What is the cause of yellow discharge with a bad smell?

Yellow discharge with a foul odor, vaginal discharge causing discomfort, mild fever and dizziness... This may be a phenomenon of gynecological infection, it is best to check it soon to ensure safety. Mothers need to pay attention to daily activities, rest and personal hygiene.

Bleeding is a normal physiological phenomenon for women in the postpartum period and often brings uncomfortable feelings. Yellow discharge with a bad smell is a worry of women after giving birth. What causes this phenomenon? How should it be handled? Please read the information shared below to get the answers to the above information.

What is translation?

Postpartum discharge is the discharge from a woman's vagina after childbirth. This is a natural physiological phenomenon and is not a dangerous problem at all. Postpartum discharge contains blood, endometrial tissue, and bacteria. The uterus performs contractions to close the blood vessels so that no more blood can flow out after the fetus comes out of the womb.

The color of the product will change continuously for many days. From bright red blood color will gradually decrease as the discharge decreases. The discharge is odorless and if the latter has an unpleasant odor, it should be checked immediately. Depending on the location of each person, the length of time for the discharge varies, on average from 2 to 4 weeks. The discharge ends completely after about 2 months. Women also need to be careful not to work too hard because it can cause the disease to recur.

Postpartum discharge with blood, uterine tissue, and bacteria

Is yellow discharge with a foul odor a sign of abnormality?

Normally, postpartum discharge will only have a slightly fishy smell of blood or mucus. The duration of parturition usually lasts for 20 days and can be up to 40-45 days, gradually decreasing markedly. The color of the fluid may gradually change from bright red to clear yellow. However, some women after giving birth have unusual problems such as yellow discharge with a bad smell. 

Postpartum discharge often has a fishy odor similar to that of menstruation. However, if the discharge has a strange or unusual odor, it could be due to a uterine infection or an infection caused by an perineal tear during delivery. If you notice a lot of changes in the smell of your discharge, you need to notify your doctor as soon as possible. 

Yellow discharge with a foul odor, you need to notify your doctor as soon as possible

What is normal delivery like?

Normal postpartum discharge has a strong fishy smell like menstruation, the discharge will last about 20 days or can be up to 40-45 days. The color and amount of discharge may change over time.

In the first 2-3 days: The discharge is dark red, mixed with small blood clots and during this time, the amount of discharge can be quite large. We do not need to worry too much if we notice that the fluid is mixed with blood clots, this is just the remaining placenta that is pushed out of our body when not in use.

• After 1 week: This discharge will change to a shallow pink color and the stain on the pad used by the mother will be lighter and smaller. The discharge may be mixed with a small amount of clotted blood, the size of a raisin or smaller, this is very normal. 
• After 3 weeks: The discharge is only white or clear fluid, no longer appears blood, contains a large amount of white blood cells and necrotic membrane tissue. The uterus will return to its previous size and the contractions will gradually stop.
• After 6 weeks: Some women may have brown, pink, or yellowish white discharge for up to 6 weeks after giving birth and it may also appear in small amounts daily or occasionally. This is the last stage of postpartum discharge.

The discharge is dark red, mixed with small blood clots

Postpartum discharge may be greater during movement and daily activities. If you have this situation, stand still and take some time to rest. We feel a lot of discharge when standing, it may be because the structure of the vagina causes the amount of discharge to stay in an area similar to a cup when sitting or lying down and drain a lot when moving or standing up.

What causes yellow discharge with a bad smell?

After giving birth, the mother's body weakens, the resistance cannot recover in time. Moreover, during childbirth, the uterus is damaged a lot, so it can be a favorable condition for bacteria to enter the uterus to cause disease. In addition, the mother's improper hygiene of the private area such as deep douching, dirty water, using tampons instead of tampons is also the cause of yellow discharge with a bad smell.

If the product is thick and heavy, the smell is strong, if it is less and diluted, the fishy smell will also gradually decrease. However, if the discharge appears to have a bad smell even though the woman has cleaned the vaginal area, it is possible that the vaginal tract has been infected. The smell may be accompanied by pus, the vagina has a burning sensation, at this time you need to see a doctor for examination and treatment as soon as possible. 

Clean the vaginal area regularly

How to handle yellow discharge with bad smell

When you see a yellow discharge with an unpleasant smell, you need to go to the doctor immediately, besides the usual gynecological examination, the doctor can do an ultrasound to accurately diagnose the condition that the pregnant woman is experiencing. To ensure health and limit postpartum discharge with yellow color and abnormal odor, we need to note:

• Do not lie down much after giving birth, because lying in one place and being sedentary will make the uterus not come back, and the fluid cannot be pushed out. Therefore, after giving birth, we should only rest for about 6 hours, then move around gently so that the uterus contracts better, accelerates the postpartum process, and discharges the fluid easily.
• It is recommended to lie on the stomach for 20-30 minutes a day, women with an anterior flexed uterus in this position can drain the fluid more easily.
• Wear loose and airy clothes, if the clothes are unfortunately contaminated with the product, wash them not clean, then throw them away, do not continue to wear them.

Supplement foods rich in vitamins and minerals

• Keep the intimate area clean, change the bandage every hour in the first time after giving birth and every 3-4 hours in the following time. Hands should be washed before and after dressing changes.
• For women giving birth vaginally, attention should be paid to the stitches in the perineum to avoid infection. Bathing regularly to clean the body is essential, it should be done at least once a day.
• Urinating many times to empty the bladder, limit the obstruction of uterine contractions.
• After giving birth, women should eat well, combine vitamins, iron, and rest.
• If the discharge is persistent with fever, it is necessary to check the discharge immediately.

Yellow discharge with a foul odor is not normal and should be noticed and checked as soon as possible. Please monitor and take care of your body carefully to avoid postpartum inflammatory conditions. Hopefully, the information we provide can help you equip yourself with more useful knowledge to take care of your health.