What to do if lochia is not clean after 42 days

After the birth of a newborn, the inside and outside of the woman's body are affected by external factors. The body becomes weak during the childbirth process, so women need to take care of themselves physiologically during this period. There is also a period of time after giving birth to discharge postpartum lochia, but some pregnant women need a longer time. What should I do if the postpartum lochia is not clear after 42 days?

What should I do if the lochia is not clean after 42 days?

There are roughly three types of female delivery situations: one is cesarean section, another is natural birth, and the other is induced labor. If the lochia contains a terrible smell, a foul odor, and fever 42 days after a caesarean section, it is often possible that there is an infection of the internal organs of the human body.

If the amount of lochia discharged after cesarean section continues to increase 42 days later, and gradually turns dark red or has clots, it means that the lochia will continue for a long time. The situation of lochia continuing after cesarean section should be taken very seriously, and you should go to the hospital for regular check-up and treatment in time.

If you choose to give birth naturally, the lochia discharged 42 days after delivery will have a terrible smell, but at this time there is no odor, and it is discharged in stages. This situation may be caused by infection after delivery or poor uterine repair, and needs to be analyzed and treated based on the examination results.

If you still have postpartum lochia one month after the induced abortion, if there are no other symptoms, you don't need to worry too much. You can see a doctor and get some Chinese herbal medicine for treatment, which can help the uterus repair. One month after the induced abortion, a color ultrasound should be performed to check the intrauterine repair status. If it is serious, it is recommended to do a B-ultrasound examination. If there are any abnormalities, medication should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.

How long does it take for postpartum lochia to be clear?

Postpartum lochia lasts about 3-4 weeks. The duration of postpartum lochia is not the same for everyone, but for most new mothers, the lochia will be discharged quickly about three weeks after giving birth. If the discharge continues for more than three weeks, it is called "lochia imperfection". In the TCM book “The Heart of Pregnancy and Childbirth” it is mentioned: “Because the menstruation is damaged during childbirth, the deficiency is insufficient and cannot be controlled, or the bad blood does not stop, then the good blood will not calm down and will flow down together, and will not stop for a long time.” Therefore, postpartum lochia that does not stop is often related to “deficiency” or “blood stasis”.

Causes of unclean lochia:

1. Tissue residues

Residual tissue may cause the symptoms to last longer, be mixed with blood clots, and be accompanied by bouts of abdominal pain. It may be due to uterine malformation, uterine fibroids and other reasons, or it may be due to the unskilled technical skills of the surgeon, resulting in the failure to completely eliminate the pregnancy tissue, causing some tissue to remain in the uterine cavity.

Another situation is that the bleeding suddenly increases 2-3 weeks after the pregnant woman gives birth, and even internal bleeding occurs. This may be due to poor uterine repair at the embryo adhesion site, remnants of the embryo's fetal membrane or decidua, or infection of the uterine wound.

2. Uterine contractions

If a pregnant woman experiences increased bleeding immediately after giving birth, it may be due to poor uterine contractions, birth canal lacerations, retained placenta, and coagulation abnormalities. This condition is postpartum hemorrhage, not as simple as postpartum lochia. At this time, most people go to the hospital and can receive proper treatment from medical staff on the spot and turn danger into safety.

3. Intrauterine infection

Intrauterine infection may be caused by having sex immediately after giving birth, taking a sitz bath, unclean sanitary napkins, or by reasons such as lax disinfection by the surgical operators. At this time, the lochia has an odor, the abdomen is tender and painful, and there is fever. A blood test shows an increase in the total white blood cell count.

4. Original symptoms

In addition to the increased duration of abnormal postpartum lochia, it will also be the color of rotten sauce or washed meat, and accompanied by a foul odor. It may also be accompanied by fever, abdominal pain, uterine tenderness, etc., which recur frequently. The causes of this phenomenon are generally due to cervical erosion, cervical polyps, or even cervical cancer.