's talk about how long it takes for postpartum lochia to be discharged.

What is postpartum lochia

1. Postpartum lochia refers to the phenomenon that a certain amount of blood, secretions, mucus and other substances flow out of the vagina after a woman gives birth. The mixture that flows out after childbirth is called lochia.

2. This phenomenon usually lasts for one to three weeks. If the above substances or other fishy liquids flow out of the vagina for a long time, it is called lochia. Normal lochia has a bloody smell and the total volume is about 500 to 1000 ml, but it is not smelly. Generally speaking, lochia will be cleared about three weeks after delivery. If the lochia lasts for more than 3 weeks after delivery and the amount of lochia is large, you should go to the hospital to check if there is any abnormality.

3. If two weeks after delivery, the lochia is still bloody, large in amount, accompanied by a foul odor, and sometimes contains rotten meat-like substances or fetal membrane-like substances, and the uterus is poorly restored, then you should consider that there may be residual placenta or fetal membranes in the uterus, and heavy bleeding may occur at any time.

4. Postpartum infection can cause endometritis or myometritis. At this time, the mother will have fever, lower abdominal pain, increased lochia and odor. The lochia at this time not only has a bad smell, but also is not the normal bloody or serous color, but a turbid, dirty earthy brown.

What to eat after giving birth

1. Hawthorn

I believe everyone is familiar with hawthorn. Many people have eaten it, especially those who like the unique taste. Hawthorn has many benefits. It can not only whet the appetite of new mothers and promote digestion, but also disperse blood stasis. Therefore, if there is a lot of lochia after delivery and it cannot be completely discharged, you might as well eat some hawthorn in moderation, which can speed up the discharge of lochia in the body.

2. Ejiao

Donkey-hide gelatin is a precious beauty product that many women have eaten. Its most important effect is to replenish blood and stop bleeding, especially for uterine bleeding. Therefore, mothers with excessive lochia after childbirth can eat donkey-hide gelatin. It also has a good effect on lochia caused by insufficient yin blood after childbirth.

3. Lotus root

Lotus root has the effect of promoting blood circulation and stopping bleeding. It is very suitable for postpartum women, especially those with excessive lochia after childbirth. New mothers who have excessive lochia after giving birth or who have not completely discharged their lochia can eat some of it to help expel the lochia from the body.

4. Brown sugar

In many places, mothers will drink brown sugar water during the confinement period after giving birth. Yes, brown sugar water can help expel dirt from the body, has the effect of replenishing blood, and can help new mothers expel lochia as soon as possible.

5. Shenghua Tang

Speaking of Shenghua Tang, many people may still not understand what Shenghua Tang is. Shenghua Tang is a postpartum prescription often taken by new mothers to disperse blood stasis and stop bleeding. It is suitable for symptoms such as postpartum abdominal pain and lochia.

Causes of recurrent lochia after childbirth

1. Excessive postpartum tonics. Eating tonics every day after childbirth can easily lead to vasodilation and increased blood pressure, which is not only not conducive to the repair of the uterus, but may also aggravate bleeding. During the confinement period, new mothers are always taken special care of by their families, with ginseng soup, red dates water, etc. being taken in turn. But in fact, excessive postpartum diet can easily prolong the repair process of the uterus and cause endless lochia. Because tonic herbs such as ginseng and deer antlers, as well as raw and cold foods, alcoholic beverages, etc., will stimulate the body's blood vessels and are not conducive to the body's recovery, so there is no need to take extra tonics after childbirth.

Second, since the first menstruation after childbirth is usually an anovulatory cycle or caused by a dysfunctional corpus luteum induction, and the ovaries are still not very sensitive to the stimulation of gonadal hormones at this time, various abnormal phenomena such as continuous dripping of postpartum lochia, occasional irregular and repeated small amounts of bleeding, or bleeding similar to menstruation during the confinement period are very common. If you are sure that you have not taken any food or medicine that inhibits uterine contraction before, and the examination before discharge after childbirth has not found any conditions that may cause postpartum bleeding, you can ask the doctor during the postpartum follow-up visit. If you have frequent or heavy bleeding during and after the confinement period, it is recommended to see a doctor immediately and receive diagnosis and treatment from an obstetrician and gynecologist.

3. The placenta is not completely expelled during delivery, and the fetal membrane tissue remains. This is the most common cause of postpartum lochia. It is particularly important to note that in a small number of women, in addition to the main placenta, a secondary placenta is formed in the uterus during pregnancy, which is easy to be overlooked during delivery. This may result in the main placenta being completely expelled, while the secondary placenta remains in the uterus.

4. Poor uterine repair is another common cause of lochia. Especially for caesarean section, if the incision on the uterus is not healed well or necrosis occurs, bleeding will continue. Some new mothers are busy taking care of their children day and night after giving birth, which causes them mental stress and physical fatigue, which is not conducive to the repair of the uterus. New mothers with endometritis, multiple uterine fibroids, uterine malformation or dysplasia are also prone to lochia.

In addition, if the mother suffers from chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the duration of postpartum lochia will be prolonged because the long-term use of medications has the effect of dilating blood vessels, making it impossible for the blood vessels to repair well.