How to distinguish lochia from menstruation by judging the color and time

After the baby is born, the mother's uterus also begins to recover. Regardless of whether the mother has a natural birth or a caesarean section, there will be some "lochia" after delivery, which is the secretion discharged from the vagina after delivery. It is a mixture of uterine bleeding, placental fragments, fetal membranes, decidua, uterine and cervical secretions, etc. But how long will it take for the discharge to be complete? And what are the things to pay attention to? In this article, the head nurse will teach mothers how to understand the recovery of the body after delivery by observing the changes in lochia.

Observe the changes in lochia to understand the postpartum recovery status

The normality of lochia will directly affect the contraction of the uterus and the recovery of the wound. Usually on the second or third day after delivery, the lochia will be bright red. On the fourth or fifth day, the color will slowly change from brown, light yellow, or yellow to transparent. This is a normal process.

If the mother's lochia is still red or even smells bad for more than a week, she will be advised to go back to the hospital for a follow-up examination. The abnormal color or smell may be due to problems with the contraction of the uterus or an infection in the wound, so special attention must be paid.

Helps uterine contraction exercise

Moms can also use simple massage to help the uterus contract. The head nurse taught moms to arch their palms and present a posture like clasping the back, then touch the bottom of the belly button, find a ball-shaped object (about the size of a tennis ball), and press it. When massaging, you can use a circular massage method, slowly making it feel hard (even like a stone), which is the contraction of the uterus. If you don’t feel the hard feeling of the tennis ball or stone just mentioned, you still need to use your hands to do a circular massage, and keep massaging until you feel hard, which is a normal phenomenon of uterine contraction.

Usually on the third day after delivery, you should observe the lochia. If there is no abnormality, it means that the uterine contraction is OK.

How to tell if it's lochia or menstruation

The lochia is red in color in the first two or three days after delivery. After the fourth day, it slowly turns brown and the amount decreases. Usually within 42 days after delivery, the color will slowly change. There may also be brown and yellow recurring. This may be related to what the mother eats.

In contrast, the difference between menstruation and menstruation is that it is red in color and the amount will increase, usually after 30 days. Mothers can judge for themselves that if the amount on the first or second day is that the sanitary napkin may not be completely wet in two hours, and on the third or fourth day, the amount gradually decreases or disappears, then it is the amount of a normal menstrual period.

But if the amount of bleeding is in the previous one or two days, and the whole sanitary napkin is soaked within two hours, it is abnormal bleeding. In this case, if the whole sanitary napkin is soaked all of a sudden, it is recommended that the mother go to the hospital as soon as possible and ask the doctor for a more detailed diagnosis.

in conclusion:

The head nurse also reminded mothers that postpartum check-ups are very important. In addition to allowing doctors to determine whether the wound has healed well, the doctor will also check whether there is redness or swelling on the outside, as well as any abnormal odors. In addition, it is also recommended that mothers do a cervical smear test to be considered a complete postpartum check-up. After all, if you take good care of yourself and recover well after childbirth, you will have more energy to face every moment with your child in the future!