Patient's question:
I have been forty days post-caesarean section, and there has been continuous bleeding and some yellowish discharge from below, accompanied by a strong odor. At the same time, I feel a sense of soreness and fullness in my lower back and lower abdomen. After searching online, I found that lochia should typically stop around thirty days. Yet, it has been over forty days now, and there has been no improvement.What kind of help do I need: How long does lochia usually last?
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 initial 4 to 5 days, the amount of lochia is abundant and red in color; after one week postpartum, the amount of lochia gradually decreases and turns brown; after the 10th day, the color becomes lighter, gradually shifting from yellow to white, with no 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 prolongata." It is also known as "incomplete lochia" or "persistent lochia."