Understanding Postpartum Bleeding: The Three Stages of Lochia

Are you someone who is fascinated by all the pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood stuff few people talk about because they're too embarrassed? If so, welcome to the motherload of all things taboo, or at least really wild and interesting. The Asking for a Pregnant Friend podcast is based off the book of the same name and dives into all of the pregnancy, birth, and mothering topics that make many people blush or scratch their heads.

I do all the boring research so you don't have to and bring you interviews with the leading experts in the topics I cover. I also share all the things about myself, Bailey Gaddis. I'm all about TMI. You'll also hear stories from brave women who gave permission to have their stories shared. So come along, my friend, on a journey into the beautiful underbelly of making, growing, and raising babies.

After having a baby, you will go through three stages of postpartum bleeding. This postpartum bleed is called lochia and consists of blood, tissue lining of your uterus, amniotic fluid, different bacteria, microorganisms, and any leftover fetal membranes. In this episode, we discuss the three stages of lochia: lochia rubra, lochia serosa, and lochia alba, including what to expect and when to seek medical advice.

If you have any questions about this or anything else about pregnancy, childbirth, or early motherhood, go ahead and let me know in the comments. If you can like, subscribe, and comment, that would be so incredibly helpful. That will allow me to keep providing this content for you.

Is pregnancy or early motherhood making you feel other than? Is it triggering all sorts of weird emotional and physical stuff you are sure no one else is going through? If so, get your copy of Asking for a Pregnant Friend: 101 Answers to Questions Women Are Too Embarrassed to Ask About Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Early Motherhood. This book is like the modern-day Dear Abby for pregnant women and new moms who want to get straight yet loving answers to the questions that make you blush. You can get your copy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, and everywhere else books are sold.

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Are you someone who is fascinated by all the pregnancy, childbirth,
and motherhood stuff few people talk about because they're too embarrassed?
If so, welcome to the motherload of all things taboo, or at least really wild and interesting.
The Asking for a Pregnant Friend podcast is based off the book of the same name

(00:21):
and dives in to all of the pregnancy, birth, and mothering topics that make
many people blush or scratch their heads.
I do all the boring research so you don't have to and bring you interviews with
the leading experts in the topics I cover.
I also share all the things about myself, Bailey Gaddis.

(00:43):
I'm all about TMI.
You'll also hear stories from brave women who gave permission to have their
stories shared. So come along, my friend, on a journey into the beautiful underbelly
of making, growing, and raising babies.
Music.

(01:09):
After having a baby, you will go through three stages of postpartum bleeding.
And this postpartum bleed is called lochia.
Lochia and there are three stages to
lochia oh and first i want to mention what is
lochia made of so it is
made of blood tissue lining of your uterus amniotic fluid different bacteria

(01:34):
microorganisms and any leftover fetal membranes so there's a lot going on there
but it mainly just looks like a lot of blood um it can be normal in the first
couple days and for there
to be blood clots, a lot of kind of like stringy tissue.
So all of that is normal.
So speaking of that, this first stage, it's called lochia rubra,

(01:57):
and it lasts for, you know, the first three to four days after having the baby.
It's pretty dark or like bright red blood.
There's quite a lot of it. It flows like a heavy period. You will likely soak
a pad every couple of hours, And
you might have some like a little bit of period-like cramping afterwards.

(02:18):
And that's pretty normal. That cramping is coming from your uterus contracting back down to size.
And again, having some clots is pretty normal.
Okay, the next stage after those first three or four days is called lochia serosa.
And this lasts for about four to 12 days. And at this stage,

(02:38):
that discharge starts to become more like palpation.
Clunkish a little bit more watery not as much blood
and the flow is moderate so you're probably not
going to need those heavy duty pads anymore but you will still need a pad and
you shouldn't really have any clotting during this time and the last phase is

(02:58):
lochia alba and at this point you really shouldn't have much blood there still
of course might be like a little bit of spotting but But at this point,
the discharge is more like white, a little bit yellowish.
And this lasts for about 12 days, potentially up to six weeks.
And there should not be any clots during this time.

(03:19):
And a sign that you have an infection is if any of this discharge is green or if it has a foul odor.
It should just smell like kind of like period blood, you know,
a little bit musty. So if there's a really foul odor or any greenish discharge,
definitely let your care provider know.
Other things that could be a sign of something not being quite right is if you

(03:45):
really, really have excessive bleeding.
If you feel like this is abnormal, like if you totally soak a pad in like less
than half an hour or any time you feel like this seems off, let your care provider know.
Even if nothing is wrong, it's all totally normal, always best to let your care provider know.
If you have a fever, chills, feeling really dizzy, if you're having a lot of

(04:09):
swelling, especially around your vaginal area, like a lot of swelling,
a little bit of swelling is normal after a vaginal birth.
But if it's like tight to the touch, if it's really painful,
let your care provider know.
And a couple of things that can temporarily increase the flow of the lochia
is, you know, if you've been in bed for a long time and then you stand up, you can have a release.

(04:34):
If you've been exercising a little bit, like for me at around 12.
Three or four weeks postpartum, I started just doing like some walks around my yard.
And after I would do that, I would experience a little bit more lochia.
And so that can happen if you're getting in some like light exercise,

(04:54):
just some movement that can create a little bit more of a temporary flow.
And breastfeeding can potentially increase the release of the lochia.
All right, if you have any questions about this or anything else about pregnancy,
childbirth, early motherhood, go ahead and let me know in the comments.
If you can like, subscribe, comment, that would be so incredibly helpful.

(05:17):
That will allow me to keep providing this content for you guys. All right, love you.
Is pregnancy or early motherhood making you feel other than?
Is it triggering all sorts of weird emotional and physical stuff you are sure
no one else is going through?
If so, get your copy asking for a
pregnant friend 101 answers to questions

(05:38):
women are too embarrassed to ask about pregnancy
childbirth and early motherhood this book
is like the modern day dear abby for pregnant women
and new moms who want to get straight yet loving answers to the pregnancy birth
and mothering questions they're too afraid to ask those questions that make
you blush you You can get your copy of Asking for a Pregnant Friend on Amazon or from Barnes & Noble,

(06:05):
Target, and everywhere else books are sold.
Music.