In plain words
Lochia serosa is the middle stage of . It comes after the bright red stage. It is pinkish, brownish, or light red, and it is thinner and lighter in amount than the first stage. It usually shows up around the fourth day after birth and often lasts into the second week. It is made of blood, fluid, and white blood cells. As the uterus heals, the discharge gets lighter in color and amount. A sudden return to bright red bleeding, large clots, a fever, or a strong smell is worth a same-day call to your provider. Your provider can check whether the uterus is healing as expected. Some people note the color and amount to describe at visits.
The deeper version
Lochia serosa is serosanguinous, with more leukocytes than the rubra stage and a declining proportion of blood. It reflects progressive reduction of the and early epithelial regeneration. It typically appears about four days after birth and persists into the second week. Persistence of heavy or bright red flow in this period raises questions of retained tissue or , and clinicians examine the uterus and may image it. The controversy concerns whether the named stages are useful clinically, since timing and character vary across individuals and no single boundary between stages is fixed.
Where it comes up
- Postpartum bleeding (lochia): what's normal, what's notPostpartum: Your Body
- Signs of infection after birthPostpartum: Your Body
- When your period comes backPostpartum: Your Body
- The first 40 daysSupport, Home, and Village
What mothers here say about lochia serosa
No one has posted under this term yet.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Committee Opinion No. 736: Optimizing Postpartum Care, 2018