How long does it take for menstruation to come after lochia is cleared?

As we all know, after giving birth to a baby, the pregnant woman's body also has waste or harmful substances discharged from the body, which is what we often call postpartum lochia, but the pregnant mother has just given birth. Menstruation will come as scheduled, so what is the difference between postpartum lochia and menstruation? How to determine postpartum lochia and menstrual period? Below, let’s take a look at it together.

What is the difference between postpartum lochia and menstruation?

Generally, after giving birth, the mother will have bloody discharge from the birth canal, similar to menstruation. This bleeding from the implantation site of the embryo is called postpartum lochia.

Within one week after giving birth, there is more blood in the lochia, so the lochia also has bright red or dark red blood clots and a slightly fishy smell; afterwards, the color of the lochia will gradually become lighter and dark brown, which is called serous lochia; serous lochia usually lasts about ten days, and the lochia gradually turns into milky white or yellowish white, a bit similar to vaginal secretions, which is called white lochia. Normal postpartum lochia has a fishy smell but no peculiar smell. It usually lasts for 4-6 weeks and the total output is 250-500ml.

After the postpartum lochia gradually turns into white lochia, it turns into bleeding for no reason. The amount is the same as the previous menstrual flow or slightly more than the previous amount, but there is no other discomfort. It is very likely that the menstruation has resumed. Generally speaking, for most mothers, the amount of their first menstrual period after giving birth is larger than that before pregnancy, and it will be over within a week.

The time when menstruation resumes varies greatly with one's physical condition and may be different for everyone.

Normally, during the breastfeeding period, due to the secretion of male hormones, there is no menstrual discharge. In most cases, menstruation will not begin until some time after weaning. However, the physical fitness of each person is different, and there are also great differences. Many mothers start having their periods while breastfeeding.

How long does it take for your period to come after a cesarean section?

The resumption of menstruation after childbirth is related to whether the mother is breastfeeding, the length of breastfeeding, the mother's age and the recovery capacity of the ovaries. How long does it take for menstruation to come after a caesarean section? It has no uniformity in time. Generally speaking, for new mothers who do not breastfeed, their menstruation usually resumes 6-10 weeks after giving birth, and ovulation resumes around 10 weeks after giving birth. The menstrual period of new breastfeeding mothers is delayed. Some mothers never have menstruation during breastfeeding, while others have menstruation after several months. On average, ovulation resumes 4-6 months after giving birth. However, ovulation may have already been restored before the menstrual period has not resumed, so if you have sex, you must use contraceptive methods.

How long it takes for menstruation to come after cesarean section will be different for different mothers, and there are great individual differences. For example, breastfeeding mothers will come later, and if they do come, the amount of milk will generally decrease. At the same time, it will cause changes in the amount of protein and fat in the milk. Therefore, it is recommended to stop breastfeeding at this time. Therefore, it is recommended to go to the hospital for regular check-ups to see if you are healthy and whether it will affect your baby.