How to distinguish menstruation after childbirth

Many women who have just given birth cannot accurately distinguish between lochia and menstruation, and do not know when their menstruation will come and when their lochia will come after giving birth. In fact, the vaginal secretion after giving birth is actually lochia, which will last for about three weeks and change color over time. Menstruation will come about six months after breastfeeding and about two to three months after not breastfeeding. This article introduces the problem in detail, let’s take a look.

Postpartum lochia refers to the discharge of blood, necrotic decidua and other tissues through the vagina along with the shedding of the uterine decidua after delivery. It is called lochia and is a normal phenomenon in the postpartum period.

Normal lochia can generally be divided into three types: the first type is bloody lochia, which is bright red, large in amount, and occasionally accompanied by small blood clots. It usually lasts less than 3 days, and then the amount of bleeding gradually decreases and the serous fluid increases. It then turns into the second type, serous lochia, which contains a large amount of serous fluid and is light red in color. It usually lasts for 4-14 days, after which the serous fluid gradually decreases and the white blood cell count increases. It will turn into the third type, namely white lochia, which contains a large number of white blood cells, is white in color, and has a thick texture. It usually lasts for about 3 weeks and then it will be clear.

Of course, each mother's physical condition is different, and the manifestations of lochia are also different. Lochia has a bloody smell but no odor. It usually lasts for 4-6 weeks and the total amount is about 500ml. If the discharge exceeds this range and there is still a lot of lochia, it means that the lochia is not completely discharged after delivery. The most common causes of postpartum lochia are poor uterine involution, infection, or residual placental and fetal membrane tissue. You should seek medical attention promptly to find out the cause and treat it as soon as possible.

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

How long it takes for postpartum lochia to clean up is a question that mothers are concerned about. Postpartum lochia can usually be discharged within 3 weeks (21 days) after delivery. Postpartum lochia is the secretion discharged from the genitals by the healed uterus. However, the time it takes for the lochia to stop can vary from person to person. For some women, it can be as short as 2 weeks (14 days), while for others it can take an average of 6 weeks (42 days).

The color of postpartum lochia will change from red to white over time. The specific process is as follows: 1. Bloody lochia. 3-4 days after delivery, the stool is bright red and contains a large amount of blood, sometimes with small blood clots. 2. Light red in color and contains a lot of serous fluid. It lasts for about 10 days, with a small amount of blood but more necrotic decidual tissue. 3. White lochia. It lasts for 3 weeks and is clean, sticky and white in color. Contains a large number of white blood cells, necrotic tissue decidua, epidermal cells and bacteria.

How long will it take for menstruation to come after giving birth?

1. Pregnant women who do not breastfeed will have their menstruation after 2-3 months, while mothers who breastfeed their babies will have their menstruation after about 6 months. Moreover, irregular menstruation after childbirth is normal and will gradually become regular. The mother's ovaries will resume ovulation function about 45 days after delivery, so you must pay attention to contraception.

2. After delivery, the estrogen and progesterone levels of the mother drop sharply and return to normal in about a week. However, the time it takes for ovarian function to recover varies. For non-breastfeeding mothers, menstruation resumes on average 6-8 weeks after delivery, and ovulation resumes about 10 weeks after delivery. On average, breastfeeding women will resume menstruation 4-6 months after delivery, and ovulation may resume at the same time. Some women will not have menstruation during breastfeeding. Therefore, experts remind mothers that if they have sexual intercourse after giving birth, they must take effective contraceptive measures to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

3. Regarding the common question of how long it takes for menstruation to come after delivery, the answer is that there is no fixed time. Generally speaking, under normal circumstances, theoretically, menstruation will come six to eight weeks after delivery. But mothers who breastfeed their babies will come later, but experts will recommend breastfeeding because breastfeeding has many benefits: A. Promote postpartum recovery, promote uterine contraction, prevent postpartum hemorrhage and reduce pelvic congestion. B can prolong the period of no menstruation after childbirth and achieve the effect of natural contraception. C Mothers consume about 400 to 600 calories per day by breastfeeding, which can help them regain their figure sooner. D Research statistics show that mothers who breastfeed have a lower risk of breast cancer.

4. Is personal constitution related to postpartum amenorrhea? This is a matter of opinion. Currently, genetics involving drug inheritance and physical effects are relatively new research topics. However, from personal experience, physical stress, such as surgery, anesthesia, extremely intense exercise, and emotional stress, can cause an increase in prolactin secretion. All of these physiological stimuli lead to an increase in prolactin secretion, and the effect is more obvious in women.