After giving birth, women may find discharge from their vagina. Some women may feel very worried because they are not sure what kind of discharge it is. In fact, these secretions are commonly known as postpartum lochia. Therefore, some women want to know how long it takes for lochia to be completely discharged after childbirth?
After a woman finishes giving birth, lochia begins to be discharged from the vagina. After the fetus and placenta are delivered, the degenerated and necrotic iris tissue in the uterus gradually sheds, along with some residual blood turbidity, and is discharged from the body. Normally, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks for lochia to be completely discharged after childbirth in women.
Postpartum lochia in women can be divided into three stages based on the time, color, and characteristics of discharge: bloody lochia, serous lochia, and white lochia. Bloody lochia appears between 1 to 3 days postpartum, and women's vagina will excrete a large amount of blood and a small amount of necrotic iris tissue. The blood color is bright red and usually lasts for 3 to 4 days.
After bloody lochia, due to the decrease in blood content, the serum gradually increases and will transform into serous lochia. After one week, due to the decrease in serum and the increase in white blood cells, it will become a viscous white lochia, which contains a large number of white blood cells, necrotic iris tissue, epidermal cells, and bacteria. The duration of white lochia is relatively long, usually 2 to 3 weeks.
