What should I do if bleeding starts again after the lochia is clear?

After giving birth, women will have a period of bleeding. This is the process of expelling waste attached to the uterus, which is called lochia. Lochia is very similar to menstruation and lasts for about a week. However, some women find that during their confinement period, although the lochia has disappeared, they bleed again after a few days. What is going on and what should they do?

What if I bleed again after the lochia is clean?

If it is lochia, then you need to see what color it is. If it is as red as menstrual period for several days, then it may be menstruation. Generally, the menstrual period resumes 6 weeks after delivery. If the color is bright red and there are no other discomforts, it can be considered as menstruation. Generally, non-breastfeeding women will resume menstruation 6-8 weeks after delivery, while breastfeeding women may resume menstruation as early as 8 weeks or as late as a year after delivery. For most people, the first menstrual flow is heavier than usual, but the second menstruation will be normal.

After a woman gives birth, the decidua attached to the placenta begins to fall off, containing necrotic tissue, blood, etc., which are all discharged through the lower body. This excrement has a slight bloody smell and lasts for as short as two weeks or as long as six weeks, with most cases lasting three weeks. The total excretion is between 500 and 1000 ml.

Generally, the discharge can be completely eliminated about one month after the birth of the new mother, but for a small number of women, it may continue until the first menstruation. In the week before discharge, the discharge is mostly red in color and large in volume. After a week, the discharge volume gradually decreases and turns into brown. After 10 days, the color begins to turn into white, and the fishy smell gradually fades.

1. Blood type lochia

It is the red discharge that flows out after delivery, which contains a lot of blood, a large amount of discharge, a small amount of fetal membrane and necrotic decidual tissue, and is accompanied by blood clots. It usually lasts about 4 days, after which the color will gradually become lighter and the amount of discharge will decrease.

2. Lochia

It often appears one week after delivery. The amount of blood will gradually decrease, while the serous components will increase, which are mostly bacteria, cervical mucus, necrotic exfoliated tissue, etc., and it lasts about 10 days.

What to do if lochia does not stop

1. Actively treat various pregnancy diseases before delivery, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome, anemia, vaginitis, etc.

2. For patients with premature rupture of membranes and prolonged labor, antibiotics should be given to prevent infection.

3. After delivery, carefully check whether the placenta and fetal membranes are complete. If there are any residues, deal with them in time. Check the placenta and fetal membranes. Lay the placenta flat with the mother facing up, and pay attention to whether the lobes can be aligned and whether there are any defects. Then lift the fetal membrane to check whether it is intact, and pay attention to whether there are abnormal blood vessels passing through the fetal membrane. If there are broken blood vessels, it means that there may be a "accessory placenta" remaining in the uterus. If the placenta is incomplete or most of the fetal membrane remains, it must be removed by hand or with instruments into the uterine cavity under strict disinfection to prevent postpartum hemorrhage or infection. If a small part of the fetal membrane remains, uterotonics can be used after delivery to promote its natural discharge.

4. Adhere to breastfeeding, which is beneficial to uterine contraction and the discharge of lochia.

5. Observe the color, amount and smell of lochia every day after delivery. Normal lochia should be odorless but have a bloody smell. If an odor is found, it may be that there are fetal residues in the uterus and should be treated immediately.

6. Measure the degree of uterine contraction regularly. If you find that the contraction is poor, you should ask a doctor to prescribe uterotonics.