What are the reasons for postpartum lochia?

If a mother experiences persistent lochia after childbirth, she should be examined and diagnosed promptly to find out the cause before receiving treatment. Common causes of persistent lochia include blood stasis, qi deficiency, blood heat, etc. Lochia that persists for more than twenty days is generally called persistent lochia and requires timely conditioning and treatment of the body.

Postpartum lochia does not stop. Lochia refers to the remaining blood and turbid fluid left in the uterus after delivery. Under normal circumstances, the lochia can be completely discharged within 20 days after delivery. But if the lochia continues after this period of time, it is called "retained lochia". It is usually caused by abnormal circulation of Qi and blood, blood stasis and Qi stagnation. If not treated in time and prolonged, it may affect the health of the mother and cause other diseases. Postpartum lochia that has not been completely eliminated may lead to local and systemic infection, and in severe cases, sepsis may occur. Failure to completely discharge lochia can easily induce late postpartum hemorrhage or even massive hemorrhage and shock, endangering the life of the mother.

Causes

The main reasons are abnormal circulation of Qi and blood, blood stasis and Qi stagnation, or Qi deficiency and inability to retain blood, as well as Yin deficiency and blood heat, all of which can lead to prolonged lochia.

1. Blood stasis

After childbirth, the placenta is empty and the evil cold enters the placenta and fights with the blood, forming blood stasis. The blood becomes cold and coagulated. Or due to emotional injury, the blood becomes stagnant. Or due to blood stasis after childbirth, the placenta and fetal membrane remain as blood stasis, which blocks the flow of blood inside the body and prevents the new blood from returning to the meridians. This results in poor blood flow and does not stop for a long time.

2. Qi deficiency

It is mostly caused by weak constitution, insufficient vital energy, and blood loss and damage to qi during childbirth. The vital energy becomes weaker, or it may be due to premature overwork after childbirth, which damages the spleen and causes qi deficiency and sinking, resulting in the Chong and Ren meridians being unstable and unable to retain blood.

3. Blood heat

The parturient has yin and blood deficiency, and because of blood loss during delivery, the yin fluid is depleted, and yin deficiency causes blood heat. It may be due to excessive consumption of spicy, warm and dry foods after childbirth, or due to the invasion of heat evil, or stagnation of heat in the liver, which causes heat to accumulate in the Chong and Ren meridians, forcing blood to move downward, resulting in continued lochia.