How long is normal for postpartum lochia discharge?

How long it takes for lochia to be discharged after delivery is a question that bothers many mothers. Some mothers think it is abnormal that it takes a longer time to discharge lochia, so they will take some measures to discharge the lochia as soon as possible. In most cases, the lochia will be discharged within one month after delivery, and it is relatively normal. Let us take a closer look at this situation. We hope that expectant mothers will not worry too much, as this is all normal.

How long is normal for lochia to be discharged after childbirth?

After delivery, as the endometrium (especially the endometrium where the placenta is attached) falls off, mucus secreted by the uterus also flows out of the vagina. This is lochia. Normal lochia has a bloody smell, but it is not smelly. The total amount is about 500 to 1,000 ml. Generally speaking, lochia will clear up in about 3 weeks after delivery. In the first week after delivery, the amount of lochia is large and bright red. It contains a large amount of blood, small blood clots and necrotic decidual tissue, which is called red lochia.

After one week to half a month, the amount of blood in the lochia decreases, and there are more necrotic decidua, cervical mucus, vaginal secretions and bacteria, which makes the lochia turn into light red serous fluid. The lochia at this time is called serous lochia. After half a month to within 3 weeks, the lochia no longer contains blood, but contains a large number of white blood cells, degenerated decidua, epidermal cells and bacteria, making the lochia viscous and white in color, so it is called white lochia.

Treatment for persistent lochia Postpartum lochia refers to women with persistent lochia for more than 20 days after delivery. The cause of this disease is Chong and Ren meridians being diseased, resulting in abnormal circulation of Qi and blood. However, clinically there are distinctions between Qi deficiency, blood heat, and blood stasis. The commonly used effective folk remedies are mainly as follows.

[Method 1] 30 grams of Herba Lycopodii, 10 eggs, and 30 grams of brown sugar. Boil the herb of debility (if unavailable, use 30g of Codonopsis pilosula and 60g of Astragalus membranaceus instead) in water, remove the residue, then use the filtrate, brown sugar and eggs to cook until the eggs are cooked. Eat 2-3 eggs a day and you can make more after you finish eating. This prescription is suitable for postpartum lochia retention caused by qi deficiency.

[Method 2] 10 grams of ginseng, 1 black-bone chicken, and a little salt. Soak the ginseng until soft, slice it, stuff it into the chicken's belly, put it into a casserole, add salt, and stew it until the chicken is cooked through. Eat the meat and drink the soup, 2-3 times a day. This prescription is suitable for postpartum lochia retention due to qi deficiency.

To sum up, the question is how long it is normal for lochia to be discharged after delivery. 42 days after delivery, the lochia is almost completely discharged. However, if the mother has other special circumstances during this period, it is normal for the discharge of lochia to be delayed. So we don’t need to worry about this problem. As long as there are no abnormal symptoms, there is no problem in most cases.