The birth process is stressful for a woman's body. After it, there are discharges of a certain type. It's quite normal. However, during the period until the inner surface of the uterus heals, you need to control the amount and color of the discharge. If they do not meet the standards, appropriate action should be taken as soon as possible. What postpartum discharge is considered normal will be discussed below.
The first hours after childbirth
Postpartum discharge is called lochia. They appear due to damage to the blood vessels inside the uterus. The process of childbirth is considered complete when rejection occurs and the placenta comes out. This is accompanied by the release of a large amount of blood, mucus. A wound surface remains on the surface of the uterus in the place where the placenta was attached.
While the tissues heal and regenerate, the secretions will gradually changeyour color. They will initially contain a large amount of bloody contents. Over time, the lochia will lighten.
After the birth is completed, the woman is injected with a stimulant to contract the uterus. Also, with the help of a catheter, the bladder is emptied so that it does not put pressure on this organ. A heating pad with ice is placed on the stomach below. If the right actions are not taken, the likelihood of uterine bleeding increases. Therefore, the woman in labor is observed in the delivery room for another 2 hours.
At this time, bloody discharge is abundant. However, there is an acceptable norm, the excess of which cannot be ignored by physicians. At this time, pain should not be. Bleeding causes weakness and dizziness. Be sure to inform the medical staff if the bleeding is very fast, for example, if the diaper has become almost all wet.
How much postpartum discharge is normal in 2 hours? During this time, immediately after the termination of labor, there should be up to 0.5 liters of lochia. If everything is fine, the woman feels fine, she is transferred to the ward. Further in the following weeks you need to monitor your condition. To do this, you need to know what is considered the norm.
Character of discharge
The duration and nature of postpartum discharge should fit into the established standards. Any deviations should be the reason for visiting the antenatal clinic. Lochia includes ichorus, blood cells, plasma, mucous inclusions of the epithelium of the uterine cavity andcervical canal.
The nature of the discharge in the first days after childbirth is heterogeneous. There are clots, mucous inclusions. When moving or pressing on the abdomen, the number of lochia may increase. Therefore, at this time, you can not make sharp turns, tilts. You have to get up slowly. Before going to bed, it is better to put a diaper under you. When getting out of bed, the discharge may simply spurt out.
At first, lochia looks like menstruation. Only in this case, their number will be greater. This is normal as the uterus is clearing out as it recovers from childbirth.
In a few days and before the end of the first week, the selection will become darker. Their number will be somewhat reduced. Starting from the second week, the discharge will become brownish-yellow. They will have a slimy appearance. After the third week, the lochia will be yellowish. A white tint may appear. They may contain small amounts of blood.
Lochias are getting lighter. Normally, the duration of postpartum discharge is 6-8 weeks. It is considered normal if lochia goes from 5 to 9 weeks after childbirth. Such deviations are explained by the characteristics of each organism. If lochia is observed after this period, you need to see a doctor. It should also alert if after a month there are no discharges at all.
Deviations in process times
The duration of postpartum discharge is normally 6-8 weeks. Deviations up to 1 week in both directions are acceptable. However, no more. If there are certaindiscrepancies, you should immediately go to the gynecologist. It is bad if the lochia stopped too early or, conversely, too late. This indicates serious deviations in the healing process of the inner surface of the uterus.
The sooner a full diagnosis is made and treatment is started, the less likely there will be serious complications.
Some women whose lochia has stopped prematurely are glad that the recovery process is behind them. However, this is not the case. In 98% of cases, the premature completion of this process ends with hospitalization. This situation is observed due to incomplete cleansing of the body. As a result, the remains of postpartum activity partially remained inside the uterus. Since they are not excreted, an extensive inflammatory process begins. This could end badly. If the lochia stopped before the due date, you need to start a course of treatment.
Knowing how long postpartum discharge goes, you can take appropriate action in a timely manner in case of deviation from the norm. If the process of separating lochia is too long, the cause must be established. Healing is slow. There are certain factors that influence this process. The gynecologist will be able to choose the right treatment.
Pathology
Knowing how long postpartum discharge lasts, you must also consider possible deviations in the course of this process. Pathology is considered if the number or nature of lochia has changed dramatically. If in the secretionspus appeared, you should immediately go to the doctor. This symptom indicates the beginning of the inflammatory process. It is caused by an infection that could develop in the body.
The inflammatory process may be accompanied by fever, lack of appetite, weakness. There may be pain in the lower abdomen. It should also alert the appearance of an unpleasant odor. If the color turns greenish-yellow, this also indicates the presence of inflammation. The discomfort will gradually increase. To avoid serious consequences, you need to undergo a course of treatment.
Also clear, watery discharge is not normal. It could be a transudate. This is the name of the fluid that seeps from the lymphatic, blood vessels. It penetrates through the mucous membrane of the vagina. Also, such symptoms can be supplemented by an unpleasant odor.
You should know the norm for postpartum discharge. The smell in the first week should be neutral. Lochia smell of blood, as they are predominantly composed of it. When the discharge ceases to be scarlet, it acquires a rotten smell. This is also the norm. The uterus contracts, various clots, mucus are released. However, a sharp, unpleasant odor is definitely a pathology. You need to pay attention to this.
Yellow color
Smelling postpartum discharge may have a yellowish tinge. This is a pathology. It is considered normal if the lochia of this color does not have an unpleasant odor. They don't have to be plentiful. Gradually, the yellow tint changes from dark to light in color over time.time. This is considered normal and indicates proper uterine healing.
If the lochia has acquired a more pronounced shade, cause discomfort, a disease develops in the body. The bad smell confirms this. Such discharge indicates the presence of an infection. Often this is a symptom of endometritis. The uterus does not cope with the remnants of postpartum activity, cannot bring them out. As a result, inflammation develops.
