Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
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]
The breasts change during pregnancy to prepare for lactation, and more changes occur immediately after the birth. Progesterone is the hormone that influences the growth of breast tissue before the birth. Afterwards, the endocrine system shifts from producing hormones that prevent lactation to ones that trigger milk production. [3]
An increase in vaginal discharge is common during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. The discharge, known as leukorrhea, is usually thin and milky white. However, if the discharge changes color or consistency significantly, it is essential to consult a healthcare provider. [8]
Postpartum infections, also known as childbed fever and puerperal fever, are any bacterial infections of the female reproductive tract following childbirth or miscarriage. [1] Signs and symptoms usually include a fever greater than 38.0 °C (100.4 °F), chills, lower abdominal pain, and possibly bad-smelling vaginal discharge . [ 1 ]
During pregnancy, vaginal discharge volume increases as a result of the body's increased levels of estrogen and progesterone. [13] [2] The discharge is usually white or slightly gray, and may have a musty smell. [13] [2] The normal discharge of pregnancy does not contain blood or cause itching. [13]
Another prominent sign of labour is the rupture of membranes, commonly known as "water breaking". During pregnancy, a baby is surrounded and cushioned by a fluid-filled sac. Usually the sac ruptures at the beginning of or during labour. It may cause a gush of fluid or leak in an intermittent or constant flow of small amounts from a woman's vagina.
Toward the end of the pregnancy, when the cervix thins, some blood is released into the cervix which causes the mucus to become bloody. As the pregnancy progresses into labor, the cervix begins to dilate and the mucus plug is discharged. The plug may come out as a plug, a lump, or simply as increased vaginal discharge over several days. Loss of ...
The period of time starting just after the baby is expelled until the placenta is expelled is called the third stage of labor. The third stage of labor can be managed actively with several standard procedures, or it can be managed expectantly (also known as physiological management or passive management), the latter allowing the placenta to be ...