Postpartum hemorrhage - causes and dynamics of development. What kind of discharge should there be after childbirth?

No matter how much you would like to know exactly how long there is spotting after childbirth, it is almost impossible to get an unambiguous answer to this question, since this is directly related to the course of the birth itself and the individual state of health. But there are general deadlines that you should focus on. Before you figure out the duration of the discharge, it would be a good idea to find out why it occurs.

Do not confuse postpartum discharge with menstruation

Lochia, the so-called discharge from the uterus, is not just blood. This is a mixture of leukocytes, remnants of membranes, and rejected tissue that are present in the uterus after placental abruption. Since its surface is a continuous wound, the discharge immediately after childbirth is especially abundant. This has its advantage: the more intense the lochia, the less likely it is that blood clots or tissue debris will remain in the uterus, which may require cleaning. How many days after childbirth are there? bleeding, their abundance has no effect. The process of lochia secretion in the body is regulated by the amount of the hormone oxytocin, which begins to be produced after childbirth; the more of it, the more actively the uterus throws out excess placental particles. Lochia differs from menstruation in its volume: normally after natural birth a woman loses up to 500 ml of blood in the first hours, while during menstruation this figure does not exceed 100 ml for the entire period. Lochia are brighter in appearance, the intensity of their color decreases gradually. Although spotting a month after birth may already be menstruation, especially if the child is not breastfeeding. It all depends on physiological characteristics.

What is considered normal

Heavy discharge occurs during the first five to seven days. It is assumed that during this time, pieces of dead endometrium and placenta leave the uterus and the blood coming out no longer contains them, but is only a consequence of the fact that the involution of the uterus continues to continue. It is not for nothing that the discharge of a woman in labor from the maternity hospital is preceded by an examination by a gynecologist, who makes sure that the uterus does not contain particles of the placenta and has decreased to a certain size, since immediately after birth its weight is about a kilogram, and in a non-pregnant state this figure is no more than 100 grams . The condition of the uterus is directly related to what discharge should be after childbirth at certain periods of time. It should contract, which indicates normal flow. recovery process. If this does not happen, doctors stimulate contraction with oxytocin drips and other measures. For some, the discharge may become less on the third day, while for others it remains intense for a longer time. There is an opinion that the volume of discharge can be influenced by the number of births: with each subsequent birth, the uterus contracts less and less intensely, and accordingly, blood is released more slowly, so clots may be present in it even a week after birth. In this case, what is much more important is not how long the bleeding occurs after childbirth, but how intense it is. The risk of bleeding is present even with a successful delivery, so in the first hours the woman is under the close attention of doctors. A heating pad with ice may be applied to the abdomen to reduce blood loss.

There should not be too few lochias

If these are absent or insignificant, this may indicate a complication, in medicine called lochiometra. Blood accumulates in the uterine cavity, and this can happen when it is bent or the cervical canal is blocked. Most often, the complication appears 7-9 days after birth. The problem can be diagnosed by examination: the uterus remains enlarged. But its most important sign is that the discharge is either completely absent or minimal. Therefore, a woman herself needs not only to have information about what kind of discharge should be after childbirth, but also to be able to correlate her condition with the typical norms set aside by medicine for the recovery period, since lochiometra not detected in a timely manner can lead to endometriosis. After diagnosis, the disease can be treated quite easily through bimanual palpation of the uterus at the bend, administration of no-shpa and oxytocin, dilatation cervical canal. If such procedures do not bring results, curettage or vacuum aspiration is prescribed.

How does discharge change during the postpartum period?

If speak about classic course recovery, then in the chain of what the discharge should be after childbirth, saturated in color scarlet blood replaced by brown. Although there are cases when the first discharge is not too bright, this is due to the large number of red blood cells present in it, which is also a type of normal. Individual blood clots may be present in the discharge not only in the first week, when they are especially intense. Brown lochia gradually turn pale, become yellowish, and then colorless, looking more like mucus. From the beginning of this process until the lochia completely disappears, it can take from 4 to 8 weeks. At the same time, lochia does not stop at once, like menstruation, it gradually fades away.

Duration of discharge

How long the discharge lasts after childbirth depends on many factors:

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

The latter also affects how many days after birth there is bleeding. The involution of the uterus is promoted by hormones produced in a woman’s body when breastfeeding.

The smell of discharge

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

No matter how many days the discharge lasts after childbirth, the smell should not cause it negative emotions. If it seems that it smells of rot or something else unpleasant, you should not delay a visit to the gynecologist. Improvement will not come on its own, since the cause of such a smell is not the discharge, but the processes occurring inside the uterus. It could be inflammation or infection.

When to see a doctor

An examination by a gynecologist a month after childbirth is mandatory. But there are situations when you shouldn’t deal with how long the discharge lasts after childbirth and seek help earlier. If the discharge changes its color from white-yellow or brown back to scarlet or its quantity increases sharply, although several weeks have passed since the birth, then bleeding may have begun. The causes of the latter are varied; it is impossible to treat it at home, and large blood loss can be fraught with very serious complications. Another reason to visit a gynecologist is if spotting occurs a month after childbirth or earlier Strong smell or an unusual color: green tint mucus indicates an inflammatory process, pus or clots resembling cottage cheese. If two months have passed after giving birth and the lochia does not stop, it is also necessary to do an ultrasound and undergo an examination by a specialist. This applies to cases when lochia is accompanied sharp jump temperature, which can be caused by inflammation of the uterine mucosa. Women should remember that complications can arise even after a fairly long period of time after childbirth.

