The hormonal shifts and weight and diet changes will begin to taper off sometime around the six to eight-week mark (3) - unless you continue to eat nachos for dinner which we totally applaud. However, the extra body odor due to nursing will stick around until you're done breastfeeding (2).
It smells similar to your period, but might have some sour, stale, musty or metallic notes. “Your lochia could be pretty heavy for the first few days and then start to taper down,” Hamp states. It usually lasts about six weeks.
Lochia is the vaginal discharge you have after giving birth. It contains a mix of blood, mucus and uterine tissue. It has a stale, musty odor like menstrual period discharge and can last several weeks. Lochia is heavy at first but gradually subsides to a lighter flow until it goes away.
After birth, your periods will return at your body's own pace. It's possible for your periods to return as soon as 4 to 6 weeks after childbirth. If you bottle feed or partially breastfeed your baby, you'll tend to start having periods sooner than if you exclusively breastfeed.
Lochia Alba - The final stage is called lochia alba, and it occurs when the discharge turns yellowish or whitish. There is little or no blood in your lochia and your flow is much lighter. The last stage is the longest, lasting anywhere from 2-6 weeks. There should not be any clots in your lochia at this stage.
Yes, lochia can have a distinct odor, similar to menstrual blood. But if your lochia has a foul smell or you come down with fever or chills, call your doctor. That can be a sign of a postpartum infection.
Results: The median duration of lochia was 27 days and did not vary by age, parity, sex or weight of the infant, breast-feeding frequency, or level of supplementation.
Most women are less fertile after delivery. However, factors such as smoking, stress, weight, contraceptive choices, diet, and breastfeeding can affect the time it takes to have your menstrual cycles again.
Your uterus contracts and you'll be good as new soon. But to be sure to allow time for that healing, medical providers recommend a waiting period. Inserting items into your vagina could potentially introduce bacteria, which could travel through your cervix and into your uterus, and cause infection. Yikes!
Following childbirth, the development of a fishy vaginal odor may be from a postpartum infection. Please make an appointment to see your health care provider to follow up.
Stitches or staples.
If you have stitches due to a torn or cut perineum (see “Perineum soreness,” above), it will take 7-10 days to heal. The stitches will absorb over time. It is important that you keep the stitches from getting infected by gently cleaning them with warm water after each time you use the toilet.
Strong-smelling foods like garlic and onion are notorious for causing bad breath – and they contain compounds, such as sulfur, that can be released from your pores and contribute to body odor, too. Other sulfur-containing foods that might add to that stinky smell include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale.
Bleeding often lasts for around for four to six weeks, but could last up to 12 weeks after your baby's born . If you're worried, you can talk to a health professional. Bleeding will start off heavy and red to browny red. It will become lighter in colour and flow over time .
The return to pre-pregnancy hormone levels can vary greatly, but generally hormones will normalize within three to six months. If you are breastfeeding, as you wean from it, your prolactin and oxytocin levels will drop—potentially leaving you feeling sad, anxious or irritable.
Superfetation is a rare event that involves getting pregnant a second time while you're already pregnant. It's so uncommon that cases of superfetation often make headlines. Your body does a good job preventing subsequent pregnancies once an embryo is developing inside your uterus.
But largely, the first 40 days are seen as a confinement period, meant for you to recuperate, gain strength and bond with your new baby.
Two fifths of people in relationships who have children (44%) had been together with their partner for at least five years before having a baby, despite only 13% of the public believing you need to wait that long.
GAP OF TWO YEARS: There are doctors who recommend couples two years to have a second child. Not only it is good for mother's and new born's health, the first also reaches at a stage where he/she could express and starts to understand things better.
While it isn't uncommon, the good news is that you're more likely to have a successful second pregnancy if you already have a child, says Ob/Gyn Laura Detti, MD.
Brace yourself…the first period after giving birth is typically heavier than normal because there is extra blood in your uterine lining that needs to be shed. You may enjoy easier periods due to physical changes in the uterus and cervix, although some folks experience stronger cramps.
Lochia alba
Finally, the lighter bleeding of the lochia serosa stage will fade into discharge; the lochia color will now be more yellowish but can sometimes be mixed with a bit of spotting. This is the final lochia stage, called lochia alba, and it may last for up to six weeks after delivery.
In the first few days after birth, you'll notice your lochia is bright red in colour and might feel like a heavy flow day. Over time, your bleed will change to a reddish-brown colour and your blood flow will slowly decrease before stopping altogether.
Lochia should not smell bad. Foul-smelling lochia may be a sign of infection and warrants a visit to a healthcare provider. It is normal for the bleeding to stop and start, and to experience period-like cramping as the uterus shrinks back to its normal size.