Is it normal for lochia to be black in color?

A woman's body will undergo many changes immediately after giving birth. Women will have a process of lochia discharge after giving birth. It is normal for women to have lochia. Women should pay attention to rest after giving birth, avoid excessive fatigue, and make sure their diet is adequate. Some women experience black lochia, while some women don’t know whether this is normal. Is it normal for lochia to be dark in color? Let’s take a look at it next.

1. Is it normal for lochia to be black in color?

Postpartum lochia is caused by the shedding of the uterine decidua. The shedding decidua contains blood-necrotic decidual tissue, which is collectively called lochia. Lochia is generally divided into three stages. The first stage is bloody lochia, which occurs 3-4 days after delivery. At this stage, the lochia contains a large amount of blood and is bright red in color. Sometimes a few small blood clots will appear. After 3-4 days, the bleeding gradually decreases, the serous fluid increases, and it turns into serous lochia. This period lasts about 10 days. Since the serous fluid contains more cervical mucus and white blood cells, it often has a fishy smell, which is normal. After another 10 days, about 2-3 weeks after delivery, the lochia gradually turns white. Normally, menstrual blood is not black. If there is black lochia, you need to consider whether there is infection or the possibility of residual fluid in the uterine cavity.

2. What is lochia?

Lochia refers to the residual bloody fluid left in the uterus after the delivery of the fetus and placenta. It is gradually discharged as the uterus contracts, with a total volume of 250 to 500 ml. It starts out dark red, gradually turns to light red, and finally to light yellow or white, has no odor, and lasts for 4 to 6 weeks.

3. Notes

1. The amount of lochia should become less and less. An increase in bloody lochia indicates that the uterus is not contracting well or there is residual placental tissue in the uterus, which requires immediate treatment. If the amount of serous or white lochia increases and lasts longer, it usually means that there is an infection in the uterine cavity and you should go to the hospital for examination and treatment.

2. The color of lochia should become lighter and lighter. If it gets deeper and deeper, it indicates that there are residual placenta or fetal membranes in the uterus, infection, or poor uterine contraction.

3. The smell of lochia ranges from bloody to no smell at all. If there is a foul smell, it usually indicates an infection in the uterus.