Other things to consider

It is important to know not only how many days the discharge lasts after childbirth, but also what rules need to be followed. The first of these concerns personal hygiene. It is advisable to wash yourself after each trip to the toilet, this minimizes the risk of inflammatory process. For discharge, you can only use pads, not tampons. The latter prevent the release of blood, due to stagnation of which inflammation is also possible. For the same reason, it is forbidden to take a bath, replacing it with a shower for a while, or swim in open bodies of water: no substances should enter the uterus. sterile liquid. Douching is also not allowed during this period. As for intimate relationships, even during childbirth without complications, gynecologists recommend abstaining from them until the lochia is completely gone. In addition to the possibility of infections being introduced into the uterus, it is not advisable to physical exercise during this process, which may lead to increased bleeding. Therefore, information is useful not only about how many days the discharge lasts after childbirth, but also about simple rules of behavior for women that help maintain health.

Pregnancy is a wonderful period in the life of every woman. And it ends with the birth of a newborn baby, who requires a lot of attention. However, a woman should not forget about herself, because the recovery period can present many unexpected “surprises”. After delivery, the female body begins to recover and, unfortunately, this process does not always happen safely, as they can tell vaginal discharge. This needs to be addressed Special attention, since a change in their nature is the first signal of the occurrence of postpartum complications requiring an immediate visit to the doctor.

Why does bleeding occur after childbirth?

Bloody discharge that appears in women after delivery is called lochia. Their occurrence is due to the fact that after the birth of a child, the placenta separates from the uterus, resulting in damage great amount vessels that connected the organ with the child's place. Against this background, the uterus begins to actively contract in order to completely remove placental particles, dead epithelium and other traces of intrauterine vital activity of the fetus.

It is for this reason that during the first few days, women often notice various clots and inclusions in their postpartum discharge, which is absolutely normal. However, in certain cases, the cleansing process is delayed, and some complications arise; they cannot be ignored.

What should the discharge be like?

Having heavy periods after childbirth is normal. They may contain blood clots and mucus, which is also not a deviation. Depending on how the delivery took place (natural or artificial), the blood released from the vagina has a bright scarlet or deep red hue.

As a rule, in the first few days, blood is released in the amount of 250 - 300 ml per day, which requires frequent replacement sanitary pads(more often than once every 3 hours). Then the amount of discharge decreases and it acquires a uniform consistency, as during normal menstruation.

At the same time, the process of cleansing the uterus is often accompanied by weak cramping pain in the abdomen, which is caused by the occurrence of uterine spasms. And the general clinical picture is supplemented by an increase in temperature to 37.4 degrees, but this phenomenon should not be observed after natural birth for more than 2 days, and during artificial delivery - 4 days (caesarean section is traumatic for female body, and therefore after it is carried out, the elevated temperature lasts much longer).

After some time, the spasms in the uterus stop, and the amount of bleeding decreases significantly. They are being replaced brown discharge, which signal the successful completion of restoration processes in the organs of the reproductive system. In this case, the brown daub may be liquid at first, and then become thick.

But! There are certain frameworks that indicate normal course postpartum period:

The discharge should not smell rotten or rotten.
After 3–5 days, abdominal pain completely disappears (the exception is artificial childbirth, in which a suture is placed on the uterus and abdomen).
Elevated temperature should not be observed for more than 2 to 4 days.
The last mucous clot comes out of the vagina on the 5th – 6th day, no later.

If the woman’s condition meets all these parameters, she is discharged from the maternity hospital and goes home. But vaginal discharge doesn’t end there. And given the fact that complications can develop even a month after delivery, every woman should know exactly how long the discharge is, when it ends, and what characteristics should be paid the most attention to.

How long does it take?

To accurately answer the question of how much is observed profuse blood after childbirth, it’s difficult, because everything depends on:

The speed of recovery of the body.
Method of delivery.

After artificial birth

When conducting caesarean section the integrity of the uterus is violated - it is cut open and then stitched, resulting in a wound appearing on it, due to which the uterus begins to bleed heavily. Duration heavy bleeding in this case it is from 2 to 3 weeks. Then the volume of blood released decreases, but brown discharge, indicating successful healing of the uterus, appears only 8 to 9 weeks after the operation.

After natural childbirth

During natural delivery, the lining of the uterus is also damaged, but not as much as during a cesarean section. Therefore, discharge is observed for about 6 - 7 weeks.

In this case, blood can come out profusely only for the first 6–10 days, then its amount decreases. At about 5–6 weeks, the woman begins to smear brown, and then white discharge (leucorrhoea) appears, which indicates the end of recovery period.

When should you see a doctor?

In gynecology and obstetrics, postpartum complications are not uncommon. Moreover, in in this case It doesn’t matter at all how exactly the woman gave birth - on her own or with the help of surgeons. The only thing that remains in the latter case high risks gap inseam, which often causes uterine bleeding.