At the same time, the nature of postpartum discharge can be different with the same pathology. It depends on the stage of development of endometritis and its neglect. If there is mucus in the lochia, and the shade is yellowish, there is an unpleasant odor, the disease develops, but slowly. The body tries to fight it, but to no avail.
With a pronounced yellow color, as well as the appearance of lochia, smearing, sticky consistency, interspersed with pus, we can talk about the rapid development of endometritis. If the temperature has not yet risen, there is no doubt that this will happen in the next few hours. Self-medication in this case is life-threatening. Hospitalization is often required. In some cases, surgery is indispensable.
Green color
Foul-smelling postpartum discharge may turn greenish. This is also a departure from the norm. The discharge may be yellowish-greenish or greenish. This indicates an infection. Pathogenic bacteria are present in the uterine cavity, in the vagina or in the fallopian tubes, which provoke the appearancesimilar problems.
In the absence of proper treatment, microorganisms cause an inflammatory process. Endometritis or other complications may occur. If a woman's immunity is weakened, her diet is unbalanced, or other adverse factors are present, various infections can enter the body.
One of the diseases, which is characterized by the appearance of such symptoms, is bacterial vaginosis. Habitual microflora (lactobacilli) are replaced by various pathogenic microorganisms. A greenish tint indicates the presence of leukocytes in the lochia. They fight the causative agent of the infection, remaining in the secretions. The richer the greenish tint, the stronger the infection, the more white blood cells are sent to fight the pathology.
Also, a similar symptom is characteristic of such serious ailments as gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis. Foamy discharge may also be present. There is not only an unpleasant smell, but also itching, pain in the lower abdomen. The mucous membranes may turn red. If treatment is started on time, the infection can be quickly de alt with. Otherwise, the inflammation will become extensive. It can become chronic. This leads to serious complications.
Bleeding
During the postpartum period, the discharge may be reddish, brownish. Blood clots can be observed in a small amount up to 2 months. If blood or brown daub is present in the lochia for longer, this may be a sign of a disease. If blood comes outlonger than the prescribed period, perhaps a hormonal failure has occurred in the body.
If a woman is not breastfeeding, her periods may return much earlier than breastfeeding mothers. In this case, the appearance of a brownish daub may indicate the onset of menstruation. Only a doctor can determine whether such a symptom is considered normal.
If the child is breastfed, periods are restored much later than in mothers who, for a number of reasons, cannot do this. Therefore, even after 3 months they should not appear. Bloody discharge in this case often becomes a sign of the disease.
Such serious ailments that provoke the appearance of brownish or scarlet discharge, 2 months after childbirth, can be endometriosis and various neoplasms. If such lochia became light, and then changed character again, you need to be examined.
Mucoid and purulent lochia
Foul-smelling postpartum discharge can be mucus. In this case, an infection may develop. If there is no unpleasant odor, and mucous discharge appeared within the first week after childbirth, this is the norm. The mucous membranes are restored. Gradually, the volume of such lochia decreases.
If odorless mucous discharge appears after 2-3 months, this may indicate the beginning of ovulation. The menstrual cycle is restored. This is confirmed by menstruation that came in 2 weeks. From this time on, it is necessary to use funds in the process of sexual intercoursecontraception.
The appearance of purulent discharge is extremely dangerous. At any time after delivery, this is a sign of a serious pathology. An extensive inflammatory process develops in the uterus. This condition is accompanied by weakness, pain in the lower abdomen. The temperature may rise, the head often hurts, there is no appetite. Treatment must be immediate.
White color
Postpartum discharge may turn white. They have a heterogeneous, lumpy structure. A sour smell may be present. This is a symptom of thrush. This phenomenon is observed quite often. This disease does not pose a serious danger if treatment is started in time.
Otherwise, curdled discharge will be accompanied by itching, pain when urinating. In addition to discomfort, thrush leads to the development of infection. It is unacceptable. Therefore, treatment must be started immediately. It is prescribed by a doctor. Otherwise, you can get a chronic form of candidiasis. This is fraught with serious complications.
Burning, itching are indispensable companions of this fungal disease. The skin and mucous membranes are constantly irritated. Thrush can be accompanied by vaginal dysbacteriosis. There is a characteristic smell of rotten fish. Against the background of thrush, this disease often develops.
Preventive action
To prevent the appearance of deviations, a number of preventive actions must be taken. They begin to carry out even in the hospital. This avoids bleeding and other troubles. Postpartum discharge should not be too abundant. Not toto allow such a pathology, you need to roll over on your stomach after childbirth. This stimulates the emptying of the uterine cavity.
Also in the first few days you need to go to the toilet often. Even if you don’t feel like it, you need to do this every 2-3 hours. The bladder should not press on the uterus. Do not lift heavy objects. It is advisable to breastfeed the baby. This contributes to the proper healing of the inner surface of the uterus. It will shrink faster.
Since the wound surface is the most susceptible to attacks by pathogenic microorganisms, you need to pay special attention to your hygiene. It is advisable to wash with warm water every time after visiting the toilet. This procedure is done outside, not inside. Movements are carried out from front to back. The shower must be taken daily. Bath during the healing of the wound surface is prohibited.
You can't douche. On the first day after birth, sterile disposable diapers are used. It is better not to use pads during this period. In the following days, change pads at least 8 times a day. Tampons during this period are strictly prohibited. They will delay the removal of bloody masses from the uterus. This leads to the development of infections and inflammation.
Fulfilling the listed requirements, monitoring your condition, you can prevent the occurrence of serious he alth problems.
