Green discharge after childbirth

The period after women give birth is particularly important because their bodies are still in a state of insufficient qi and blood at this time, and most women will secrete some substances after giving birth, including green secretions. There are certain reasons to explain this situation, but many people don’t know about this green secretion. So what is the matter with green secretions after childbirth?

Lochia refers to the excess blood and turbid fluid left in the uterus after giving birth. It is caused by abnormal circulation of qi and blood, and blood stasis and qi stagnation. Postpartum lochia contains blood, necrotic uterine decidua, decidua at the placenta attachment site and other tissues, and congested blood and mucus that are discharged through the vagina.

In the first few days after delivery, the amount of lochia is relatively large and the color is bright red, so it is called red lochia, also known as bloody lochia, which generally lasts for 3 to 7 days. After 3 to 5 days, the amount of blood contained decreases and the lochia turns light red, called serous lochia. 10 to 14 days after delivery, the lochia is white or light yellow, called white lochia. Normal lochia has a bloody smell, but it is not foul. If there is a foul or fishy smell, it means that the uterus may be infected.

Postpartum lochia is yellow-green in color, which may be caused by local inflammation. Gynecological inflammation can cause increased secretions. Excessive secretions can stimulate local tissue mucosal congestion, edema and even exudation, and the exudate will aggravate the discomfort. Because the specific pathogens are different, they can have different effects on leucorrhea.

Repeated vaginal bleeding after delivery increases the possibility of local inflammation. It is recommended to conduct routine tests on leucorrhea in a timely manner, and actively carry out anti-inflammatory treatment after clarifying the type of inflammation.

The lochia that is discharged from a woman's vagina after childbirth is the normal secretion from the vagina after the uterus has healed. The duration varies from person to person, with an average of about 3 weeks (21 days), a shorter duration of 2 weeks (14 days), and a longer duration of up to 6 weeks (42 days).

Postpartum lochia will also change color from red to white over time. The specific process is as follows:

1. Bloody lochia: bright red in color, contains a lot of blood, large amount, and sometimes small blood clots. There is a small amount of fetal membrane and necrotic decidual tissue. Bloody lochia lasts for 3 to 4 days, the amount of uterine bleeding gradually decreases, the serous fluid increases, and it turns into serous lochia.

2. Light red in color and contains a lot of serous fluid. There is a small amount of blood, but there is a large amount of necrotic decidual tissue, cervical mucus, uterine exudate, and bacteria. Serous lochia lasts for about 10 days, the serous fluid gradually decreases, the white blood cells increase, and the lochia turns into white lochia.

3. White lochia: sticky and white in color. Contains a large number of white blood cells, necrotic tissue decidua, epidermal cells and bacteria. The white lochia lasted for 3 weeks.

Normal lochia has a bloody smell but no odor, lasts for 4 to 6 weeks, and the total amount is about 250ml-500ml, with large individual differences. By observing the lochia, paying attention to changes in its quality and quantity, color and odor, as well as the state of uterine recovery, you can understand whether the uterine recovery is normal.