However, blood secretion may also increase in a woman who has given birth. naturally. In this case, bleeding occurs due to the following reasons:

Inflammation of the uterus.
Incomplete cleansing of the organ cavity from placental elements.
Infection.
Lifting weights.

Important! Uterine bleeding very dangerous and requires urgent medical care, which implies intravenous administration hemostatic drug. If not stopped promptly, it can be fatal. With extensive blood loss in the body, the level of hemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen to cells, decreases. As a result of its deficiency, cells begin to starve, which provokes their death. And this can lead to various deviations in work internal organs, including the brain.

Early termination copious discharge blood is also a reason to go to the doctor. This may be due to several reasons:

Cervical stenosis.
Polyp formation.
The appearance of a plug in the cervical canal (blood clot).

All these conditions cause the passage of the cervix to significantly narrow and blood cannot flow normally through it, which provokes the occurrence of congestion in the uterus, which can lead to the development of severe inflammation and purulent processes.

And this can also lead to serious consequences. Therefore, if a woman notices scanty discharge of a bloody nature or brown daub ahead of schedule, this should alert her and force her to go to the doctor. In most cases, all these pathologies can be treated surgically.

No less dangerous condition is the occurrence of discharge with unpleasant smell which may have a yellowish or green color. Their occurrence indicates the development bacterial infection, which also needs to be treated urgently.

Treatment of a bacterial infection involves taking antibiotics. And during this period, it is highly not recommended to continue breastfeeding, since all active ingredients drugs penetrate into milk and can provoke the development of various serious conditions in the child.

Signs of a bacterial infection are not only discharge that smells bad, but also:

Temperature increase.
Painful sensations in the abdomen.
Weakness.

In addition, if during the recovery period a woman begins to feel a strong tug in her lower abdomen, with bloody clots and pus in the discharge, this may indicate incomplete cleansing of the uterus from placental particles and elements of the umbilical cord (the organ begins to fester). This pathology, as a rule, is detected in the maternity hospital and in order to get rid of it, the uterine cavity is curetted (obstetric abrasion), after which the woman in labor must remain under the supervision of doctors for several days.

If a woman should have stopped spotting by now, but instead she notices a slight discharge of blood from the vagina, then she will also need to be examined by a gynecologist. The reasons for this phenomenon are:

Erosion formed on the cervical canal.
Hematoma in the uterine cavity.
Myoma.

With the development of these pathological conditions, women may also experience symptoms such as:

Aching pain in the abdomen.
Periodic increase and decrease in the volume of blood released from the vagina.
Weakness.

It is imperative to treat these diseases. Hematoma and uterine fibroids can be eliminated only by surgery, and erosion by cauterization. The danger of these conditions is that the hematoma can burst at any time and provoke internal hemorrhage, and fibroids and erosion cause the development of cancer. These conditions pose a serious threat to a woman's life. And if the last birth was successful, then subsequent ones may be accompanied by severe complications.

The appearance of smelly, watery or foamy discharge also indicates the development of pathological conditions. Only in this case we are talking about STDs. The main reason for their development is infection of the uterine cavity and vagina. In this case, the culprits may be the doctors themselves, who used poorly sterilized instruments during childbirth, or the woman who began prematurely intimate life. Infection that occurs due to the negligence of doctors appears two to three days after delivery, and due to the fault of the mother - after several weeks and even a month.

The main signs of the development of STDs are:

Itching and burning in the intimate area.
The appearance of light pink or transparent foamy discharge that produces an unpleasant odor.
Psychological disorders (due to constant discomfort in the intimate area, a woman’s sleep is disturbed, she becomes irritable and hot-tempered).

No less dangerous is the appearance of dark brown (almost black) or burgundy discharge, indicating the development of cancer in the uterine cavity or in the cervical canal. After childbirth, its occurrence may be associated with the presence of erosion, polyps and fibroids in a woman before pregnancy.

Important! With the development of this disease, the patient may periodically vomit, she experiences a sharp decline body weight, there is no appetite at all, the stomach begins to hurt severely, urine is colored dark color and deterioration appearance. Remember, cancer can lead to the death of a woman in a matter of months, and therefore when it appears primary signs You should go to the doctor immediately!

If the duration of postpartum bleeding exceeds the established limits, then this is also a bad signal. And in this matter, hormonal disorders that lead to disruption of the menstrual cycle and ovulation, or pathology, can play a role reproductive organs that occurred after delivery (for example, cervicitis, endometritis, etc.).

There are many reasons why women may bleed profusely after childbirth or suddenly stop earlier than expected. And often their role is played by serious pathologies, non-treatment of which leads to various irreversible consequences. And to prevent their occurrence, a woman needs to carry out prevention, which includes:

No intense loads.
Refusal of sexual activity until complete recovery.
Gynecological examinations every 2 weeks.
Balanced diet.

If a woman follows these simple rules, she has every chance to avoid serious postpartum complications. Well, if they do arise, you should under no circumstances delay their treatment, as this will lead to dire consequences.

During pregnancy and childbirth, numerous changes occur in the body. After the baby is born, the body gradually returns to its previous state, but rehabilitation takes some time. Postpartum discharge is evidence that the uterus is recovering from a difficult load.

