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Lochia rubra (or cruenta) is the first discharge, composed of blood, shreds of fetal membranes, decidua, vernix caseosa, lanugo and membranes. It is red in color because of the large amount of blood it contains. It lasts 1 to 4 days after birth, before easing to light "spotting". [7] [unreliable source?]
Bloody show or show is the passage of a small amount of blood or blood-tinged mucus through the vagina near the end of pregnancy.It is caused by thinning and dilation of the cervix, leading to detachment of the cervical mucus plug that seals the cervix during pregnancy and tearing of small cervical blood vessels, [1] and is one of the signs that labor may be imminent. [2]
Vaginal discharge, termed "lochia", can be expected to continue for several weeks; initially bright red, it gradually becomes pink, changing to brown, and finally to yellow or white. [ 66 ] At one time babies born in hospitals were removed from their mothers shortly after birth and brought to the mother only at feeding times. [ 67 ]
The discharge also changes in color and consistency during this time, becoming clear with an elastic consistency, often likened to the colour and texture of egg whites. [12] After ovulation the body's progesterone levels increase, which causes a decrease in the amount of vaginal discharge. [ 12 ]
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 mucus plug does not necessarily mean that delivery or labor is imminent. [2]
Vaginal bleeding in the first week of life after birth is a common observation, and pediatricians typically discuss this with new mothers at the time of hospital discharge. [13] [14] During childhood, one of the most common causes of vaginal bleeding is presence of a foreign body in the vagina which may be caused by normal self-exploration or ...
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Vaginal rugae can disappear during the second stage of labor. [21] After a vaginal birth, the rugae are not visible and the walls of the vagina are smooth. By the third week postpartum, the vagina has become much smaller and the rugae begin to reform on the vaginal walls.