Bleeding after childbirth – This is a normal physiological process that is inherent in nature. Thus, the woman’s body gets rid of the afterbirth, lochia and placental remnants. It occurs in the early postpartum period and may continue into the later. Obstetricians determine its severity by the nature of the discharge and the amount of blood loss.
However, postpartum bleeding is not always a normal physiological process. In some cases, it can even pose a threat to a woman’s life. Normally, losses are up to 0,5% of the total body weight of a woman giving birth.
Early postpartum hemorrhage is called that which occurs within the first two hours, and late ones can last up to 1,5 months.
Bleeding one month after delivery
Normally, during the first week after the birth of a child, a woman continues to experience discharge. Gradually they change color, become paler, clots cease to be present in them, every day they become less and less.
There are cases that women, even after a month, continue to observe discharge from the birth canal. In a small amount, they are the norm, as this is a natural process of restoration of the uterus. This is especially true for women who are not breastfeeding. If there are no clots and an unpleasant odor, then you should not worry. In the near future, such discharge will cease to disturb the woman and will stop.
The situation is especially dangerous when the discharge acquires a putrid odor and becomes yellow or green. Most often, this is a sign that an inflammatory process develops in the uterus or in the vaginal cavity. It may be associated with the accumulation of lochia due to the kink of the fallopian tubes.
A woman may begin to develop postpartum endometritis. It has varying degrees of severity, may be accompanied by a significant increase in body temperature. The most difficult case is considered when a woman has pain in the lower abdomen, accompanied by fever and bloody purulent discharge. If the doctor confirms such a diagnosis, then the woman is mechanically scraped off the remains and a course of antibiotics is prescribed.
Another option for the occurrence of heavy bleeding a month after childbirth is the restoration of the menstrual cycle. If a woman does not breastfeed, then she does not produce a special hormone – prolactin, which inhibits ovulation. Therefore, after a month, the first menstruation can be observed. This indicates the normalization of uterine function and the restoration of hormonal levels.
Provoke bleeding a month after childbirth can be sexual intercourse that began too early. Doctors recommend refraining from intimacy for 2 months after a woman has a baby. This is due to the fact that the uterus needs to recover, take its former size, return to its normal state.
Sometimes bleeding 30 days after delivery may be due to incompletely cured erosive processes in the cervical region. In this case, it is necessary to seek advice from a gynecologist and undergo a course of appropriate therapy. Sexual relations in this case should not begin.
You should consult a doctor if:
A month after birth, there is profuse blood loss, with a sudden onset and a pronounced increase.
If spotting changes color or smell.
When there are blood clots in the discharge.
If the general state of health deteriorates sharply, the body temperature rises, there are signs of intoxication of the body.
If there is pain in the lower abdomen, accompanied by profuse blood loss.
How long does it take to bleed after childbirth?
The normal period during which spotting is observed after childbirth is considered to be up to 6 weeks. During this time, a woman can lose up to 1,5 liters of blood. However, do not be afraid of such numbers, as the body has prepared in advance for such expenses. Indeed, during pregnancy in women, the total volume of circulating blood increases significantly.
Another factor influencing the duration of bleeding after childbirth is breastfeeding. If this happens, then the uterus contracts and recovers much faster, which contributes to an earlier process of stopping the discharge.
If a woman has had a caesarean section, the bleeding may last a little longer. This is due to the fact that the uterus was injured and a suture was placed on it. In this case, it is restored somewhat more slowly, compared with natural childbirth.
Women experiencing increased physical activity and stress in the postpartum period can also observe the process of bleeding from the birth canal for a longer time. Therefore, if possible, it is worth resting as much as possible and avoiding excitement.
The following factors can also affect the timing of bleeding after childbirth:
Multiple pregnancy, in connection with which the uterus has increased significantly in size.
Big baby with a lot of weight.
Parts of the afterbirth remaining in the birth canal and the inflammatory process that began in connection with this.
The presence of fibroids or fibroids.
Weak uterine contractility.
Taking certain medications, such as aspirin.
Injury to the birth canal, internal sutures.
Placental polyp.
Blood clotting disorders.
Sleeping on your stomach or just lying on it while resting is helpful to reduce bleeding time after childbirth. Also, do not avoid going to the toilet to empty the bladder when the first urge appears. It is important to avoid heavy physical exertion and lift heavy objects. All this will help reduce the time of bleeding after childbirth and avoid complications.