Many young mothers are interested in what the discharge should be like after childbirth. What is considered normal, and what signs require urgent attention to specialists? This article is dedicated to answering these questions.

Why does postpartum discharge occur?

During pregnancy, a new organ is formed - the placenta. The placenta is attached to the wall of the uterus, forming common vessels with it. Thanks to these vessels, the child receives the necessary nutrients during the entire period of intrauterine development.

After the baby is born, the placenta detaches from the uterine wall. As a result, fairly large vessels remain open. Arises heavy bleeding, which will last two or three days. This type of discharge is called lochia. The uterus contracts rapidly after childbirth, so the blood vessels gradually shrink muscle fibers, and the discharge disappears.

Lochia consists of blood cells, as well as plasma, mucus and epithelial cells lining the uterus.

Lochia after childbirth has its own characteristics at every stage of rehabilitation. If the discharge does not correspond to the norm, doctors should be wary and conduct additional examinations.

The first postpartum discharge is called pure blood, since this is what it looks like outwardly. And that's quite normal. Their duration is approximately 2-3 days. Subsequent discharge is far from the classical understanding of bleeding.

What kind of discharge should there be after childbirth?

2-3 days after birth. The discharge after childbirth is bright red and profuse; a regular pad will not be enough.
During the first week after birth. They have a reddish-brown, dark color
From 1-6 weeks after birth. Brown discharge changes its color to yellow-brown.
6-8 weeks after birth. The color of the discharge becomes beige, white-yellow, yellowish or light

Early postpartum period

In the first two to four hours after birth, a woman should be under the supervision of doctors and nurses. This is due to the fact that as a result of impaired contractility of the uterine muscles, serious bleeding may occur, life threatening young mother. Such bleeding is called hypotonic; it develops due to relaxation of the uterine muscles. That is why, immediately after giving birth, women remain in the birthing unit for some time.

After childbirth, blood is normally released very intensively, and the total volume of secretions should not exceed 400 ml. Despite the rather impressive volume of blood released, women feel fine. True, severe weakness and dizziness may occur, which is considered normal.

To avoid increased bleeding, which is life-threatening, women who have recently given birth in the department undergo the following procedures:

A special catheter is inserted to completely empty the bladder.
Place an ice compress on your stomach.
Drugs are administered intravenously to enhance contractile activity of the uterus.

A woman should pay great attention to her condition: the first hours after childbirth are especially dangerous; quite massive bleeding may develop. If you feel that the diaper is completely saturated with blood, you feel pain or severe weakness, immediately notify the department staff about this.

After childbirth, the doctor should examine the external genitalia. If a woman has had tears that are not stitched up carefully enough, blood will accumulate in the tissues. In such cases, it is urgent to open the hematoma, empty it and re-suture the damaged tissue.

Discharge a few days after birth

In the first three days after birth, lochia should be released quite abundantly, although in a smaller volume than in the maternity ward: as a rule, the pad is completely saturated in two hours.

Discharge during this period resembles menstrual discharge: it contains clots and has a characteristic odor. During movements, such as walking, the discharge becomes more intense.

However, you should not think that the danger has passed: sometimes bleeding can begin a few days after birth. To avoid this, you should follow these simple recommendations:

empty on time bladder. A woman must visit the restroom at least once every three hours. A full bladder prevents the uterus from contracting properly;
feed the baby on demand. When feeding, a woman may feel quite intense pain in the lower abdomen. There is no need to be afraid of this: this phenomenon is completely normal. Discomfort is associated with increased uterine contractions;
Rest as often as possible, lying on your stomach. After childbirth, the tone of the abdominal muscles is weakened, as a result of which the uterus deviates back and the outflow of lochia is disrupted;
Apply an ice compress to your stomach several times a day.

If the birth was difficult or the uterus is stretched too far, the doctor may prescribe intramuscular injections oxytocin.

Bleeding in the postpartum period

So-called late postpartum bleeding can occur for a variety of reasons. For example, if the placenta is not completely delivered, bleeding may begin two to three days after the baby is born. The doctor can determine whether the placenta remains in the uterus during an ultrasound. This will require surgery general anesthesia: Doctors will need to clean out the uterus and cauterize the blood vessels.

Sometimes bleeding can be caused by bleeding disorders. Stopping such bleeding is quite difficult, so it is important to avoid its development. As a rule, women are aware of the presence of diseases that lead to bleeding disorders and report them to the doctor in advance.

Most often, bleeding is due to the fact that the muscles of the uterus do not contract intensely enough. The main danger is that a woman loses a large volume of blood without experiencing pain. To eliminate such bleeding, special drugs are introduced that force the uterus to contract more intensely. In case of severe blood loss, transfusion of blood and its preparations is recommended.

Complete cessation of discharge threatens health no less than heavy bleeding. If for some reason the outflow of secretions is impaired, lochia remains in the uterine cavity. The accumulation of lochia must be eliminated in time, otherwise serious inflammatory processes may begin in the uterus, which can lead to infertility.

Postpartum discharge after discharge from the hospital

The discharge will continue for at least two months after giving birth. Of course, their volume is gradually decreasing. For example, a week after giving birth, the discharge resembles the usual menstruation. At the same time, their volume decreases every day. In addition, the discharge changes color: if at first it is red or brownish, then a couple of weeks after birth it becomes lighter and acquires a yellowish tint.

