What is lochia and what causes it?
Lochia is postpartum bleeding and discharge. Your uterus is essentially “starting fresh” and shedding any blood, tissue and other materials from months of pregnancy. Lochia is made up of: Blood. The tissue lining of your uterus. Amniotic fluid. Bacteria and microorganisms. Any leftover fetal membranes. Cervical mucus.
What does lochia look like during pregnancy?
The duration of each stage and the way lochia looks can vary. Lochia is postpartum bleeding and vaginal discharge. It has three stages and lasts up to six weeks. Lochia rubra is the first stage of lochia. You can expect: Dark or bright red blood. Lasts for three to four days. Flows like a heavy period. Small clots are normal.
What is lochia and how long does it last?
It’s a type of discharge that’s similar to your menstrual period, and typically lasts for four to six weeks postdelivery. It contains: Like a period, this bleeding is caused by the shedding and restoration of your uterine lining. At first, the lochia will be mostly blood. As the days and weeks pass, you’ll likely see more mucus than blood.
What are the signs and symptoms of lochia rubra?
Lochia rubra is the first stage of lochia. You can expect: Dark or bright red blood. Lasts for three to four days. Flows like a heavy period. Small clots are normal. Mild, period-like cramping. Lochia serosa is the term for the second stage of lochia. You can expect: Pinkish brown discharge that’s less bloody looking.
When should I be concerned about lochia?
You should contact your doctor if you notice any of the following, which could be signs of an infection or another more serious condition such as postpartum hemorrhage: Very large clots (think the size of a lemon or larger) A very heavy flow — enough to soak through a maxi pad every hour.
What are the 3 types of lochia?
You'll go through three postpartum bleeding stages: lochia rubra, lochia serosa and lochia alba.
What is considered abnormal postpartum bleeding?
According to medical experts, blood loss or postpartum bleeding is excessive when it's more than 500 milliliters of blood after vaginal birth and more than 1,000 milliliters after a C-section. This can cause a lot of complications that can put overall health at risk.
What are the 3 characteristics of lochia?
Lochia is dark or bright red for at least three or four days. The flow is heavy, and you may also pass small clots. You can expect to soak one thick maxi pad every two to three hours. After about a week, lochia is more watery and transitions to a pinkish brown color.
What is a normal lochia?
Lochia (vaginal discharge) Lochia is the vaginal discharge you have after a vaginal delivery. It has a stale, musty odor like menstrual discharge. Lochia for the first 3 days after delivery is dark red in color. A few small blood clots, no larger than a plum, are normal.
Can lochia cause infection?
Lochia usually clears up on its own without incident, but there is a risk of infection or hemorrhage (too much blood loss). Contact your healthcare provider if any of the following occurs:3.
Is bright red blood 3 weeks postpartum normal?
This is all a normal part of the postpartum transition of the uterus. Occasionally, a week or two after your bleeding seems to have stopped, you may have a sudden gush of bright red blood. This is the normal process of the placental site scab coming off. This too will taper off over a few days.
How do you know if you are overdoing it postpartum?
If your postnatal bleeding (lochia) gets heavier or changes colour (becomes pink or red) after activity, you could be overdoing it. You're also likely to feel very tired. Listen to your body. Pace yourself and make sure you get plenty of rest too.
How can I make my lochia go away faster?
What Can I Do to Reduce Lochia Bleeding?Have your caregiver or nurse to massage your uterus.Breastfeed, if you can. ... Pee as often as you can. ... Don't overdue activity—this can get in the way of healing.You can get a shot of Pitocin to help your uterus contract faster, but it isn't necessary for most moms.
Why is my lochia not stopping?
This is known as lochia. It's how your body gets rid of the extra blood and tissue in your uterus that helped your baby grow. Bleeding is heaviest the first few days after your baby is born. But if heavy bleeding continues after that, you may need to call your doctor.
What affects lochia?
Lochia is a combination of blood, tissue from the uterine lining, and bacteria. It can also look different inflow depending on the amount of time postpartum you are. From heavy to light, even laying down versus standing up can affect what level of flow you experience.
What causes lochia to last longer?
Lochia that remain red and abundant for longer than usual may indicate delayed involution of the uterus, which may be due to retention of a piece of placenta within the uterus and/or to infection. If placental tissue is retained the uterus remains enlarged and this may show on an ultrasound scan.
What is rubra lochia?
Lochia rubra (or cruenta) is the first discharge, composed of blood, shreds of fetal membranes, decidua, vernix caseosa, lanugo and membranes. It is red in color because of the large amount of blood it contains. It lasts 1 to 4 days after birth, before easing to light "spotting".
How do you know if your lochia is infected?
Symptoms and signs may include:fever.pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis caused by a swollen uterus.foul-smelling vaginal discharge.pale skin, which can be a sign of large volume blood loss.chills.feelings of discomfort or illness.headache.loss of appetite.More items...•
What is the last stage of lochia?
