Following pregnancy and delivery, it’s typical for women to experience short-term vaginal discharge that may persist for a few weeks. Termed lochia, this is a normal part of post-delivery recovery, and the resulting discharge consists of several tissues, including uterine lining and a small amount of blood.
For most women, lochia doesn’t cause complications and stops on its own. However, in a small number of women, excessive bleeding, ongoing discharge and infection may occur.
Chinese medicine considers this to be a threat to the woman’s uterine health, so practitioners consider it important to completely clear out lochia following pregnancy.
How Do Chinese Medicine Practitioners Address Lochia Complications?
Chinese medicine practitioners rely on medicinal herbs to treat a variety of health conditions. For lochia-related complications, Pu Huang is a frontline therapeutic option, as it has major effects on cardiovascular performance and health.
Pu Huang is a unique herb in that it appears to cause two, potentially paradoxical, effects in the body. On one hand, Pu Huang can boost cardiovascular flow. On the other hand, it can also slow blood flow and prevent bleeding.
It may appear that these qualities work against each other, but it’s better to think of Pu Huang’s action on the blood as regulatory – restoring harmonic flow through the cardiovascular system that is effective for breaking up clots and blockages. In women experiencing ongoing lochia or unhealthy lochia discharge, Pu Huang encourages the body to fully expel all excess tissues remaining from pregnancy and return to homeostasis.
Like with all Chinese medicinal herbs, it is important that Pu Huang be administered by an experienced practitioner. This will ensure safe, effective dosing for each individual patient.