In women who are breastfeeding breast milk, discharge stops within more short time than mothers who prefer artificial feeding. Due to the release of oxytocin during feeding, you may feel paroxysmal pain in the lower abdomen, which disappear without a trace a few days after discharge from the hospital.

If heavy bleeding occurs, call a doctor immediately.

Symptoms of inflammatory processes

If a woman, after being discharged from the maternity hospital, does not carefully monitor her hygiene or starts too early sex life, she may develop inflammation. An inflammatory process should be suspected if:

The discharge has a greenish tint.
They became more liquid and plentiful.
The discharge has an unpleasant odor.
The woman is worried about discomfort in the lower abdomen, fever, weakness and chills.

If you notice similar symptoms, you need to urgently consult a doctor: inflammation of the uterus can lead to difficulties in carrying subsequent pregnancies and even to infertility.

To avoid the development of the inflammatory process, after returning from the maternity hospital, a woman should follow the following recommendations:

carefully monitor hygiene: wash your face daily and change pads as often as possible (every 2-3 hours);
do not overheat the stomach, that is, do not take a bath;
be sexually active only after the discharge has completely stopped;
It is forbidden to douche: this can introduce pathogenic microorganisms into the vagina;
do not use tampons that interfere with the process normal discharge. In addition, tampons, when saturated with secretions, become an excellent environment for the development of pathogens, which can provoke inflammation.

Discharge after childbirth with an unpleasant odor

One of the characteristics of such secretions is the smell. Normal postpartum discharge smells like blood. This is not surprising, since their main component is blood. 7 days after the end of the scarlet and brown discharge, the smell takes on notes of sweetness.

An unpleasant odor should be alarming, as it is a consequence of health problems. Women characterize it differently: “Fishy smell”, “The smell of rot”, “They stink”. It's pretty alarming symptom. Even if the discharge is light in color but smells bad, you should see a doctor.

Green discharge after childbirth

If the discharge turns green 2 months after birth, then the body’s functioning is clearly impaired. Green discharge after childbirth is far from normal. Green color indicates the presence of a bacterial infection in the uterus or vagina. It is very important to start treatment immediately. Otherwise, there is a possibility of developing endometritis. As a result of this disease, the inner lining of the uterus becomes inflamed.

Green postpartum discharge is characteristic of the following diseases:

Gonorrhea.
Chlamydia.
Gardnellez.

Also, discharge after childbirth becomes green due to trichomoniasis. Trichomonas settles in the vagina. If the disease is not treated, the infection will rise higher and higher over time.

Primary symptoms of trichomoniasis:

Foamy discharge
Green color
Irritation
Burning

In some cases, redness of the mucous membranes is observed. With immediate treatment, the disease can be dealt with fairly quickly and the infection can be prevented from spreading further.

Brown and bloody discharge after childbirth

Bloody discharge after childbirth occurs quite quickly. They usually end a few days after birth.

If brown discharge after childbirth is observed 2 months later, then this should be regarded as a pathological reaction of the body. Brown color has clotted blood. There are enough reasons for such discharges ( hormonal disbalance, monthly recovery, etc.). Their character may seem unusual, as it has changed hormonal background. Other causes include uterine fibroids and endometriosis.

If spotting is observed or begins 2 months after birth, even if breastfeeding, you should seek help from specialists. There can be two explanations for this phenomenon: the onset of the menstrual cycle or inflammation. In this case, the discharge is not always accompanied unpleasant sensations. Bloody discharge may be due to the presence of polyps or tumors. They may stop for a while, and after a certain period begin again. In this case, you should definitely go medical examination. If it turns out that the discharge is menstrual, then you should protect yourself. Restoration of the cycle is accompanied by the formation of lactation crises. During menstruation, the amount of milk decreases, this is a natural process. New mothers should be patient and continue breastfeeding.

Mucous postpartum discharge

A week later, small amounts of mucous discharge after childbirth are normal. At this stage, the uterus continues the cleansing process, the mucous membranes responsible for the formation of mucus restore their function. Over time, the amount of discharge will decrease.

In the future, lochia should almost completely disappear. If mucus continues to form, this is a sign of ovulation. Outwardly, they look like a thick mass, somewhat reminiscent of egg white. Ovulation can begin after 2-3 months if complementary foods are introduced at breastfeeding. Eggs in non-breastfeeding women mature after the second month. In some cases, this process may begin earlier. Getting pregnant at this moment is highly not recommended, since the body has not yet had time to recover. Care must be taken to protect yourself.

Regardless of how the birth occurred (through surgery or naturally), the inner lining (mucosa) of the uterus requires a recovery period. It takes about 5-9 weeks, if everything goes well without complications.

Discharge from the genital tract after cesarean section deserves special attention. They are usually called lochia in gynecology. They include blood cells, plasma, mucus, and dead epithelium. Many women perceive them as a kind of menstruation. However, their color palette, smell, composition, volume change throughout the postpartum period and signal whether everything is fine with the young mother’s body.

Any operation, like childbirth itself, is a serious stress for the body, tired after pregnancy. Therefore, a woman needs to listen to him sensitively, feel the slightest deviations and know what discharge should be like after a cesarean section and what is considered normal. This will allow her to notice warning signs in a timely manner and receive treatment if necessary. Many sources indicate that lochia after a CS is no different from what happens after a natural birth. In fact, this is far from the case. Differences still exist.

