Postpartum discharge has an unpleasant odor

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Truong Thi Phuong - Doctor of Ultrasound - Department of Diagnostic Imaging - Vinmec Ha Long International Hospital.
Postpartum discharge is a common physiological phenomenon in women in the postpartum period and often causes discomfort. However, postpartum discharge with an unpleasant odor is an unusual sign that all women after giving birth should pay attention to.

1. What is postpartum discharge and what causes it?

Prolapse is the discharge from a woman's vagina after giving birth. This fluid is made up of small blood clots from the placental wound, debris from the lining of the uterus (deciduous membrane), remnants of amniotic fluid, and secretions from a wound in the cervix. , vagina due to childbirth.
Fluid production occurs in both pregnant women giving birth by caesarean section and women giving birth vaginally. When the baby is born, the placenta is released, the mother's uterus will contract to form a safe sphere, the uterus will contract well to help with physiological hemostasis, minimizing postpartum blood loss. . In the following days, the ability of the uterus to contract gradually decreases. After each day of uterine contractions is the drainage of fluid, also known as fluid, from the uterine cavity out through the vagina.
Usually, the discharge after a cesarean section will clear up faster than a normal delivery, because during a cesarean section the endometrial layer has been removed. However, not all cases of caesarean section go away quickly because they depend on the body, the care and exercise regime also affects the secretion of secretions in postpartum women.

2. Postpartum discharge has a bad smell and signs of abnormal postpartum discharge

The discharge has an unpleasant odor
Postpartum discharge often has a fishy odor similar to that of menstruation. However, if the discharge has an unusual odor or odor, it could be due to an infection in the uterus or a bacterial infection caused by a tear in the perineum during delivery. If you notice a change in the smell of your discharge, you should notify your doctor as soon as possible.
The amount of discharge increases, not decreases
The amount of discharge will be heavy for the first few days after giving birth, but then gradually decrease over time. If at any point the bleeding is suddenly more than it should be and lasts for more than a week, contact your doctor for a prompt examination and treatment.
Pelvic pain
Pelvic pain caused by a urinary infection or constipation. More seriously, pelvic pain can also be caused by an infection in the uterus. In either case, we should drink plenty of water and contact a doctor as soon as possible.

3. What is the normal discharge?

Normal postpartum discharge has a strong fishy odor like menstruation, the discharge usually lasts about 20 days on average, or can be up to 40-45 days. The color and amount of postpartum discharge can change over time.
In the first 2-3 days: The discharge is dark red, mixed with small blood clots and during this time, the amount of discharge can be quite large. We do not need to worry if we notice that the fluid is mixed with blood clots, this is just the remaining placenta that is pushed out of our body when it is no longer needed.
After 1 week: The discharge will turn pinkish brown and the stains on the mother's pads will become smaller and lighter. The discharge may be mixed with a small amount of blood clot, the size of a raisin or smaller, this is completely normal.
After 3 weeks: The discharge is only clear or white, no longer appears blood, contains a large amount of white blood cells and necrotic cortical tissue. The uterus will return to its previous size and the contractions will also be coming to an end.
After 6 weeks: Some women may have light brown, pink, or yellowish white discharge for up to 6 weeks after giving birth and it may appear in small amounts daily or only occasionally. This will be the last stage of postpartum discharge.
The amount of postpartum discharge may be more during movement and walking. If you experience this, try to stay still and rest for a while. We feel a lot of discharge when standing is because the structure of the vagina causes a amount of discharge to stay in an area similar to a cup when sitting or lying down and will bleed a lot when getting up or moving.

4. How to handle when postpartum discharge has a bad smell

When seeing the discharge with abnormal signs, women need to go to the doctor immediately, besides the usual gynecological examination, the doctor may perform an ultrasound to make an accurate diagnosis. To ensure health and limit the situation of postpartum discharge with an abnormal odor, we need to note:
Do not lie down much after giving birth, lie a lot and limit movement so that the uterus cannot contract, produce translation is not pushed out. Therefore, after giving birth, we should only lie down and rest for about 6 hours, then we should move around gently so that the uterus can contract well, speed up the postpartum process, and discharge the fluid easily. It is recommended to lie on the stomach for 20-30 minutes a day, women with an anterior flexed uterus in this position will have easier drainage. After giving birth, pregnant women need to eat a variety of foods and get enough rest. Keep the intimate area clean, change tampons every hour in the first day after giving birth and every 3-4 hours in the following days. Hands should be washed before and after changing dressings.

To help customers detect gynecological diseases, Vinmec International General Hospital has a basic gynecological examination and screening package, helping customers to detect early infectious diseases for easy treatment. costly. Screening detects gynecological cancer (cervical cancer) early even when there are no symptoms.
Basic gynecological examination and screening package for female customers, has no age limit and may have the following symptoms:
Abnormal vaginal bleeding Having menstrual problems: irregular menstrual cycle, irregular menstrual cycle Irregular vaginal discharge (smell, different color) Vaginal pain and itching Female clients have several risk factors such as poor personal hygiene, Unsafe sex, abortion,... Female customers have other symptoms such as: Abnormal vaginal discharge, itching, pain in the private area, abnormal vaginal bleeding.

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