In order to be ready for all the troubles of the postpartum period, it is better to know in advance how much blood goes after childbirth in time. It is clear that this process is not too pleasant, but without it, the restoration of the uterine cavity is impossible. So, the discharge after the birth of the baby, as a rule, lasts up to 1.5 months. A few decades ago, it was believed that during this period, mother and baby should not leave the house.
In medical practice, it is customary to call these secretions Lochia. They differ from normal menstrual periods in terms of discharge intensity and duration: in the first week they are quite plentiful, scarlet. After 7-10 days, they noticeably darken, acquire a brown tint, their number decreases markedly. It is believed that in the first day a woman can lose up to 300 ml of blood. And the allocation of a larger number is fraught with complications.
Given the fact that in many women pregnancy ends not with natural childbirth, but with a Caesarean section, it is interesting for women to know not only about blood after childbirth. How much is bleeding from the genital tract after surgery, they are worried no less. For some reason, there is a popular belief that after a cesarean, a young mother is only worried about a scar. But this is far from the case; interference with the natural process also affects the postpartum period: in such women it is delayed. Bloody discharge after surgery can last up to 2 months.
If you are interested in learning not only about the blood after childbirth (how much it goes, of course, it is important), but also about all the processes taking place in the body, then we will talk about the causes of the appearance of lochia. The discharge that a woman sees after the appearance of her baby is detachable tissue from the wound that formed at the site of attachment of the placenta, part of the internal mucous membrane of the uterus, and the sucrose. That is why in the first days the blood is bright red, and in the first hours a woman is observed by medical staff. After all, a woman in labor cannot know exactly how the blood looks after childbirth, how long the discharge process is, and how intense they should be.
With a bad contraction of the muscle layer of the uterus or internal tears, there is a chance of bleeding. If this happens, the obstetrician must additionally cure the uterine cavity and examine the integrity of the internal integument. In the case when there are no problems, already after 2 hours after the birth of the crumbs, the young mother moves to the ward with the baby. For another 3-7 days, the discharge is quite intense, often they come with clots. After the place of separation of the placenta begins to slowly heal, the lochia become not so plentiful, their color approaches brown. But be prepared for the fact that within a few weeks they can intensify with physical exertion or pressure on the stomach.
Each woman must know how much blood goes after childbirth, and monitor the abundance of discharge, so as not to miss the onset of problems. If you notice that the discharge from the genital tract has become more abundant and has changed color from brown to scarlet, it is better to go to the gynecologist. Also, the cessation of suckers should be too quick. This may indicate that all the separated contents accumulate in the uterus. And this, in turn, is fraught with the development of infection in it.
If you think that you have been bleeding for too long after giving birth, then this is also a reason to visit a doctor. But keep in mind, it’s natural that lochia lasts up to 6 weeks during normal childbirth and up to 8 after cesarean section.