Patient's question:
I have been postpartum for forty days after a cesarean section. There has been continuous bleeding and some yellowish discharge from below, accompanied by a strong odor. At the same time, I have felt a sense of soreness and fullness in my lower back and lower abdomen. After checking online, it is said that lochia should be completed around thirty days. However, it has been over forty days now, and there has been no improvement.What kind of help do I need: How long does lochia take to complete?
Doctor's answer:
The secretions discharged from the vagina after childbirth are called lochia, which contain blood, necrotic endometrium, and mucus. Under normal circumstances, in the first 4 to 5 days, the amount of lochia is abundant and red; after one week postpartum, the amount of lochia gradually decreases and turns brown; after the 10th day, the color becomes lighter, gradually changing from yellow to white, without a special odor. Lochia generally disappears within 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. If the lochia persists for more than 20 days postpartum and continues to flow intermittently, it is referred to as "lochia protracted." It is also known as "incomplete lochia" or "persistent lochia."