The wound surface is much more extensive after a cesarean section, so the risk of infection or inflammation of the genital organs is very high. So during discharge after surgery, you need to especially carefully carry out all the prescribed hygiene procedures and not just once a day.
At the very beginning, just after a cesarean section, about 5-7 days, the discharge is not only bloody, but also contains a lot of mucus, which is not observed after natural delivery.
The normal color of discharge after a cesarean section for several days is bright red, deep scarlet, and it is much juicier than with natural process childbirth
Contraction of the uterus and its healing after cesarean section is a longer and more protracted process, so the duration of the discharge is also different and is 1-2 weeks longer.

These differences should not frighten or worry a young mother, perhaps not yet experienced in such matters, since this is the norm for discharge after a cesarean section, which indicates that everything is in order. But in order to see that something is wrong in time, you need to know about deviations, which will first of all have to be addressed to specialists. Usually they differ little from problematic lochia after.

Deadlines

One of the most exciting issues- how long does the discharge last after a cesarean section, in order to know for sure whether the recovery period is prolonged or the process is progressing within the permitted limits. Information about the deadlines that fit into the norm will allow you to control the present menstrual cycle which is due soon.

Norm

The normal discharge period after cesarean section is from 7 to 9 weeks. So discharge 2 months after cesarean does not pose any danger to the health of the young mother.

Deviations

If after cesarean discharge ended too quickly (within 6 weeks) or dragged on too long (up to 10 weeks), this is not a reason to panic. Yes, the norms are no longer met, but these indicators can only be determined by the individual characteristics of the body. If the composition, smell, thickness, color, and number of lochia do not indicate complications, there is no need to worry. Although even in this situation, it wouldn’t hurt to tell the doctor about it.

Pathologies

Seeing a doctor is mandatory if the duration of discharge in the postpartum period after cesarean section is beyond the normal range. This is either too quick an end (less than 5 weeks) or too long a process (over 10 weeks). Both are equally dangerous. In the first case, the remnants of the dead endometrium for some reason could not come out and there is a high probability of them festering. If lochia lasts too long, it can be diagnosed or infectious process V abdominal cavity or genitals. A condition when the discharge after a cesarean section ends and starts again is also dangerous: this also indicates some deviations in the process of restoration of the uterus.

Knowing how long the discharge lasts after a cesarean section during the normal healing process, a woman does not have to worry that this period is very long or, on the contrary, has passed too quickly. After all, in both cases, you will have to take appropriate measures: go to see a doctor, undergo additional examinations and, if diseases or complications are detected, undergo a course of treatment, no matter how much you would like it.

be careful. You should not be happy if your discharge has already stopped a month after a cesarean section. Such a rapid process very often ends in inflammation or infection, which requires surgical cleaning of the uterus.

Lochia character

Throughout the recovery period after surgery, the nature of lochia will change. Initially, blood clots will be released, since the uterus at this time is a large, open, bleeding wound. But over time, during the healing process, they will change to mucus, dead epithelial cells and other postpartum debris.

This also needs to be monitored very carefully. If, for example, bleeding after a cesarean section does not end, this will be an alarming signal that the damaged tissues for some reason cannot regenerate. Such cases require medical intervention and course of treatment. Therefore, monitor the nature of your lochia and its duration.

Presence of blood

At first, the presence of blood in the lochia should not raise doubts among young mothers: this is the healing of broken blood vessels and damaged tissue. However, the important point here is precisely the timing, how many days does the bleeding last after a cesarean section: if more than 7-8, then this is already abnormal and you need to sound the alarm.

Presence of clots

This is also quite understandable during this period of time: they are cells of the already dead endometrium and placenta. After 7-8 days they will go away, so the discharge will become more liquid.

Mucus discharge

If in addition to the bloody discharge there is also mucous discharge in the first days after a cesarean section, this is also the norm: in this way the body is cleansed of the products of the baby’s intrauterine vital activity.

Pink discharge

If a month after cesarean they begin pink discharge, which means the healing process is not finished yet. Perhaps, under some mechanical influence, the wounded tissues were damaged again. Very often this happens if a couple is impatient and, without waiting for the end of the recovery period, they begin to have sex too early.

Brown shade

After 6-7 weeks, the nature of the lochia will resemble ordinary menstrual smears of a brownish color: the blood will coagulate and will no longer be so bright and scarlet.

Purulent discharge

The danger after cesarean section is represented by purulent discharge, which is the first symptom of the endometrium (inflammation of the uterine mucosa). They are usually yellowish-green in color, smell very unpleasant and are accompanied by fever (due to infection), pain in the abdomen and perineum.

Watery lochia

A young mother should also be alerted to watery lochia, devoid of any shade, almost transparent. This is how transudate - fluid contained in the blood or lymphatic vessels. This is bad, as it indicates poor circulation in this area. In addition, watery discharge after cesarean section with an unpleasant odor, reminiscent of rotten fish, is a symptom characteristic of vaginal dysbiosis (gardnerellosis).

