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]
It progresses through three stages:[5]
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.[7]
Lochia that is retained within the uterus is known as lochiostasis[8] or lochioschesis, and can result in lochiometra[9] (distention of the uterus - pushing it out of shape). Lochiorrhea describes an excessive flow of lochia and can indicate infection.[10]
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.
Also, a profuse lochia discharge three weeks after childbirth can be a sing of lochiorrhea. Lochiorrhea may indicate an infectious disease in a woman or a sign of disturbed blood coagulation.
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Pregnancy and childbirth
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