What are the signs of abnormal lochia?

How do I know my lochia requires a doctor's attention?
  • Excessive bleeding (saturating a pad in less than an hour).
  • Getting abnormally large, golf ball sized clots.
  • Foul-smelling bleeding or discharge.
  • Severe cramping.
  • Feeling nausea and dizziness.
  • Blurred vision.
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What are the abnormalities of lochia?

However, there are signs of abnormal bleeding or discharge you should watch for. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience the following symptoms in the weeks after giving birth: Greenish vaginal discharge. Foul-smelling odor (worse smelling than your usual period).
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How do I know if my lochia is normal?

Lochia (vaginal discharge)

Lochia for the first 3 days after delivery is dark red in color. A few small blood clots, no larger than a plum, are normal. For the fourth through tenth day after delivery, the lochia will be more watery and pinkish to brownish in color.
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When is lochia not normal?

This is known as lochia. It's how your body gets rid of the extra blood and tissue in your uterus that helped your baby grow. Bleeding is heaviest the first few days after your baby is born. But if heavy bleeding continues after that, you may need to call your doctor.
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How do you know if your lochia is infected?

Symptoms of Infections of the Uterus After Delivery

Symptoms of uterine infections commonly include pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, fever (usually within 1 to 3 days after delivery), paleness, chills, a general feeling of illness or discomfort, and often headache and loss of appetite.
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What Is Normal Bleeding After Birth And Labor? | How Much Bleeding After Labor It Too Much? | Lochia



What are signs of infection after giving birth?

Other signs of a postpartum infection include:
  • Soreness, tenderness, or swelling of the belly or abdomen.
  • Chills.
  • Pain while urinating or during sex.
  • Abnormal vaginal discharge that has a bad smell or blood in it.
  • A general feeling of discomfort or unwellness.
  • Headache.
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What are the postpartum warning signs that could indicate infection?

Symptoms of uterine infections commonly include pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis, fever (usually within 1 to 3 days after delivery), paleness, chills, a general feeling of illness or discomfort, and often headache and loss of appetite. The heart rate is often rapid. The uterus is swollen, tender, and soft.
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What are the 3 different types of lochia?

Three types of lochia color patterns were identified: type 1--rubra-->serosa-->alba sequence (n = 20); type 2-rubra-->serosa-->alba sequence with prolonged rubra phase and short serosa and alba phases (n = 11); and type 3-with two rubra phases (rubra-->serosa/alba-->rubra-->serosa/alba sequence with near-equal duration ...
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How much lochia is normal after birth?

In fact, women typically bleed up to a half-quart of blood following a normal delivery and up to a quart of blood after a cesarean section (C-section). However, about 3 to 5 percent of new moms experience excessive blood loss, or postpartum hemorrhage.
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How much lochia is too much?

If you pass a lot of large blood clots or more than a pint of blood in the first 24 hours, talk to a health professional immediately.
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What does yellow lochia mean?

The body goes through many changes after having a baby, and having some yellow discharge after birth is normal. This type of discharge is called “lochia.” It is part of the body's way of healing itself after delivery, and it is a normal part of recovery after a vaginal birth or cesarean section (C-section).
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What colour is lochia serosa?

Lochia serosa is the term for lochia that has thinned and turned brownish or pink in color. It contains serous exudate, erythrocytes, leukocytes, cervical mucus and microorganisms. This stage continues until around the tenth day after delivery.
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What is abnormal postpartum bleeding?

Postpartum hemorrhage (also called PPH) is when a woman has heavy bleeding after giving birth. It's a serious but rare condition. It usually happens within 1 day of giving birth, but it can happen up to 12 weeks after having a baby. About 1 to 5 in 100 women who have a baby (1 to 5 percent) have PPH.
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How do you clean lochia?

Gently pat dry with clean toilet paper or clean wipes. Change the sanitary pad after every void or bowel movement, or at least 4x a day. Both lochia and feces are a medium for bacteria. If you have delivered vaginally, soaking in a bath tub can also help with cleaning and wound healing.
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What postpartum symptoms should not be ignored?

In general, warning signs of serious health conditions include chest pain, trouble breathing, heavy bleeding and extreme pain. If you have any of these signs or symptoms, call your provider right away. If you think your life is in danger, call emergency services (911) or go to the emergency room.
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Can lochia stop and start again?

Conclusions: Lochia lasted substantially longer than the conventional assumption of 2 weeks. It was common for postpartum bleeding to stop and start again or to be characterized by intermittent spotting or bleeding. Return of menses is rare among fully breast-feeding women in the first 8 weeks postpartum.
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What is the final stage of lochia?

Finally, the lighter bleeding of the lochia serosa stage will fade into discharge; the lochia color will now be more yellowish but can sometimes be mixed with a bit of spotting. This is the final lochia stage, called lochia alba, and it may last for up to six weeks after delivery.
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What are three postpartum complications?

Common postpartum complications

Infection or sepsis. Excessive bleeding after giving birth (hemorrhage) A disease of the heart muscle that makes it harder for your heart to pump blood to the rest of your body (cardiomyopathy)
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What are the symptoms of uterus infection?

Symptoms
  • Pain — ranging from mild to severe — in your lower abdomen and pelvis.
  • Unusual or heavy vaginal discharge that may have an unpleasant odor.
  • Unusual bleeding from the vagina, especially during or after sex, or between periods.
  • Pain during sex.
  • Fever, sometimes with chills.
  • Painful, frequent or difficult urination.
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What is the most common cause of postpartum infection?

The majority of postpartum infections result from physiologic and iatrogenic trauma to the abdominal wall and reproductive, genital, and urinary tracts that occur during childbirth or abortion, which allows for the introduction of bacteria into these normally sterile environments.
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How do you check lochia after giving birth?

Lochia is assessed during the postpartum period: Saturating one pad in less than an hour, a constant trickle of lochia, or the presence of large (i.e., golf-ball sized) blood clots is indicative of more serious complications and should be investigated immediately.
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What kind of discharge is normal after giving birth?

This is called vaginal discharge or lochia. For the first few days, it's heavy, bright red and may contain blood clots. Over time, the flow gets less and lighter in color. You may have discharge for a few weeks or even for a month or more.
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What is the duration of lochia?

Each woman completed a diary sheet describing the colour and duration of her lochia for up to 60 days post partum. The phases of lochia were divided according to the classical description; lochia rubra, serosa and alba. The median total duration of lochia was 33 days, lochia rubra 4 days and lochia serosa 22 days.
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