If you had to give birth by cesarean section, you must definitely monitor the nature of the discharge that begins. It is the impurities in their composition that may indicate a particular disease that will need to be identified and treated. Often all this threatens the hospital walls again - and this is precisely at the moment when the mother so needs her baby. It is much easier to prevent the problem and enjoy unforgettable moments of communication with the baby. In addition to character, the color of the discharge can tell a lot.

Hue

Normally, the color of lochia after a cesarean section should be red at first, followed by brown discharge (towards the end). The rest of the color palette should alert the young mother and force her to go to the hospital for an additional examination to find out if everything is in order with the restoration of her body.

Yellowness

If yellow discharge begins after a cesarean section, it may indicate the following postpartum processes:

pale yellow, scanty lochia by the end of 2-3 weeks is normal;
bright yellow, almost orange discharge with a greenish tint, putrid smell on days 4-6 - a symptom of pronounced, but just beginning endometritis;
copious, mucous, yellow discharge after 2 weeks is a sign of already hidden and, most likely, rather advanced endometritis.

Endometritis cannot be treated on its own: antibiotic therapy or even surgery will be required.

Greenery

It is not difficult to guess that the green discharge that began after a cesarean section is explained by the presence of pus in it. It indicates the occurrence of an infectious, inflammatory process in the uterus. Only a medical examination will help determine its cause and diagnose the disease.

White lochia

By itself, without accompanying symptoms, white discharge, which may begin some time after a cesarean section, does not pose a threat. But as soon as certain signs appear, you need to be alert. These include:

itching of the perineum;
redness in the intimate area;
if there is discharge with a sour smell;
cheesy consistency.

In such cases, a bacterial culture or vaginal smear is required for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Black

If after a cesarean section there is black discharge without odor or pain, it should be taken as normal. They are dictated hormonal changes in the blood after childbirth. A deviation is if they occur some time after the operation.

To avoid complications after cesarean section, you need to monitor the color of postpartum discharge. She can suggest a problem at the very beginning. This will make it easier to eliminate it and allow you to quickly return to normal after completing the necessary course of treatment.

Quantity

A young mother also needs to pay attention to how much lochia comes out of her in order to judge how the body’s recovery is proceeding. If after a cesarean section there is little discharge, especially in the very first days, this may be an alarming signal that the tubes, uterine ducts are clogged, a blood clot has formed, etc.

The opposite situation is no less dangerous: profuse lochia, which do not stop for too long - alarm signal about the impossibility of full restoration of the uterus after surgery. In both cases, you need to undergo a special examination and find out what is the reason for such deviations.

Every woman wants to postpartum lochia ended quickly and nothing overshadowed happy motherhood. However, there is no need to be too hostile towards them. It is they that can serve as that alarming and sometimes the only signal that not everything is in order with the restoration of the body and some measures need to be taken to help it. You should especially be wary of discharge after a cesarean section with an odor and an unrealistically bright hue. This almost always ends with a course of antibiotic treatment, which is highly undesirable during lactation, or another surgical intervention.

Postpartum period - difficult time in a woman’s life, which is overshadowed by prolonged vaginal discharge. What discharge is considered physiological and what indicates the need to see a doctor - read in this article.

Lochia- specific vaginal discharge after childbirth, which is natural process and consist of blood, mucus and endometrium. Such discharge indicates the reverse development of the uterus, its contraction and return to prenatal condition.

Why is there discharge after childbirth?

During pregnancy the uterus is growing, its functions and appearance change. When is it hard and important point childbirth is left behind, its “mission” is completed and this organ returns to its usual state, gradually contracting and decreasing. At the same time, during these contractions, remnants are expelled from the uterine cavity. blood, membranes and mucus.

Immediately after birth, heavy bleeding begins

In addition, in the place where the placenta was previously attached to the uterus, there remains open bleeding wound which is gradually healing. Until the wound surface is completely healed and the uterus returns to its prenatal state, lochia continues.

What kind of discharge occurs after childbirth?

In the first hours after childbirth, bloody discharge from the vagina is bright red color, which is explained by slight bleeding caused by physiological damage to the uterus and birth canal during delivery. For the next few days, this bleeding may be absolutely unchanged, in bloody discharge may be observed small clots.

After the lapse of first week postpartum discharge may change its intensity. In addition to bloody discharge more and more mixed in slime from the cervical canal, due to which the shade of the discharge will become a little lighter and it will not resemble bleeding.

As a rule, departure large clots at this stage is not the norm and it is better to talk about it with a gynecologist.

In the future, the woman in labor will note that the discharge becomes less and less: at first they will resemble menstruation, later they will change their shade to brown, will turn into daub. Through two to three weeks lochia can become yellowish shade (but not purulent!), then white, and soon it will come out of the vagina completely clear mucus, indicating the completion of uterine involution.

When does the discharge end after childbirth?

Duration of postpartum discharge Each woman is individual. As a rule, experts talk about the average duration of such discharges being 40 days, but this indicator is not true for everyone.

Discharge during the first weeks may cause discomfort.

A variant of the norm is considered to be the duration of discharge, which is from 30 days to two months. There are known cases of lochia lasting two weeks, but these are rather small exceptions to the rule. Most women talk about numbers 30-40 days, claiming that during this time any vaginal discharge had completely ceased.