Lochia alba Finally, the lighter bleeding of the lochia serosa stage will fade into discharge; the lochia color will now be more yellowish but can sometimes be mixed with a bit of spotting. This is the final lochia stage, called lochia alba, and it may last for up to six weeks after delivery.
What if lochia does not stop?
This is known as lochia. It's how your body gets rid of the extra blood and tissue in your uterus that helped your baby grow. Bleeding is heaviest the first few days after your baby is born. But if heavy bleeding continues after that, you may need to call your doctor.
What is a lochia?
Lochia is a normal part of postpartum healing in which the uterus sheds blood and tissue no longer needed to sustain the pregnancy.
What does Lochia smell like?
Lochia typically smells similar to a menstrual period and may smell slightly metallic, stale, or musty. It shouldn't smell foul.
How long does it take for a cesarean delivery to cause less lochia?
People who have a cesarean delivery may have less lochia after 24 hours than those who have vaginal deliveries. 3
Is lochia a bleed?
Also known as postpartum bleeding, lochia is a normal part of healing after giving birth in which blood and mucus are discharged vaginally. It is usually no cause for concern, but there are things to look for to make sure the process is happening as expected.
How many stages are there in the lochia?
There are three stages, or "types," of lochia. The duration of each stage can vary from person to person. 2
Does lochia require treatment?
Unless there are complications like infection, lochia does not require treatment.
Does Lochia clear up on its own?
Lochia usually clears up on its own without incident , but there is a risk of infection or hemorrhage (too much blood loss).
Why do you research Lochia?
Do your research about Lochia because there are some things that are normal and somethings that are not normal.
How to tell if blood is thick?
Your blood will look bright red and will be very thick. You will also notice small, medium, and large clots. For the first couple of days, medical staff will "massage" your stomach to push out the blood to prevent large clots from forming. While they are massaging you will feel gushes of blood.
What causes the placenta to thicken?
Blood from the wound site where the placenta detached from the uterine wall. Cervical mucous. "When you're pregnant, hormones cause the uterine lining to thicken to support the placenta ," says OB-GYN Christine Masterson, M.D., chief of the women and children's service line at Summit Medical Group in New Jersey.
Do women with csections have lochia?
However, women who have had c-sections will not have as much. "Typically women who have had a cesarean section will have less lochia because we manually clean the uterus out with a swab to make sure we removed all of the placenta and membranes," says Amy Magneson, M.D., an OB-GYN with CareMount Medical in New York.
How long does it take for lochia to go away after a C section?
Still, you’ll probably see some blood for a few weeks. The color of the blood will change from red to brown to yellow or clear just as you would see after a vaginal delivery.
What is the blood that comes out of a baby after birth called?
The blood you see after childbirth is called lochia. It’s a type of discharge that’s similar to your menstrual period, and typically lasts for four to six weeks postdelivery. It contains: Like a period, this bleeding is caused by the shedding and restoration of your uterine lining.
Does lochia have mucus?
At first, the lochia will be mostly blood. As the days and weeks pass, you’ll likely see more mucus than blood.
What color is lochia discharge?
Between the fifth and tenth day, lochia should change to pinkish-brown or brown. After this, the discharge will then become white or yellowish, be free of blood clots, and have a sharp odor. Discharge is an important indicator of health, so make sure to keep track of it.
What to do if you notice abnormalities?
If you notice any abnormalities, consult a health care provider.
Can a placenta accreta cause PPH?
These three conditions are differentiated by the abnormality (i.e., depth) of their attachment to the uterine wall. When placenta accreta occurs, it can cause PPH, especially when the OB-GYN attempts to remove the placenta.
How many stages of Lochia are there?
There are 3 stages of lochia, each one progressing to the next.
Why does my lochia bleed red?
Many women may also notice a “gush” of blood when they stand up after sitting, due to blood pooling within the vagina. During the Rubra stage, lochia bleeding will be bright red and may have some clots, but these clots shouldn’t be big or difficult to pass.
How long does it take for a lochia to turn pink?
The Second Stage: Lochia Serosa. The Serosa stage lasts about 10 days, beginning when postpartum bleeding transitions from bright red to pink, or even to brown. At this point, there are proportionately more white blood cells than red blood cells in the lochia, which is the primary reason for the change in color.
What is the thick layer of blood that is built up after a baby is born?
Thanks to high levels of estrogen and progesterone, the endometrium, or the wall of the uterus, has been building up a nice thick layer of blood, placental tissue, endometrial lining, and mucus. So after the baby is born and the placenta is delivered, there is still a heap of tissue, known as lochia, that needs to clear the uterus ...
Is lochia a menstrual bleed?
However, lochia is made up of more than just red blood cells, and it is also not a menstrual bleed—although it certainly seems to make up for the 9 months of not menstruating! So let’s talk about what lochia is, what the first four to six weeks look like for fertility charting postpartum as you wait for lochia to resolve, ...
