Weekly flow: Everything about the strength of the bleeding, duration and care
Every woman has the so-called weekly flow after giving birth. Bleeding causes the body to excrete residual blood, mucus, and debris from the uterus. Here you can read how long the weekly flow lasts, what it looks like and how to deal with it correctly.
What happens with the weekly flow?
The placenta attaches to the uterus during pregnancy. As soon as she is pushed off, she leaves a bleeding wound. This bleeding is called weekly flow. Due to the weekly flow, which is also known as postnatal bleeding, your body excretes blood, mucus and any remains of the fetal membrane from the uterus after birth.
How long is the weekly flow?
How long a weekly flow lasts varies from woman to woman. It begins shortly after birth. The weekly flow, which consists of blood, mucous membrane and egg membrane, can last between four and eight weeks.
How long can the weekly flow be bloody?
After about 14 days, however, the weekly flow contains almost no wound exudate, only liquefied cells. It assumes a yellowish-white color. However, if you take on too much too quickly after the birth, the bleeding may start again. In this case, the color red is a real warning signal.
The strength of the weekly flow also varies from woman to woman. Some women bleed very heavily and a lot, others a little weaker and less. The amount of the excreted weekly discharge reaches 200-500 ml in the puerperium . When the wound begins to heal after the first bleeding, the weekly discharge changes color from bright red to pink, through brownish, until it acquires a yellowish-white color.
The right intimate care for the weekly flow
- During the weekly flow, tampons are absolutely taboo. Bacteria can get into the uterus via them and cause an infection there. Also, tampons can easily cause blood to stasis.
- To catch the discharge, you should use special pads or fleece diapers . Your midwife or nursing staff at the hospital will certainly be able to help you. It is important that you change the pad or diaper every two to three hours if possible. Otherwise it can get uncomfortable and damp.
- After each visit to the toilet, you should rinse the intimate area with lukewarm water. How to wash off dried blood. It is important and a matter of course that you wash your hands thoroughly before and after going to the toilet so that no germs and bacteria can get into the uterus via the vagina.
A doctor’s visit is required if…
- within an hour a pad or diaper has bled through or the bleeding is so heavy that the blood runs out like water from a faucet
- after a week the bleeding has not stopped and is still bright red
- after a few days the bleeding even gets heavier again
- the passed blood contains large clots
- unpleasant smell, fever or chills occur.
The weekly flow is certainly a bit uncomfortable, but it will pass. After all, the healing of an external wound also takes some time. Give yourself and your body time to recover.