What does purulent discharge after childbirth mean?

It is very important to keep track of what color and smell have discharge after childbirth. Since the uterine cavity is a wound, and the discharge is an excellent breeding ground bacteria and infections, there is a huge risk of infection
If this happens, then the discharge will definitely indicate this with an unpleasant odor and the presence purulent impurities
The inflammatory process in the uterus, along with purulent discharge, will also be indicated temperature increase. It is important not to confuse it with the process of establishing lactation, when a slight increase in temperature is considered physiological
If you have any suspicions about endometrial infection, then you need to immediately seek the help of a specialist, because early stages this may indicate remnants of membranes in the uterine cavity and the need for cleaning

Video: Purulent vaginal discharge

Why does yellow discharge occur after childbirth?

In about 10-14 days after childbirth, the discharge becomes yellowish. You shouldn't be afraid of this - it's normal process restoration of the uterus. Such selections only indicate that involution happens naturally and naturally.

But if such discharge begins in the first week after childbirth or required deadline, But resemble pus, then you need to consult a doctor. This may indicate purulent processes that can begin as follows: reasons:

lack of proper hygiene
remnants of membranes in the uterus
the presence of blood clots that partially or completely block the outflow of lochia

After childbirth, it is important to monitor very carefully genital hygiene, which consists of the following actions:

After each visit to the toilet you must wash yourself
The pad should not be used for more than 4 hours
tampons and caps cannot be used to collect secretions - lochia must flow freely from the vagina so as not to be a medium for the active growth of pathogenic microflora
Until the lochia is completely resolved and the gynecologist has examined you, sexual intercourse should be avoided

Following these rules will help prevent severe consequences: infection and purulent processes.

Causes of greenish discharge after childbirth

The occurrence of problems uncharacteristic for the recovery period greenish discharge from the vagina, indicates the presence of a serious disease - endometritis. Its cause is a bacterial infection of the surface of the uterus, which could be caused by poor contractility this organ. This, in turn, leads to the fact that lochia accumulates in the uterine cavity and an inflammatory process begins, flowing into purulent.

Endometritis is also accompanied by additional symptoms:

temperature rise
pain in the lower abdomen
weakness and discomfort
unpleasant vaginal odor and discharge

Treatment for endometritis should include antibacterial therapy , and its untimeliness can lead to infertility or sepsis and, as a consequence, lethal outcome.

Discharge after childbirth with odor

One of the sure symptoms of endometritis is initial stages is unpleasant smell, which comes from secretions. Of course, the smell of lochia is far from the aromas of vanilla, but putrid, repulsive stench should not come from them.

Any woman will be wary if liquid flows from her vagina with the smell of pus or rot. If you happen to encounter this, then do not waste your precious time, but immediately hurry to the doctor!

A similar smell can also indicate such unpleasant diseases How chlamydia or about others infectious diseases genital organs, so you shouldn’t expect the problem to disappear on its own - it’s extremely dangerous for Your health.

Why is there little discharge after childbirth?

During the first week there should be lochia intense. This indicates that the uterus is contracting well and discharge does not accumulate in its cavity, but comes out. Scanty discharge at this time or their complete cessation should be very alarming - something is preventing the lochia from leaving the uterus.

In the first week, the pad is changed every 2-3 hours, which indicates a significant intensity of discharge

If in postpartum period the uterus was poorly examined by an obstetrician, then there is a risk that some part remains in its cavity membrane. Even if its size is small and it does not interfere with the flow of lochia, its presence in the uterus can cause purulent processes.

It could also block the exit of the lochias blood clot, which was formed during the bleeding process. If the problem scanty discharge after childbirth lies in this, then on an ultrasound the doctor will definitely find a clot and the uterus will be subject to cleaning.

Can there be discharge from the breast after childbirth?

During pregnancy, a woman gets to experience the first physiological discharge from the breast, which is called colostrum. It is this incredibly useful natural product that the baby will eat for the first 24 hours before production begins. milk. But can any be the norm? other secretions from the chest?

Other than colostrum and milk, no discharge from the breast not considered normal. If they have greenish color or brightly visible admixture of blood, then you must urgently inform your doctor about this, since the cause of this phenomenon may be breast tumor, hormonal disorders and even cancer.

If there is discharge from the breast purulent fluid has an unpleasant odor, and this occurs against the background of rising temperature, this may indicate the development mastitis- inflammatory process in the mammary gland.

How to prevent severe complications during postpartum discharge?

- a natural process and it should not overshadow the joys of motherhood. In addition, this is also an indicator of how correctly the body and, in particular, genitals return to pre-pregnancy state. Therefore, it is extremely important to monitor your well-being and watch the discharge, and if you notice any deviation from the norm, you should inform your gynecologist.

You should consult if:

The intensity of the discharge is such that the need arises more often than once every 1.5 hours change the gasket designed for 4-6 drops
a week later the discharge still continues to be profuse and blood-red
sharp the discharge has stopped without going through all the described stages of changing color and intensity
present in the discharge large clots
smell and color lochia is not normal
rises temperature
discharge is accompanied pain and discomfort in a stomach

Take care of your health after childbirth, because Your task- recover faster in order to give as much attention and care as possible to a tiny person, who just came into being.