Lochia

For the genus of moths, see Lochia (moth). For the plant genus, see Aristolochia.

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] The Cleveland Clinic recommends that pads be used instead of tampons to absorb the fluid as materials should not be inserted in the vagina soon after childbirth.[5]

  1. ^ Murkoff, Heidi; Eisenberg, Arlene; Hathaway, Sandee (2002). What To Expect When You're Expecting (3rd ed.). New York: Workman. p. 383. ISBN 0-7611-2132-3. 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.
  2. ^ Oppenheimer, LW; Sherriff, EA; Goodman, JD; Shah, D; James, CE (July 1986). "The duration of lochia". Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 93 (7): 754–757. doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1986.tb08063.x. PMID 3755355. S2CID 221487083.
  3. ^ Sharma S, van Teijlingen E, Hundley V, Angell C, Simkhada P. Dirty and 40 days in the wilderness: Eliciting childbirth and postnatal cultural practices and beliefs in Nepal. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2016;16(1):147. Published July 5 2016. doi:10.1186/s12884-016-0938-4
  4. ^ Hanretty, Kevin P. (2009). Obstetrics Illustrated. Illustrated by Ian Ramsden and Robin Callander (7th ed.). Churchill-Livingston. p. 337. ISBN 978-0-7020-3066-6. Retrieved 13 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Pregnancy: Physical Changes After Delivery". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 16 August 2024.