Lochia Explained

In the field of obstetrics, lochia is the vaginal discharge after giving birth, containing blood, mucus, and uterine tissue.[1] Lochia discharge typically continues for four to eight weeks after childbirth,[2] a time known as the postpartum period or puerperium. A 2016 review ties this "lochial period" to worldwide customs of postpartum confinement, a time for the new mother and baby to bond.[3]

Lochia is sterile for the first two days, but not so by the third or fourth day, as the uterus begins to be colonized by vaginal commensals such as non-hemolytic streptococci and E. coli.[4] The Cleveland Clinic recommends that pads be used instead of tampons to absorb the fluid as materials should not be inserted in the vagina soon after childbirth.[5]

Stages

It progresses through three stages:[6]

  1. Lochia rubra (or cruenta) is the first discharge, composed of blood, shreds of fetal membranes, decidua, vernix caseosa, lanugo and membranes. It is red in color because of the large amount of blood it contains. It lasts 1 to 4 days after birth, before easing to light "spotting".[7]
  2. 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. Lochia serosa which persists to some weeks after birth can indicate late postpartum hemorrhaging, and should be reported to a physician.
  3. Lochia alba (or purulenta) is the name for lochia once it has turned whitish or yellowish-white. It typically lasts from the second through the third to sixth weeks after delivery. It contains fewer red blood cells and is mainly made up of leukocytes, epithelial cells, cholesterol, fat, mucus and microorganisms. Continuation beyond a few weeks can indicate a genital lesion, which should be reported to a physician.

Complications

In general, lochia has an odor similar to that of normal menstrual fluid. Any offensive odor or change to a greenish color indicates contamination by organisms such as chlamydia or staph saprophyticus.[8]

Lochia that is retained within the uterus is known as lochiostasis[9] or lochioschesis, and can result in lochiometra[10] (distention of the uterus - pushing it out of shape). Lochiorrhea describes an excessive flow of lochia and can indicate infection.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Murkoff . Heidi . Heidi Murkoff . Eisenberg . Arlene . Hathaway . Sandee . 2002 . What To Expect When You're Expecting . 3rd . Workman . New York . 0-7611-2132-3 . 383 . This discharge of leftover blood, muscus, and tissue from your uterus, known as lochia, is normally as heavy as (and sometimes even heavier than) a menstrual period for the first three to ten postpartum days. . registration .
  2. Oppenheimer . LW . Sherriff . EA . Goodman . JD . Shah . D . James . CE . July 1986 . The duration of lochia . Br J Obstet Gynaecol . 3755355 . 93 . 7 . 754–757 . 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1986.tb08063.x . 221487083 .
  3. Sharma S, van Teijlingen E, Hundley V, Angell C, Simkhada P. Dirty and 40 days in the wilderness: Eliciting childbirth and postnatal cultural practices and beliefs in Nepal. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2016;16(1):147. Published July 5 2016.
  4. Book: Hanretty, Kevin P. . Illustrated by Ian Ramsden and Robin Callander . 2009 . Obstetrics Illustrated . 7th . Churchill-Livingston . 978-0-7020-3066-6 . 337 . 13 November 2013.
  5. Web site: Pregnancy: Physical Changes After Delivery . Cleveland Clinic . 16 August 2024.
  6. Sherman . D. . Lurie . S. . Frenkel . E. . Kurzweil . Y. . Bukovsky . I. . Arieli . S. . 1999 . Characteristics of normal lochia . Am J Perinatol . 10772198 . 10.1055/s-1999-6818 . 16 . 8 . 399–402.
  7. Web site: Postpartum Bleeding: What To Expect and How To Manage It . Yoppie.com .
  8. Web site: What Is Lochia . Elite Doula .
  9. Web site: lochioschesis - definition of lochioschesis in the Medical dictionary - by the Free Online Medical Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. .
  10. Web site: lochiometra - definition of lochiometra at the Free Dictionary by Farlex .
  11. Web site: Shevtsova . Maria . . Postpartum Bleeding – The Healing Wound . Mother How . Also, a profuse lochia discharge three weeks after childbirth can be a of lochiorrhea. Lochiorrhea may indicate an infectious disease in a woman or a sign of disturbed blood coagulation..

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